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Living Your Legacy: A Simple Life of Gratitude

August 9, 2024 admin Planned Giving, Uncategorized, YESS Champion

by Carol Donald

As a longtime donor to YESS, it wasn’t difficult when staff asked me if I could write something about what inspires me to donate: why, since 1998 I have supported their programs and services for youth through donations and volunteering; and why, since 2015, I have been a monthly donor; and why, when I recently updated my will, I included a bequest to YESS?

For me, gratitude is the most important emotion. I recall a newspaper clipping many years ago in which the writer essentially said if you are waiting for that big holiday, new car, or larger home, you won’t be happy much of the time. However, if you can be happy watching the sunset, having a coffee on the patio, or laughing with a friend, you will be happy most of the time. It all boils down to gratitude. I am most fortunate in that my typical day starts with coffee with a friend, a swim at the pool or a walk by the river, followed by time in my studio where I make mosaics. I live simply, and my basic needs are met. For all of that I am profoundly grateful.

The Joys of Volunteering / Photo courtesy of Carol Donald and Stacy Dieckman

I am also grateful that I grew up in a home that was safe, stable, and loving. As a child, I took it for granted. As an adult I realized that many youth don’t have what I had. YESS allows me in some small way to pay it forward and help youth who are growing up in unsafe and unstable environments.

 

I believe the repetitive cycle of trauma, poverty, and homelessness can best be stopped if vulnerable youth canbe provided with the supports and life skills required to break the cycle at that critical  time, when the choices they make will shape the rest of their lives—and most likely the lives of their children as well.

Artist and Entrepreneur @WowFactorMosaics / Photo courtesy of Carol Donald and T8N

The staff at YESS let them know that someone cares about their outcomes, that there’s a safe place for them to be, and that there’s hope for tomorrow. Today’s youth are our future, and I believe the community has a responsibility to them.

If my contributions help to provide a support network that can enable youth to break the cycle, I will be grateful. The dedicated staff at YESS work daily to build and maintain that network. The need for the services available at YESS will always exist, which is why it was an easy decision for me to include a legacy gift to YESS in my will. 

We strive to do all we can to ensure that YESS will always be here for youth who needs us, as a place where youth are inspired to look to the future with hope, purpose, and the courage to strive for a better tomorrow.

Will you consider including YESS in your estate plans? Every legacy gift to YESS is a thoughtful gift from the heart, a meaningful part of your life story, and a way to help YESS thrive in its commitment to champion youth who reach out in their need for healing, relief, and guidance.

There are many options for planned giving. Some donors have made a contribution to the YESS Endowment Fund; others have established a separate fund in their family’s name; some have designated YESS as a beneficiary in their will or through an insurance policy. There are many ways to plan your gift. Some offer tax advantages today, and others through your estate.

We’d be happy to work with you, your family, and your advisors on a confidential basis to ensure that your gift meets your philanthropic goals.

If you have already provided for a legacy gift to YESS in your estate plans, we’d be delighted to learn in confidence about your future plans. Thank you for your life-changing gift! It will surely help to enable struggling young people to heal, improve their wellbeing, find connection and stability, and realize healthy futures.

To learn more about making a legacy gift, please contact Eileen Papulkas by phone at 780.468.7070 x298 or by email at eileen.papulkas@yess.org

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A Lyrical Life of Faith, Music, and Mentorship: Professor Emeritus, Sandra Munn

August 9, 2024 admin Planned Giving, YESS Champion

Remembering Sandra with Mary-Lou Cleveland

Sandra Munn lived a life filled with the joy and passion of music, a life shaped by courage, vision, discipline, generosity, expectation, and standards. A warm personality, she was funny, outgoing, and vivacious. Deeply committed to a journey of continuous learning and growth, Sandra was never shy about encouraging a personal excellence; of daring to create that spark of change within one’s own sphere of daily life and influence. Most importantly, to be wholly inspired to recognize how one act of kindness has the power to lift someone up the whole of their life.

Sandra passed away on September 20, 2023, at age 89. Mary-Lou Cleveland, her colleague and very dear friend, graciously shares some reflections and insights on the life and philanthropy of Sandra Munn.

Sandra was a friend, an advocate, and a mentor. When you were her friend, you were a friend for life.

Sandra was a master teacher, and I and others are grateful for the opportunity of having been in one of her piano classes and private piano lessons. All of her students knew there was no try. Just do.

Sandra loved her family dearly. She was wonderful at providing presents to all of her godchildren on their birthdays. She loved writing and receiving letters. She loved road trips, driving, and reading books—especially spy thrillers. Sandra was someone who was always there if there was a crisis. She loved telephoning friends in Victoria, Vancouver, England, Australia, and Italy, just to keep in touch.

Sandra was an Anglican through and through. She loved everything about All Saints’ Cathedral: the liturgy, the wonderful music and organist, and the

altar guild. She was generous to a fault if someone was having a hard time or first time in the congregation. She was the first to welcome them and take them to lunch at the Commodore Restaurant on Jasper Ave.

If a student needed money to buy a grand piano or go to school, she was right there to assist. You didn’t have to be a musician. Students and others have enjoyed her generosity and continue to do so through the Alexandra M. Munn Scholarship Fund at the Edmonton Community Foundation.

Sandra leaves a legacy through her students. Her gift of loving music has been seeded across Canada and the United States through students who are conductors, performers, accompanists, singers, teachers, composers, or the

many who are able to simply enjoy playing and supporting the arts.

Sandra loved the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and was a long-time subscriber. She loved the Youth Orchestra and Richard Eaton Singers and supported them with donations and her presence.

