Igniting Potential to Save Lives

YMCA Hamilton | Burlington | Brantford continued to advance its 2026 Annual Operating Plan in the second quarter, building on the measurement systems established earlier in the year and moving further into data collection and implementation across our YES priorities: Young People, Employees, and Seniors.

By the end of June, the YMCA had served 66,263 community members, including 22,400 participants supported through enabled access. Across our strategic priorities, we continued to expand our reach while strengthening how we measure resilience in young people, recognition among employees, and belonging and physical function among seniors.

Key highlights:

• 66,263 community members served, including 22,400 participants supported through enabled access
• 38,185 young people reached, including 7,013 from priority communities
• 5,598 seniors engaged, including 913 from priority communities
• Youth resilience data collection completed for Beyond the Bell® and Youth Achievers, with additional programs beginning measurement in the second half of 2026
• All LEADS leadership training sessions were completed for members of the Association Leadership Team, while work continued to strengthen employee recognition across the Association
• Measurement of senior belonging and physical function began, including a pilot to establish baseline gait speed data

Together, these results show continued progress from measuring participation toward understanding outcomes, helping the YMCA learn from its impact, strengthen programs and make increasingly evidence-informed decisions.

Outcomes at a Glance

As we reach the reporting halfway point of 2026, our outcome measurement approach is moving from establishing systems to actively collecting data and learning from the people and communities we serve.

• Young People: More than 38,000 young people participated in YMCA programs during the first half of 2026. Resilience data collection has been completed in Beyond the Bell® and Youth Achievers, with Before & After School Care, swimming lessons and the YMCA Wanakita Student Counsellor Program joining measurement efforts throughout the remainder of the year.
   
• Employees: Leadership development and recognition remained key areas of focus. All LEADS training sessions were completed for Association Leadership Team (ALT), peer-led recognition activities were introduced, and an Employee Pulse Check was launched to better understand employees’ experiences of recognition across the Association.
   
• Seniors: Nearly 5,600 seniors were engaged through YMCA programs during the first half of the year. Data collection focused on belonging and physical function is beginning across active aging programs, alongside a gait speed pilot designed to help us better understand changes in physical function over time.

The second quarter marks an important shift from building our measurement approach to putting it into practice, strengthening our ability to understand not only how many people we serve, but the difference YMCA programs make in their lives.