What do you believe in? What do you want to work on in our society? How could you help make a positive change in your community? The Day of Big Change wants to get you started.

What is The Day of Big Change?

YWCA Canada has created a special event called The Day of Big Change: A day that encourages thinking big and starting small to help create social change. It’s a terrific opportunity to use our voices and take small actions to work towards improving our communities. The Day takes place on March 1st, and is geared at young Canadian women (16-29 years) who want to flex their leadership muscles and do something cool. We’re getting involved and think you should too!

How can I get involved?

First, ask yourself what issue in your community is important to you. What cause would you like to help? Here are some examples to get you thinking:

  • Youth living on the street
  • Women who have recently immigrated to Canada and need help getting work and/or raising their families
  • Family shelters and violence against women
  • Breakfast programs in schools
  • After-school programs for kids and youth
  • Literacy programs
  • Safe spaces for street workers

There is definitely no shortage of issues in our communities that need our support! Which one matters to you? Make a plan for March 1st! How awesome would it be if we could get thousands of young Canadian women to all lend a hand on the same day? Let’s do it!

What small thing could you do to contribute to an issue you believe in?

  • Organize a small fundraiser like a bake sale at your school or a party night at a local venue where $5 door cover goes towards a non-profit in your community
  • Volunteer your time at a non-profit organization (YWCA has 32 locations throughout Canada and would love to have your help on March 1st!)
  • Host a potluck dinner and ask each attendee to bring a dish and a small donation
  • Get vocal on social media, or send us a letter and we’ll publish it!
  • Schedule a time to meet with someone in your community and learn more about an issue. There’s nothing wrong with starting small! 

The YWCA has a toolkit to help you figure out your action plan, but don’t stress—just pick something that matters to you and go for it.

What Shedoesthecity writers are planning on doing:

  • We will be lending a hand at Get Out Of The Cold on March 1st, to help serve Toronto homeless a free meal
  • We will post an article on Shedoesthecity in our Her Career section that profiles the women who help bring nutritious breakfasts to local schools
  • We will schedule a meeting at the YWCA to find out how we can become more involved in our community 
  • We will also post interviews from young women who have experienced homelessness to share with our readers about what life on the street is like

What will you do on The Day of Big Change? Shedoesthecity wants to share your plan for March 1st!

Tell us what you’re doing for The Day of Big Change and we will publish a small story about the issue you’re passionate about and how you are getting involved. We want to publish at least a dozen stories, so help us and YWCA make The Day of Big Change a day to remember!

Think small, make a plan, do something. You don’t have to change the world; just lend a hand in your community and share your awesome ideas with us. Together, we can help make a difference.

Send your ideas and plans for The Day of Big Change to jenmcneely@shedoesthecity.com

For more information and ways to get involved, check out the terrific resources on the YWCA The Day of Big Change website.

Join the conversation on Twitter with #DayofBigChange