Before the move from her condo in the River Valley to Canterbury Manor, Sandra had mostly lived in Edmonton’s Whyte Avenue area. And so, she was attuned and familiar with seeing youth coming and going near YESS over the years as she would have travelled through and around the area. As an annual YESS donor, Sandra had a lasting impact for 25 years on the lives of young people seeking support and services in the face of critical situations and life-changing circumstances.

Intentional and informed, Sandra understood that estate planning documents provided an opportunity to leave clear and precise instructions regarding her overall final wishes and were also the perfect opportunity to include a gift to those causes that were deeply meaningful to her. YESS is so grateful to Sandra for the depth of her generosity and for making a legacy gift that not only underscored her belief in the youth but also her ability to make an impact for the future. A gift that joyfully makes room for and helps to provide the means to make a difference. 

Alexandra, Pianist Extraordinaire / Photo Courtesy of Mary-Lou Cleveland

At age three, she was recognized as a prodigy.

Sandra had perfect pitch, the ability to sight read like no other, and exuded a love for performance.

Accepted to the Juilliard School on an honorary scholarship in the piano class of Irwin Freundlich in 1953, completing a four-year course in two years!

In her third year, Sandra accepted a Teaching Fellowship with the Juilliard Piano Faculty. However, Family and Calgary called her home to Alberta.

In 1957, Sandra made her debut with the Calgary Philharmonic, playing Beethoven’s Concerto No.3 to great success. Sandra was invited back many times, playing Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No.2 and later, George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.

In the summers 1953-59, Sandra Coached pianists and singers at the Banff School of Fine Arts. Then, in 1962, Richard Eaton persuaded her to come to the University of Alberta and teach pianists and singers, encouraging them to be better than they could ever imagine, and created Art Song Classes.

Sandra loved performing with colleagues, accompanying and conducting the Richard Eaton Singers, finally leading them to a festival in England, a first trip abroad. Da Camera Singers was created. In 1992, Sandra retired from the University of Alberta.

Professor Emeritus not finished yet, Sandra joined the staff at Alberta College Conservatory of Music, teaching pianists, performing with other musicians and creating Art Song Classes. Retiring in 2018, Sandra created a collaborative Bach Project for pianists and singers, successfully launched at All Saints’ Cathedral.

She was recognized by the Edmonton Arts and Cultural Hall of Fame, 2001, and Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal, 2002.

We strive to do all we can to ensure that YESS will always be here for youth who needs us, as a place where youth are inspired to look to the future with hope, purpose, and the courage to strive for a better tomorrow.

Will you consider including YESS in your estate plans? Every legacy gift to YESS is a thoughtful gift from the heart, a meaningful part of your life story, and a way to help YESS thrive in its commitment to champion youth who reach out in their need for healing, relief, and guidance.

There are many options for planned giving. Some donors have made a contribution to the YESS Endowment Fund; others have established a separate fund in their family’s name; some have designated YESS as a beneficiary in their will or through an insurance policy. There are many ways to plan your gift. Some offer tax advantages today, and others through your estate.

We’d be happy to work with you, your family, and your advisors on a confidential basis to ensure that your gift meets your philanthropic goals.

If you have already provided for a legacy gift to YESS in your estate plans, we’d be delighted to learn in confidence about your future plans. Thank you for your life-changing gift! It will surely help to enable struggling young people to heal, improve their wellbeing, find connection and stability, and realize healthy futures.

To learn more about making a legacy gift, please contact Eileen Papulkas by phone at 780.468.7070 x298 or by email at eileen.papulkas@yess.org

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Understanding the Role of a Personal Representative in Estate Planning

August 9, 2024 admin Planned Giving

by Jake Leveille, Associate Lawyer at Dentons LLP

When it comes to estate planning, the role of a personal representative is paramount. In Alberta, the term “personal representative” is used instead of “executor,” and this person serves as the cornerstone between the deceased’s wishes, as outlined in their will, and the distribution of their assets and settling of affairs.

While often overlooked or underestimated, the personal representative plays a crucial role in your estate plan. In this article, we will explore what a personal representative does, why they are essential, how to choose one and what duties they undertake.

What is a personal representative and why do you need one?

A personal representative is an individual appointed by the deceased, also known as the testator, to carry out the provisions of their will upon their death. Naming a personal representative in your will that you trust is vital for several reasons:

Ensuring your wishes are honoured: By appointing a personal representative, you can ensure that your assets are distributed according to your wishes,

as specified in your will. By choosing someone who understands your values and priorities, you can trust that they will act in your best interests and carry out your wishes with integrity and compassion.

Efficient administration: The administration of an estate can be complex and time-consuming, involving tasks such as preparing an inventory of assets, settling debts of the estate, and distributing assets to beneficiaries. With their organizational skills and attention to detail, a personal representative can navigate the intricacies of estate administration and minimize delays.

Minimizing family conflicts: By maintaining open lines of communication and addressing concerns promptly and transparently, a personal representative that you trust can help prevent misunderstandings amongst family members from escalating into conflicts.

 

What should you keep in mind when choosing a personal representative?

Trustworthiness: Your personal representative should be someone you trust implicitly to carry out your wishes and act in the best interests of your estate. In many cases, family members such as a spouse or adult child, as well as close friends, are named as personal representatives.

Organizational skills: Estate administration can be complex and time- consuming. A personal representative with strong organizational skills can navigate the process more efficiently.

Availability: Choose someone who has the time and availability to dedicate to the responsibilities of being your personal representative.

Financial literacy: Dealing with finances and legal matters is a significant aspect of the personal representative’s role. Consider selecting someone who is financially literate or has access to appropriate professional advice.

 

What are the duties of a personal representative?

Funeral: Making funeral and burial/ cremation arrangements and ensuring that any associated costs are promptly paid by the estate.

