In 2025, the YMCAs of Québec focused its efforts where the needs were the greatest: with youth, with individuals facing social exclusion, and with groups looking to find their bearings, make connections, and improve their well-being. Discover the highlights from 2025.
Luc, who has been coming to the du Parc YMCA for more than 10 years, describes it as “a true catalyst for the neighbourhood, with a warm atmosphere that encourages connection.” He has built friendships there that go far beyond working out.
Discover YMCA du ParcFlora, a camp counsellor and former camper, describes Camp YMCA Kanawana as a special place where people feel at home and where every camper can truly thrive.
Discover YMCA Kanawana Camp
In welcoming, structured environments like those the YMCA provides, young people can build meaningful relationships and benefit from the support of caring adults.
For Jason, a former participant in the du Parc YMCA Teen Zone, the support of youth workers helped him channel his energy, regain confidence, and, in turn, become a positive influence on others.
“Without the support I received, my journey would honestly have been completely different. I understood that violence is often a solution for those who think they have no other options. I was also able to rebuild a relationship of trust with my parents, which at the time seemed impossible.”
Today, Jason is the YMCA’s director of operations for the eastern Montréal region.
At the Y, we believe everyone has the potential to shine. People in precarious or transitory situations or seeking stability can count on our assistance programs and intervention teams.
In 2025, the Y helped 7,400 people through our various exclusion prevention programs, a 23% increase from the previous year. This increase reflects a growing need for community-based services, but also the Y’s ability to adapt and respond to increasingly apparent realities in the field.
We believe it is crucial to take a public stand on big social issues to raise awareness and find sustainable solutions. It is in this spirit that we signed Réseau Solidarité Itinérance du Québec’s joint declaration, which aims to reverse the homelessness trend. This is a clear call to action, based on solidarity and collective responsibility.
For 175 years now, the YMCAs of Québec has worked in areas where social issues require people-centred, practical, and accessible responses. In 2025, our work contributed to reinforcing social inclusion, fighting isolation, and offering concrete solutions to today’s pressing social challenges.
The substantial increase in the number of people turning to our assistance and exclusion prevention programs for help perfectly illustrates the vital role played by the YMCA and community organizations and the impact these programs have in the community.
These highlights are only a snapshot. The 2025 Impact Report presents in greater detail the results, actions, and partnerships that made these achievements possible.
By focusing on consistency, fun, and the feeling of belonging, the YMCA contributes to building healthy lifestyle habits and fighting isolation. But what happens when individual or family income is not enough to register for our programs?
As a charitable organization, we directly reinvest every donation into our programs and the people we support. Last year, 3,192 people benefitted from our financial assistance program, helping them participate in the activity of their choice or sign their child up for sports or aquatic activities or for Camp YMCA Kanawana.
