All of The YMCAs of Québec’s community projects are designed to promote positive, active involvement by the young and not so young in their community and in society in general, starting with who they are, building on their strengths and helping them overcome their difficulties and go beyond, what appears to them to be, their limits.
To accomplish this mission, The YMCAs of Québec has developed dozens of programs that account for over 100,000 hours of work each year. There are programs for children (Homework Help, Rite Play), teens (Youth Zones, Youth Leadership), adults (Internships in the Federal Public Sector, Mise en mouvement), families (Toy Library and Family Resource Center, The 40 assets - Parents' Support Group, Vacations for All), and the elderly (PAIR Program, Intergenerational organic garden ). These programs cover a wide variety of activities, including recreation (Youth Exchanges Canada, International Youth Camp, DANZ), school attendance and performance (Alternative Suspension, Y-Pod, Repères, You Can Go, Post-Secondary Access Program), training and employment (Youth Services Cooperative, Babysitter's Club, Summer Work - Student Exchange), community work (First Stop, Tandem, Éco-quartier), and inclusion of marginalized or excluded populations (Dialogue, Covered Garden, Integrated Recreation for the Intellectually Handicapped, L'Espadrille Day Center).
In almost all cases, the Y’s community programs are built on a partnership with The YMCAs of Québec Foundation, financial backers, government agencies, or companies dedicated to the well-being and development of young people, families, and communities. Programs are run in conjunction with schools, community organizations, and individuals who are involved directly in the neighbourhoods they serve.