Asset and debt management: Identifying and safeguarding the deceased’s assets, including property, investments, and personal belongings. They will also need to investigate all debts and other possible claims against the estate, including from estranged or dissatisfied spouses, partners, and children.

Reporting: Personal representatives must report to the beneficiaries and keep them informed on a regular basis. They must maintain adequate and complete accounts, and respond promptly to inquiries from beneficiaries.

Probate: Determining if they need to apply for a Grant of Probate. This is a court application to formally ‘prove’ the will. Many financial institutions and the Land Titles Office require a Grant of Probate before they will allow the personal representative to access and administer the estate’s assets.

Distribution of assets: Distributing assets to beneficiaries as outlined in the will, following any legal requirements, and ensuring fairness among beneficiaries.

Legal compliance: Ensuring compliance with all legal requirements, including filing tax returns, and obtaining necessary court approvals.

The personal representative plays a vital role in the estate planning process, ensuring that your wishes are carried out and your estate is administered efficiently. Thoughtful estate planning is a gift that you can give your family, and choosing the right personal representative is an important part that requires careful consideration of various factors. By fulfilling their duties diligently, a personal representative can help ease the burden on grieving loved ones and ensure a smooth transition of assets to beneficiaries. 

This article was written by Jake Leveille, an associate lawyer in the Trusts, Estates and Wealth Preservation group at Dentons Canada LLP. Jake’s practice focuses on trusts, estate planning, and estate administration for both simple and complex estates, and he has a passion for developing estate plans that match the needs of his clients and their families.

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Wrapped in Love: The Enduring Gift of a Solid Foundation

August 9, 2024 admin Planned Giving, YESS Champion

by Jan Colter

Suzanne and Donald Colter gifted the very best of themselves to their family, intentionally passing on a legacy rich and consistent with their beliefs and values: the importance of being kind and compassionate, helping others without expectation, facing challenges with courage and sacrifice, being truly present, and finding joy in simplicity and optimism. With unwavering love, Sue and Don had a profound impact on their children, grandchildren, and all those whose lives they touched.

Remembering a loved one is one of the most honourable things you could do. Their daughter, Jan Colter, reflects on some of the countless important life lessons imparted by her parents to help shape the lives of herself, her siblings, and their families.

A good start in life / Photo courtesy of Jan Colter

I only learned about my mom’s philanthropy when she and my dad (Sue and Don) both developed and had major health problems twenty years ago, at almost the same time. I took over their financial affairs and saw for the first time the quiet and consistent donations that she had been giving for years and years. Until then, the gifts she gave closer to home were significant—financial to be sure, but more often gifts of time, attention, thoughtfulness.

Sue’s philanthropy centered on supporting the arts and improving the lives of those less fortunate than herself. While the list of charities was eclectic, her focus was on women, families, and youth in need… done with unspoken determination. She obviously saw “family” as much bigger than just her own!

Sue Colter: More beautiful as she aged / Photo courtesy of Jan Colter

We always knew the force of her sense of family—in every aspect of our lives. My mom felt fortunate to have lived most of her life in a relatively privileged environment, but you’d never have known it if you met her. She was quiet, hard-working, determined, unpretentious, and generous. Her kids and theirs knew that her time was all for them when they were with her. Nothing was more important to her than that we felt special, loved, and heard! She was absolutely beloved in return.

Sue spent her earliest years alone with her own mother, until her mom remarried, moved, and added two new stepsisters to their family. She left home at 18 for university in Edmonton and married Don right after graduation. They spent their early married life in small town Alberta, where he was the junior of only a couple of town doctors. She soon found herself raising three small children, at the tender age of 23. Brooks was very small in the early 1950s and Don worked long hours. I think those years were challenging and a little lonely for a young, city girl from Calgary. She met the challenge … “super mom” kicked in and we all benefitted.

Sue, Don, and the Grands / Photo courtesy of Jan Colter

After ten years they moved to Edmonton, where they enjoyed a happy and full life. We owe so much of the quality of our lives to having parents like them, who supported us completely and shared with us their many interests. After their kids were educated and launched, they continued to enrich the lives and welfare of their grandchildren in the years to come. Many of our childhood friends saw Sue as their second mom, and my dad never stopped being the kindly small town doctor he ever was.

I truly think that Mom’s early years as a girl and then young mom instilled in her the importance of support in vulnerable times. Hence her focus on her own family and helping us successfully launch from a solid and caring home. Hence her long support for women and youth, the core of our society, who deserve so much but sadly don’t always get the support they need and deserve. She tried to help them during her lifetime, and again by including them along with us in her will. YESS is the most pertinent and deserving organization she could have chosen. 

What you need to know if you wish to leave a gift to YESS in your will
YESS’ legal name: Y.E.S.S.: Youth Emergency Shelter Society of Edmonton o/a (YESS) Youth Empowerment and Support Services

CRA Registered Charitable No.: 12953-7437 RR 0001

Full mailing address: 9310 82 Ave NW Edmonton AB T6C 0Z6

Sample wording for a Specific gift in your Will:
“I give to Y.E.S.S.: Youth Emergency Shelter Society of Edmonton o/a (YESS) Youth Empowerment and Support Services currently of 9310 82 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB, T6C 0Z6, the sum of $ to be used at the discretion of the organization.”

Sample wording for a Residual gift in your Will:
“I give to Y.E.S.S.: Youth Emergency Shelter Society of Edmonton o/a (YESS) Youth Empowerment and Support Services currently of 9310 82 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB, T6C 0Z6, all (or %) of the residue of my estate, to be used at the discretion of the organization.”

We strive to do all we can to ensure that YESS will always be here for youth who needs us, as a place where youth are inspired to look to the future with hope, purpose, and the courage to strive for a better tomorrow.

