Y I Walk: Kelly’s Story

Meet Kelly.
 

Kelly is a Project Officer and Adjunct Professor in the school of Public Safety at Seneca Polytechnic, but Kelly is also a volunteer—someone who freely offers her time to do good.
 

She is passionate about serving her community and tries to get involved whenever she can so, when she saw an opportunity to raise awareness and money for the men living in the YMCA Men’s Residence, she went for it.
 

“I was introduced to Manny [Figueiredo] through my husband. They were doing some collaboration, and my husband [explained that I do a lot of volunteer work] and they brought me on board,” says Kelly.
 

Kelly quickly became immersed in the mission of the YMCA and The Y Saves Lives Campaign. She sits on the campaign cabinet and has spearheaded her very own event to raise money and awareness for the YMCA Men’s Residence.
 

She says she could see the relationships that YMCA staff had with the men and how much they cared about those who were staying at the Y, and that drove her to want to do more.
 

“I fed off that passion. It went from me helping a little bit to me being all in.”
 

That’s how The Long Walk Home began.
 

“I ask people for money all the time to support various causes, and I like to do something big so that people feel like I’m invested in it—that I’m sacrificing something.”
 

Having already shaved her head, and slept outside for two very cold nights, Kelly was trying to think of something different.
 

“The walk came about because I have some physical limitations and I really wanted to sacrifice something, so I thought walking a really long distance would allow me to that [within my current abilities].”
 

“And then it just snowballed.”
 

What started as a solo walk—completing 72km in just 2 days in support of the Men’s Residence— is now eight YMCA staff and volunteers walking 72km in 2 days to raise $40,000 to support the men in the Men’s Residence, allowing them to live with dignity and reach their full potential. 
 

“I want to raise awareness about the Men’s Residence [because] really, it’s about more than just affordable housing. We need housing that is affordable with very specific wraparound services.”
 

$1M of the money raised in The Y Saves Lives campaign is dedicated to funding those supports and services that meet each residents' diverse needs.
 

“I want to show the community that the YMCA is more than a gym, that [the Y isn’t] receiving any kind of municipal funding for the residents—I just want to bring awareness to how the men are struggling and need a bit more support.”
 

On July 18, Kelly along with the other walkers announced their participation in The Long Walk Home. Just 5 days later, a fire broke out on the third floor of the Men’s Residence.
 

The men needed help now more than ever.
 

“Everybody at the Y were doing their part, sitting with the men, bringing them up to their rooms.”
 

“The men were distraught because they didn’t know if their stuff was okay. It goes to show you these men have [very little] and they’re resilient, but they need more support—they deserve more.”
 

This is when Kelly starts talking about her father.
 

“My father passed away,” Kelly paused. “He struggled with mental health and addiction issues—there was no hope for him.”
 

“That’s why I’m passionate about it. I think that men are being left behind.”
 

Kelly wipes tears from her eyes as the conversation turns to training for the 72km journey.
 

“I’m excited, but it might be a slow go for me. I have an injury I’m attending to.”
 

With an Achilles tendon flare-up Kelly’s training has been limited, but she’s ready to tough it out.
 

“I’ve got two days. It may take me the full two days.”
 

Kelly says it’s thanks to the dedicated and passionate staff at the YMCA that The Long Walk Home was possible.
 

“They really pulled this together for me. It would have just been me doing my own thing, raising some money, but they’ve taken it to a higher level. I’m very appreciative.”
 

As of right now, the Long Walk Home has exceeded its financial goal of $40,000—Kelly’s goal, meanwhile, is to raise as much awareness as possible, and that can be difficult to measure.