A Place to Belong: Families Find Support Through YWCA Music Together
What you might expect to find at a community centre mom-and-baby music class is noise, dancing and a little bit of chaos. But what was found at YWCA Music Together was so much more.
Music Together is a weekly activity group run by YWCA Crabtree Corner, YWCA's community resource centre in the Downtown Eastside. The group brings together women caring for young children to connect through music. Each week, 12 families come together to sing, learn to play instruments, listen to music and dance.
The current cohort includes moms, aunties and caregivers looking to connect with their children, teach them new skills and find support for the everyday demands of parenting.
“This program helps me spend time with my kids. It helps break the stress of the everyday routine,” explains Alba Silva, a Music Together participant.
With the fast pace of life, it can be difficult to ensure quality family time, but Music Together provides that opportunity for Alba.
“They love coming here every Thursday. It’s a special time for the kids and their moms, and they get to enjoy spending time with other babies,” she shares.
The class offers Alba an opportunity to connect with other mothers while watching her sons build important motor and social skills and expend some of their endless energy.
Crabtree Corner’s Hub Model
YWCA BC is centred around a hub model, with resources to support individuals at various stages on their life journeys. Often, participants start with one program and connect with another, as opportunities become available through ongoing support. This can be seen through Alba’s journey with YWCA Crabtree Corner.
Alba has been attending Crabtree Corner for two and a half years after hearing about the centre from someone on her local bus route. As a mother of two, she has found support through various programs, including Food, Facts and Fun, a program that promotes healthy eating habits for mothers experiencing food insecurity. Participants receive recipe ideas and information about where to access affordable, local food.
Alba is able to attend other Crabtree Corner programs while her sons, ages two and four, access free early learning and child care in the same building. She speaks warmly about how safe and welcome her family feels at Crabtree Corner and its holistic approach to supporting women and their children.
“All the people who work here are very kind. They help us with the challenges of motherhood. It’s difficult for me because I don’t have family in Canada. Crabtree Corner is my family. I feel very safe with all the staff.”
Crystal is a newer participant at YWCA Crabtree Corner and a single mother of two children under the age of two. Her life is full-time mom mode, and with a nine-month-old and a toddler, having a safe space to get out of the house, entertain her children and interact with other adults is important.
“We are at home a lot, so it’s nice to come here. My baby loves it, and she is learning more and more every time. It’s kind of cute. She likes the other kids and the dancing and singing.”
New to Vancouver, Crystal is excited to have access to a place with so many resources to welcome her and her children, and she looks forward to exploring more of the programs available.
Unlike many similar programs in Metro Vancouver, Music Together is free and welcomes participants from across the region. Because of this, women travel from Burnaby, Richmond and Delta to attend, many of them with English as a second language.
“For these moms, it’s important to build friendships. It’s also an opportunity to learn English and develop new skills,” explains program coordinator Maria Giron.
Maria’s broader role at YWCA Crabtree Corner is CAPC (Community Action Program for Children) Coordinator. She works with children from birth to age six and supports parents with immigration, housing, access to food banks and connections to local resources for affordable food and household goods.
Many of the women who attend Crabtree Corner programs face barriers such as low income, housing insecurity and immigration-related challenges. Maria’s mission is to help them access resources and build community during uncertain times.
“Crabtree Corner provides a safety net for women who are vulnerable or have fled violence. They come to my group to build community, and once they have been here for a few years, many become volunteers. They give back to our community and look after one another, which I love.”
There are several ways you can support this and other programs at YWCA BC. Learn more at ywcabc.org/help/donate.