Will you consider including YESS in your estate plans? Every legacy gift to YESS is a thoughtful gift from the heart, a meaningful part of your life story, and a way to help YESS thrive in its commitment to champion youth who reach out in their need for healing, relief, and guidance.

There are many options for planned giving. Some donors have made a contribution to the YESS Endowment Fund; others have established a separate fund in their family’s name; some have designated YESS as a beneficiary in their will or through an insurance policy. There are many ways to plan your gift. Some offer tax advantages today, and others through your estate.

We’d be happy to work with you, your family, and your advisors on a confidential basis to ensure that your gift meets your philanthropic goals.

If you have already provided for a legacy gift to YESS in your estate plans, we’d be delighted to learn in confidence about your future plans. Thank you for your life-changing gift! It will surely help to enable struggling young people to heal, improve their wellbeing, find connection and stability, and realize healthy futures.

To learn more about making a legacy gift, please contact Eileen Papulkas by phone at 780.468.7070 x298 or by email at eileen.papulkas@yess.org

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The Power of Strategic Giving: Understanding the Donor-Advised Fund

August 9, 2024 admin Planned Giving

by Michael Todd, Philanthropic Consultant with Transform Philanthropy

The donor-advised fund, or DAF, is Canada’s fastest growing giving vehicle, and yet it’s very possible you have never heard of it. It’s a giving vehicle that allows a donor to give today, receive the tax benefits today, and to grant to their favorite charity or charities over time. It will change your giving from reactive cheque-writing to very strategic philanthropy. In practical terms, you donate to a foundation that sponsors DAFs, and then provide recommendations on where that foundation ultimately grants the funds. Because you made an irrevocable donation to the foundation and received a tax receipt at that time, you have legally given up control of the assets. That’s why we call it a recommendation, but generally foundations that offer DAFs are cause-agnostic, meaning will send the funds to any properly registered Canadian charity that you choose.

With online donor-advised funds, you can set up an account, donate some money via your credit card, and you’re all set. Some, like GiveWise, have no minimum. I would encourage you to grab your credit card, set up an account and put $25 in it. Then, find YESS in the database and request a grant to them! It will give you a chance to see for yourself how easy this is.

The rest of this article will refer to a broader donor-advised fund, where someone has donated financial assets like stocks or mutual funds. In cases like this, there is an investment account that holds these assets. They can be held, changed, and then some can be sold and converted to cash when it comes time to make a grant to a charity.

A good way to think of the DAF is as two separate transactions:

  1. You make a donation into the
  2. You request a grant to charity out of the DAF at any time.

Let’s look at some of the benefits.

1. Immediate tax credit, future grant distribution

One of the core benefits of the DAF is the ability to claim an immediate tax credit in the year you fund the account,

regardless of when you make a request to grant the funds

to a charity of your choice. This allows for some strategic tax planning. Imagine a year where you receive a bonus, or some other significant windfall. By contributing to a DAF, you can reduce your current tax burden while reserving the decision of which charities to support for later. This is a very important element of a DAF: You put assets into it when you have them, or when you’re facing a tax bill, or not necessarily when you are asked for a donation. Remember those two separate transactions above!

 

2.    Tax-free growth

The funds within your DAF are typically invested, with the potential for tax-free growth. The reason for the tax-free growth is simple. Remember, the funds legally belong to the foundation sponsoring the DAF, and as a charity, that foundation does not pay tax. This means your charitable dollars have the power to compound tax-free over time, ultimately maximizing your impact on the causes you care about.

 

3.   Streamlined giving

All of your charitable giving can now be made from your DAF. Regardless of how many different charities you grant to, your tax receipts are stored in your DAF account. No more shoeboxes under the bed, no more lost receipts, and no more writing cheques!

 

4.   Time for research and due diligence

Choosing the right charities to support can take time. A DAF allows you to contribute funds upfront and then conduct research before recommending grants. You can make sure your donations are aligned with your evolving philanthropic goals and have the greatest possible impact.

 

5.   Family philanthropy

DAFs can be a powerful tool for fostering a culture of giving

within your family. You can involve family members in the grant recommendation process, creating shared values and a lasting legacy of giving. You can even name your DAF and include your family name if you wish, further solidifying your philanthropic commitment. This is a great way to involve the next generation.

 

6.   Professional wealth management

While some DAF sponsors offer in-house professional wealth management services, many will allow you to continue to work with your own trusted advisor. Having access to these experienced professionals helps ensure your fund grows over time, maximizing the resources available for future grants.

 

7.  Long-term strategy

DAFs can be the cornerstone of your long-term philanthropic strategy. You can continue contributing to your DAF throughout your lifetime, providing a steady stream of support for the causes you care about. You can even designate successors who will continue your charitable legacy after you’re gone.

 

Donor-advised funds are a powerful tool for individuals who want to maximize the impact of their charitable giving. From immediate tax benefits and tax-free growth to flexibility and streamlined giving, DAFs offer a convenient and efficient solution for strategic charitable giving. Frankly, using a DAF for your giving is also fun and very satisfying. Give this some thought, and also give it a try, and see how your giving experience changes. 

Michael Todd, MFA-P, a philanthropic consultant with Transform Philanthropy, assists donors with their charitable giving, and is an expert in the donor-advised fund.

Mike is one of those rare people who loves what he does, and isn’t afraid to say it. He started his career with 12 years in wealth management. He then spent a decade in the charitable sector before moving to China for two years, simply because he wanted to see that country and experience it for himself.

Connect with him on LinkedIn, or reach out to mike@transformphilanthropy.ca if you have questions.

