TURNING POINTS - YWCA Toronto

5buildinga familylegacyWhen long-time YWCA Toronto supporterJoan Wright read about the Elm CentreCampaign, she knew she had to rally herfamily together to support the project.Joan was so impressed with the modelfor supportive housing that she asked herentire family to make a special gift together.“It wasn’t hard to talk anyone into it,” Joansays. “I just pointed out that this one projectis doing everything we’re interested in. Itsupports women with mental health issues,Aboriginal communities and women-ledfamilies. It was easy to get everyone’ssupport.”Robert and Joan Wright have a deeplyingrained sense of volunteerism andphilanthropy, which they have passed on totheir daughters An, Karen, Janice and Sarah.Joan credits her passion for helping to hermother and grandmother, who were bothactive volunteers. “I had good people tofollow, so I wanted to be a similar example tomy daughters.”VOLUME 8 ISSUE 2 | PHILANTHROPYFrom a young girl who attended theYWCA’s Camp Tapawingo for six yearsto the woman she is now, Joan has alwaysbeen an enthusiastic YWCA supporter andcommunity builder. From inviting homesickinternational students from the universityto join their family dinners, to sitting onthe YWCA Toronto board, to working withthe disabled, or to helping with a readingprogram for ESL students in one of Toronto’spriority neighbourhoods - Joan has beenpart of building our city.Joan’s nine grandchildren are carrying onthe family’s philanthropic tradition. Shespeaks of one of her granddaughters whohas just returned from volunteering in Africawith hopes of becoming a social worker(and working for the YWCA one day) whileanother teaches low-income and newimmigrant children in Toronto.Joan says all her daughters andgranddaughters, whether throughvolunteerism, their own philanthropy or theirchosen careers “have that nurturing instinctand interest in helping their community.”Joan wonders, “Isn’t just typical of being awoman?”Joan and Robert Wright with daughters An, Karen Pitre andJanice. Missing is Sarah Hanson Wright who teaches in Ottawa.