June 2nd, 2021
Toronto, ON – The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted marginalized communities across the country and the organizations that serve them. This has only heightened during the 3rd wave.
That’s why YWCA Canada is so grateful to Vistaprint for its donation of nearly $60,000 CAD in essential supplies to keep communities safe from COVID-19. The donation will directly support 14 YWCA locations across 6 provinces and 1 territory. From coast to coast to coast, the donation of Vistaprint’s masks ensures community members and YWCA workers alike are able to protect themselves against the COVID-19 pandemic. This donation allows the YWCA network across Canada to continue to operate essential services like shelters, housing programs and child care services.
“During the pandemic, we’ve seen the organizations that support marginalized communities being pushed to the brink. Vistaprint’s donation will allow us to keep our essential services going,” Maya Roy, CEO of YWCA Canada said. “The vital masks will go directly to the children, women and gender-diverse people we serve every day.”
YWCA Canada has been calling for concrete action to address the dire gendered impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Donations such as this will work towards stopping the rollback of gender equity and advancing a feminist recovery by putting women, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse people at the centre of efforts to build back better post-pandemic.
Vistaprint’s donations will directly support communities accessing our essential services and programs such as our permanent supportive housing programs, child care centres, COVID-19 isolation sites, and programming we run on-site. As workers do community outreach, the donation of vital masks will keep them safe. We also support women and children fleeing violence who stay in our emergency shelters and young people at risk of experiencing homelessness. These masks will help them with their appointments, job interviews, as well as other meetings they have to attend in the community.
“As we begin to see restrictions lifting and communities reopening across Canada, we know we need to continue doing whatever we can to keep each other safe,” Vistaprint North America President Emily Whittaker said. “We’re proud to partner with YWCA Canada to provide face masks and filters to thousands of team members, volunteers and program participants as they support and serve communities throughout the country.”
Right now, charities across the country are delivering essential services but that can’t continue without urgent support. Vistaprint’s generous donation shows how pivotal partnerships are to keeping our communities safe. That’s why YWCA Canada is encouraging others to follow in their footsteps and support communities across the country.
If you want to do your part and contribute to YWCA Canada’s COVID-19 Emergency Response, visit here: https://ywcacanada.ca/online_gifts/covid-19-emergency-response/
YWCA locations receiving Vistaprint’s donation include:
- YWCA Agvvik Nunavut
- YWCA Banff
- YWCA Brandon
- YWCA Cambridge
- YWCA Halifax
- YWCA Hamilton
- YWCA Lethbridge & District
- YWCA Muskoka
- YMCA-YWCA National Capital Region
- YWCA St. Thomas-Elgin
- YWCA St. John’s
- YWCA Sudbury
- YWCA Toronto
- YMCA-YWCA Vancouver Island.
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About YWCA Canada
YWCA Canada is a leading voice for women, girls, Two-Spirit and gender diverse people. For 150 years, we’ve been at the forefront of a movement: to fight gender-based violence, build affordable housing and advocate for workplace equity. We work to advance gender equity by responding to urgent needs in communities, through national advocacy and grassroots initiatives. YWCA Canada is the oldest and largest gender equity organization in Canada operating in 300 communities in 9 provinces and 2 territories. Local YWCAs invest over $258 million annually to support over 330,000 individuals across the nation. Today, we engage young leaders, diverse communities, and corporate partners to achieve our vision of a safe and equitable Canada for all.
About Vistaprint
Vistaprint is the marketing and design partner to millions of small businesses around the world, empowering each one to live their dreams. For more than 20 years, we have helped small businesses look and feel credible through high-quality marketing products and solutions that include signage, logo apparel, promotional products, face masks, flyers, postcards, business cards, websites and digital marketing. With Vistaprint, small businesses are able to create and customize their marketing with easy-to-use digital tools and design templates, or by receiving expert graphic design support. In 2020, Vistaprint acquired 99designs to expand its design offering via a worldwide community of more than 150,000 talented freelance designers to make it easy for designers and clients to work together to create designs they love. Vistaprint is focused on making great marketing and design accessible to every small business owner, allowing them to create a cohesive brand image for use in-store, online and on-the-go. To learn more, visit: www.vistaprint.ca. Vistaprint is a Cimpress company (Nasdaq: CMPR).
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For any media inquiries, please reach out to:
YWCA Canada
Anjum Sultana, National Director of Public Policy & Strategic Communications asultana@ywcacanada.ca
Vistaprint
Hilary Waks, Small Girls PR
Vistaprint@smallgirlspr.com