 

DAF Fast Facts

from Influence, Affluence & Opportunity: Donor-advised Funds in Canada by KCI and CAGP Foundation

 

We strive to do all we can to ensure that YESS will always be here for youth who needs us, as a place where youth are inspired to look to the future with hope, purpose, and the courage to strive for a better tomorrow.

Will you consider including YESS in your estate plans? Every legacy gift to YESS is a thoughtful gift from the heart, a meaningful part of your life story, and a way to help YESS thrive in its commitment to champion youth who reach out in their need for healing, relief, and guidance.

There are many options for planned giving. Some donors have made a contribution to the YESS Endowment Fund; others have established a separate fund in their family’s name; some have designated YESS as a beneficiary in their will or through an insurance policy. There are many ways to plan your gift. Some offer tax advantages today, and others through your estate.

We’d be happy to work with you, your family, and your advisors on a confidential basis to ensure that your gift meets your philanthropic goals.

If you have already provided for a legacy gift to YESS in your estate plans, we’d be delighted to learn in confidence about your future plans. Thank you for your life-changing gift! It will surely help to enable struggling young people to heal, improve their wellbeing, find connection and stability, and realize healthy futures.

To learn more about making a legacy gift, please contact Eileen Papulkas by phone at 780.468.7070 x298 or by email at eileen.papulkas@yess.org

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At the Forefront of Change, Advocacy, and Changed Policy for Those Living with Addiction: One Mother’s Story

August 9, 2024 admin Community, Mental Health, Planned Giving

by Leslie McBain

First, I must tell you that my beautiful only child Jordan McBain Miller died at age 25 from an accidental prescription drug overdose. He did not die of the tragic epidemic of toxic street drug deaths we now face. He had become addicted to a painkiller prescribed by our doctor for a back injury. Jordan was a child of privilege; we had enough money, we always had a home, our family of three was always intact. Jordan had what we thought were minor mental health challenges such as ADHD and dyslexia.

These are in part what drove him into drug use, addiction, and accidental overdose death. Jordan loved people and animals, and even had his own small business by the age of 23. He had a loving partner. He was set to enjoy a full life.

And thus begins the story of my own advocacy and support for vulnerable people, especially people who use illicit substances and are vulnerable to poverty, racism, trauma, and mental health issues.

I met two Edmonton women, Petra Schultz and Lorna Thomas, upon learning that their sons too had died of drug harms. We decided to create an organization to advocate for better policies to support vulnerable people who use illicit substances.

The short story is that after some trial and error we created a non-profit organization called Moms Stop the Harm. From the three of us in 2016 on to this writing we have grown to over 3000 members across Canada. Our goal is to support people who use drugs by advocating for government drug policies that actually save lives. This takes us into many different pathways of support. We advocate for a regulated supply of drugs that are implemented through physicians, health systems, and a few other pathways that are legal and safe. Our primary goal is to keep people alive until they’re able to access treatment and recovery services, mental health supports, housing, and safe environments in which to live. We do much of our work by striving to educate the public through social media, webinars, letters to the editor, panels, and talks.

We sincerely believe that everyone, but especially youth, deserve safety, connection, health care, education, and a job. Only non-profits such as YESS seem to be able to address these needs in a positive and well-rounded way.

My father, Ross McBain, was a “mover and shaker” in Edmonton from around 1950 to the day he died in 2018 at age 94. He was always very involved in his beloved Edmonton community in business, sports, and community events such as Klondike Days, and in employing many people in his camera business. He was a man who would take a chance on someone who perhaps didn’t have the experience or the knowledge but was willing to learn. He was rarely disappointed in people’s potential and ability to do a great job. I remember a few times when things didn’t exactly work out, but those were few and far between! My father believed deeply in volunteerism and he believed in supporting those less fortunate. He did thousands of hours of volunteer work in his life. All of us, his five children, have had volunteerism as part of our lives. In some ways, I believe the family we are born into is the luck of the draw. We lucked out!

Ross McBain built a foundation for giving and we, his family, have the wonderful responsibility of administrating that foundation. YESS has always been on our list and as I look more into this organization, I am so impressed and grateful that YESS does what it does. And I truly believe that we who can help, must help! Walking the talk, as they say, brings some peace and joy to others but also a feeling of fulfilment to the helpers.

Every single youth deserves the best that life has to offer. But some are not that lucky. As a society, it is our duty to help and support our valuable and vulnerable youth to find safety, health, and connection, and to see their worth in this world.

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The Impact of a Gift of Securities

August 9, 2024 admin Planned Giving

from an anonymous YESS donor

There are so many worthy causes accomplishing really wonderful things in the community. By following my own charitable compass, several have caught my attention over time.

You can really admire the work of Dogs with Wings and its service dogs helping to make disabled individuals more able. The Edmonton Food Bank is a real lifeline for so many, especially in these times with so much food insecurity. YONA- Sistema is an amazing after-school music-centred program offered by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. Students get help with their studies too. They make it fun and interesting.

And of course, YESS provides such good support for struggling young people without the benefit of a solid home and family life. Like many of your donors, I’ve long admired and supported the good work of YESS. Young people of every generation have always faced tough times, but the challenges of today are growing at an incredible pace and severity. Thankfully, YESS is there to help enable them to work towards a positive future, wellness, and eventual independence.

Being confident in the work of a charity I’m supporting, it only makes sense to make an actual gift in the manner that is the most efficient and advantageous tax-wise for me. My giving through securities is all about the taxes. With the current CRA rules, I don’t have to pay capital gains tax on my in-kind securities donation and I’m able to give the full value of my donated securities. And that’s a real benefit for me and for the charity!

We strive to do all we can to ensure that YESS will always be here for youth who needs us, as a place where youth are inspired to look to the future with hope, purpose, and the courage to strive for a better tomorrow.

