In 1991, Dave was out of a job and down on his luck. When he first came to the YMCA Employment Centre in Newmarket, he wasn’t sure about his next steps. Although he thought he was looking for a short-term job, after meeting with his YMCA counselor he realized what he really wanted was a long-term career. It was the start of a process that would end up with Dave owning his own business.

The YMCA helped Dave get a job working with a local Rust Check auto centre. Four years later, he bought the franchise. Without the help of the YMCA, Dave is convinced this would never have happened. Today, Dave hires kids from the YMCA Employment Programs and says he finds the programs provide these young adults with necessary real life experience. “We work with a lot of kids who have dropped out of school because they don’t like authority,” Dave says. “I find that when you give a kid a chance and some responsibility, they rise to the challenge and, with a lot of hard work, they can make it.” The YMCA changed the direction of Dave’s life and he, like so many, is investing in the future by giving others the same opportunities he was blessed to receive.