Will you consider including YESS in your estate plans? Every legacy gift to YESS is a thoughtful gift from the heart, a meaningful part of your life story, and a way to help YESS thrive in its commitment to champion youth who reach out in their need for healing, relief, and guidance.

There are many options for planned giving. Some donors have made a contribution to the YESS Endowment Fund; others have established a separate fund in their family’s name; some have designated YESS as a beneficiary in their will or through an insurance policy. There are many ways to plan your gift. Some offer tax advantages today, and others through your estate.

We’d be happy to work with you, your family, and your advisors on a confidential basis to ensure that your gift meets your philanthropic goals.

If you have already provided for a legacy gift to YESS in your estate plans, we’d be delighted to learn in confidence about your future plans. Thank you for your life-changing gift! It will surely help to enable struggling young people to heal, improve their wellbeing, find connection and stability, and realize healthy futures.

To learn more about making a legacy gift, please contact Eileen Papulkas by phone at 780.468.7070 x298 or by email at eileen.papulkas@yess.org

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All is a Gift: A Lifetime of Grace and Gratitude

August 28, 2023 admin Planned Giving

“Each of my brothers and sisters lived very interesting lives.” As the youngest and the last of 11 Zdunich siblings, Hilda O’Neill cherishes countless beautiful memories of growing up in a large family. Most recently, great joy was to be found in the time set aside for care and visits with her remaining sister, Rosaleen, who was then in her twilight years. It was a regular practice that she now so greatly misses since Rosaleen’s passing.  

YESS is so grateful for the opportunity to learn more about the long and blessed journey of a woman who touched the lives of so many in her lifetime: her family, her religious community and communities, and her many relatives and friends. “Rosaleen lived an extraordinary life! She was generous with her time in life and, in the end, with her money. I was so happy with the various charities that Rosaleen chose to leave a gift to in her will. They reflected causes dear to her heart. And being in education, Rosaleen was happy to help youth.”

 

 

Sister Rosaleen Zdunich was a woman of deep faith, prayer, compassion, and sensitivity. She lived a very happy, inspiring, rewarding life, strongly committed to her Roman Catholic tradition. Her work and ministries were faith directed with prayer, hope, joy, remarkable dedication, and passion. Work and friendships came to life with her outstanding creativity, organizational, and leadership skills. Members of the interfaith and the ecumenical communities often remarked on the passion that she had for her work.

Sister Rosaleen studied scripture at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, received her Bachelor of Education from the University of Saskatchewan, Master’s in Psychological Counselling from Fordham University in New York, and graduate diploma in Religious Education through various universities across the USA. Her background was in education as a teacher, principal, and counsellor. Evidence of students’ appreciation was the contact maintained by many students over the years. Working full time in schools, she volunteered many hours beginning to build understanding among the interchurch and interfaith communities. She was the founder of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese Ecumenical office. She coordinated the annual Ecumenical Institute, the first city-wide prayer service for Christian Unity Week. Now both initiatives fly under the banner of Edmonton Council of Churches.

She was one of the founders of the Edmonton Interfaith Centre and the first coordinator. Sister Rosaleen laid the groundwork for interfaith and ecumenism in Edmonton and Alberta. She organized many activities to bring the Edmonton’s interfaith communities together in understanding and appreciation. One of these was the first Prayer Service for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination which is still being observed. In 1986 she coordinated the first Jewish/Christian dialogue held at Beth Shalom Synagogue with the Rabbi and the Archbishop together leading a prayer service and the dialogue.

She also coordinated several dialogues such as the city’s first Jewish, Christian, and Muslim dialogue and as well as the first Hindu, Christian, Sikh, and Muslim dialogue. She also organized Edmonton’s Centennial celebration led by 14 faith leaders. As they were called forth according to their arrival year to Edmonton, the faith leaders walked down the grand staircase of City Hall. More than 500 people of all faiths celebrated at City Hall to mark the arrival of these religions to Edmonton. She organized many more such events too numerous to mention.

She leaves a legacy to the City of Edmonton of initiating many events to build bridges of peace, harmony, and acceptance within and among the Christian and interfaith communities. These events are still part of Edmonton’s fabric.

Her love for those less fortunate was evident in her many works of charity and kindness. One could find her on Christmas morning serving dinner in the inner city or at other times preparing food to take to the food bank.  

She was very involved in her Roman Catholic community and especially her parish community.

In 2012 she was invested into the Alberta Order of Excellence, received the City of Edmonton’s “Salute to Excellence Award” in 2005, and the Alberta Centennial medallion for her dedication to building bridges among the faiths in Edmonton. In 1992 she was recognized by the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism in Montreal for outstanding leadership.

 

One of the numerous recognitions that Sister Rosaleen received in life was having a tree planted in Israel in her honour—a symbol of hope, love and life to last for generations. We at YESS are likewise profoundly grateful to Sister Rosaleen for the forethought of her inspirational legacy gift and for her faith in the youth as they heal and direct the powerful potential of their minds, talents, creativity, and determination to the future.

To learn more about making a legacy gift, please contact Eileen Papulkas by phone at 780.468.7070 x298 or by email at eileen.papulkas@yess.org

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Soul of a Building and Heart of a Team

August 28, 2023 admin Life at YESS, Planned Giving

“One day on my way from the Armoury to our Whyte Avenue location I saw one of our youth waiting at a bus stop. They were showered, in fresh clothes, listening to music while waiting for the bus, which left me with a great sense of pride knowing my team provided this youth with their clothes, a safe space to sleep and shower, and their meals so they could proceed with their day indistinguishable from every other person at that bus stop.” – Darin Maxwell, Director of Facilities, YESS

Darin Maxwell, Director of Facilities

Hello. I’m Darin Maxwell and I have been the YESS Operations Manager since December of 2020, and now the Director of Facilities. I manage the Facilities and Kitchen teams and wish my legacy to be the critical importance of providing and maintaining safe spaces for our youth, enabling them to continue their journey towards adulthood.  

The facilities team maintains, cleans, and cares for YESS’ properties. Our days can run the gamut of having simple projects and chores to complete, to those filled with more wide-ranging challenges. We make sure our youth have access to clean, secure sleeping quarters, shower and laundry facilities, and sanitized spaces in which to access the many resources YESS provides. My team’s work provides the physical elements that our city’s most vulnerable youth need so that they will be able to bring their best selves forward into our programs. We provide the resources for them to continue their journeys towards healing and appropriate community integration rested, clean, clothed, and fed.

Donations in their many forms help to support and are an essential part of all that we provide as a team for the youth. Funds enable us to maintain the properties and to purchase wholesome food. The very basics of clothing and furniture can bring a lot of joy into young lives, as does the gift of time and talents from our many volunteers. The generosity of the community is always needed and is truly appreciated!

Being a native Edmontonian, I am humbled by the opportunity to bring my organization and team-building skills to supporting youth where I live, ensuring they can then strengthen this community with their own legacy for future generations.

 

Rhonda Friskie, Facilities Maintenance Supervisor

Hi! My name is Rhonda Friskie and I’ve been working at YESS for 13 years now. I’d have to say my favourite part about working here has been witnessing our youth reach their full potential. Despite their difficult beginnings, when given a little love and support, they end up flourishing and move on to do amazing things. The world can sometimes be a harsh place, and the strength and courage it takes for them to work through incredibly challenging circumstances is nothing short of admirable. I am deeply inspired by and admire our youth.

I love my role here at YESS and the variety it gives me, with each day presenting new challenges. I am part of an amazing team who work hard to keep our buildings safe for our staff and clients. Everyone here shares the same vision and is dedicated to the mission. I’ve met some of the most amazing people in my time here at YESS who continue to inspire me daily, and I feel fortunate to be a part of this incredible team.

 

YESS Facilities Team (left to right, back row to front row): Jerome Bongon, Facilities Assistant; Rhonda Friskie, Facilities Maintenance Supervisor; Darin Maxwell, Director of Facilities; Mark Porter, Facilities Worker; Rosemarie Morla, Facilities Assistant; Zandra Buison, Facilities Assistant

Hello, my name is Rosemarie Morla and I have been at YESS for eight years. What I enjoy most about working at YESS is the opportunity to contribute to and offer the youth a safe, comfortable, and clean environment. I enjoy hearing of youth success stories and I am proud to be a part of their journey.

 

Hi everyone. I’m Zandra. I’ve been working at YESS for eight years already and enjoy working with the Facilities team helping programs provide what youth need.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jessica Day, Chief Program Officer

When we are talking about providing therapeutic spaces for young people, we have to start with our buildings and our maintenance teams. Before a youth or youth worker can be in program, we have to have plans on the layout of the building, the paint colours, the safety of the building, the health of the people who work and live in the space, and the processes for cleaning and repairing the building throughout service delivery. This is important because, as much as we work to build healthy relationships with the youth between our staff and their peers or community, we have to remember that they are building up a very fragile sense of self—self-worth, self-acceptance, and self-expression.

The young people we serve have experienced trauma and this has changed their development from rational problem-solving to emotional survival mode. In this survival mode, problem-solving and communication skills are not developed, or are lost, and this can contribute to crisis behaviours and escalated outbursts. It is really important when a youth is coming down from the escalation that they are supported emotionally but also within the physical space. They have to know that a hole punched in the wall can be repaired and repainted quickly, so that they and other youth are not staring at the physical reminder of their reactions or choices. When windows are broken, we have to respond quickly to ensure that everyone feels safe, and they know that the window will be replaced. If they make a mess and cannot clean it up themselves, we will be there to support and provide them with a clean and healthy environment when they return. It is so important to provide consistency, predictability, and transparency in repairs, cleaning, and building maintenance for the visual safety and security that these youth need. Many of them come from homes where they did not have this foundation of response and support and so we have to show them they deserve nice places too. It provides hope, safety, and an opportunity to try again tomorrow—their crisis outbursts weren’t permanent and neither is the damage. They will calm down, the building will be repaired or cleaned, and they can move forward and learn from the experience. If we did not focus on quick responses and providing safety for staff and youth to work or grow, then their fragile self-worth would be infected with visual shame and reminders of their lowest points.

When a youth has a healthy trajectory of brain development, then they can start to rationalize their behaviour or experiences and learn from them. When a youth is in survival mode, they are not rational; they are emotional and the emotions around the behaviours or experiences solidify in a protective survival way, not a healthy experience way, and that can further cause trauma or heighten trauma responses in the future or even slow down their development further. So we clean, every day. And we replace the windows every time they break without question and without hesitation. We re-patch, we repair, we adjust temperatures, we fix stair rails, and we focus on what we can bring in for safety and security measures to ensure that youth and the staff can do their jobs to the fullest.

What makes our Facilities team unique is that they understand that their role is much bigger than the tasks. They know and believe that they are partners with our Programs staff and work in tandem with respect and empowerment to be around the youth and staff, and also to be seen and heard in program as part of what YESS offers. They laugh and sing and dance and respond with kindness and politeness and a softness that the youth appreciate and the staff respect. While they are a different department that has different strategies, they worked side by side with our programs during the pandemic as essential staff and they continue to work side by side with our Programs staff because both teams are central to providing truly therapeutic care.

 

 

The legacy and layers by which every edifice establishes its own unique character have at their foundation the talents, inspiration, warmth, and skills of the people tasked with its care as they build out an ever-evolving story: bricks and mortar tucked with history, shimmering sunlight reflects off of freshly mopped floors, aged tiles betray the skids and markings left behind as well-used furniture is shifted and repositioned. A gentle flutter is perceived as fresh sheets are crisply folded and stacked, the clicking and clanking of doors are heard as laughter and conversation gently wafts along hallways, and the powerful and rhythmic buzz of an electric saw echoes from a busy tool room. 

Follow along with the YESS Facilities Team as they share a glimpse into days filled with a choreography of planning, craftsmanship, cleaning, polish, and care.

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Of Legacy and the Enduring Gift of Friendship

August 28, 2023 admin Planned Giving

One of life’s greatest treasures is the friendships that develop when paths cross. How fortunate is  the person who can draw from a trove of rich and valued memories to rightly express the essence of a life lived by the values, hopes, and aspirations that were most important to them. YESS warmly thanks Allan Reid for sharing an eloquent and personal reflection on the life of Bernard Dousse: a good and close friend to many and a friend to YESS.

 

 

It was with deep sorrow, and some surprise, that we mourn Bernard Dousse: a long serving pillar of the Edmonton LGBTQ+ community. Bernard was a man who embraced community in all its iterations. Born in Fribourg, Switzerland, Bernard was the youngest of 13 siblings. The prodigal child of his family, he was the only sibling to seek a life far from the constraints of familiarity, from oversight, and the fear of scandal.

Bernard was born October 1, 1931, into a devoutly Catholic family. Several of his siblings would later become priests or nuns—some so much older than he, as to be, effectively, adults whom young Bernard would have been obliged to hear and obey. He did not speak much about the conditions of his growing up, at least not to me. But there were annual trips back to Fribourg, of which he often expressed his joy in reconnecting with his family, his place of birth, and welcoming new generations of nieces and nephews. Did they know about his homosexuality? Bernard claimed, when asked, that they did not. Keeping such a secret is much more difficult to imagine today than it was then. But a secret can cut both ways. Perhaps there was a silent understanding among his siblings: that thing left unspoken that then can be ignored.

Bernard Dousse: A gracious host, we all share memories of fine weather spent out in his lush vegetable and flower garden, which he lovingly tended | Photo courtesy of Blaine Madsen

Honestly, I never met anyone from Bernard’s family, nor anyone who claims to have done so. I do not know his family dynamics. What we do know is that Bernard launched his career with a doctorate in Natural Science from the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Fribourg (1965). Post doctorate, he entered the field of geology, working first in Nigeria, then spending time in South Africa, and eventually arriving in Canada, first on Prince Edward Island, then Montréal and finally, to Alberta where he took a position with the Alberta government, retiring at the prescribed age of 65 in 1996. He was then head of the Evaluation Section, Hydrology Branch, for Alberta Environmental Protection. His was a life-long career path that gave Bernard the freedom to be who he really was, and there was no better life than that.

I first met Bernard in Edmonton in 1987 or 1988. He was an older gay man, and I was in my early twenties and still learning the ropes of gay society. Older gay men were routinely dismissed as trolls among my age group—an odious term suggesting that the only thing they wanted was a young toy to discard after our novelty had worn off. Bernard was not that man. To him, I and everyone else my age were the future, and we deserved to have a brilliant one.

But this was also the death-sentence time in the HIV/AIDS pandemic, before the cocktails of drugs that would eventually bring the disease under control, when we were all struggling to understand how the disease was spread and how to protect ourselves. The very same   were asked during the recent COVID-19 pandemic amid constantly changing recommendations from health authorities. Just as someone’s allergies aroused such fear of their COVID status that people would take a wide path around the poor person suffering seasonal sniffles and sneezes, so then, in many minds, a gay man was automatically deemed to be infected and contagious. And all too often, queer youth had only our queer elders to turn to for knowledge, support, solace, and comfort. Bernard was such a man.

From its inception, Bernard became active within the AIDS Network of Edmonton, and on a more casual level, served as support for many people, younger and older, who were living with HIV/AIDS. An ear that was listening. Someone to hear one’s fears, a mentor for every young man trying to figure out how to live and love in a world dominated by the virus and its associated  discrimination.

Bernard accepted everybody—straight, gay, lesbian, transgender, and, as the concept developed, our non-binary and gender-fluid friends as well. My husband and I moved away from Edmonton in the late 1990s, so though we remained friends, I do not know what relations Bernard had with today’s youth, but I do know that he would have offered an understanding ear. He would have been uplifting, supportive, and a font of knowledge and experience. To Bernard, there was never a question: we are all equals entitled to our own brilliant futures.

And so, in early 2021, at the time when he was still a model of health and fitness, and with a sharp mind such that we, his friends, could all envision him living another decade or more, but, nevertheless, quickly approaching 90 years of age, he revisited his will, as we all must do with increasing regularity the older we get. Bernard approached YESS as a potential recipient from his estate. He was interested in the services and supports that YESS provides to the youth of Edmonton, and of course, how dedicated in terms of their financial structures that YESS is to their stated commitments. He wrote: “I find the objectives and activities of YESS super-important for the well-being—present and future—of our youth-in-need, and certainly very worthy of my serious attention.”

Bernard was never in it for the ego. I am sure he thought of himself as a good person, but never better than anyone else. He did not want renown. What he wanted, through his legacy, was to continue to support Edmonton youth, straight, gay, lesbian, trans, non-binary—all youth—as they each forge their own paths toward a socially, mentally, and emotionally healthful future. And thus, his generous donation to Edmonton’s Youth Empowerment and Support Services.

 

To learn more about making a legacy gift, please contact Eileen Papulkas by phone at 780.468.7070 x298 or by email at eileen.papulkas@yess.org

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