“YANA gave my parents an apartment to live in near the hospital. Mom and Dad told me that YANA was able to help us because we lived in the Comox Valley, where people cared a lot.”

You Are Not Alone. A familiar phrase we all know and share to offer both comfort and reassurance. For the residents of the Comox Valley, however, it also means a coming together of people—a community.

You Are Not Alone (commonly known as YANA) is a charity based in Courtenay, BC, that offers accommodations and funding to Comox Valley families who require medical treatment beyond our region. It was originally founded in 1986 by Sandra Williams after her daughter, Roberta, was diagnosed with congenital heart failure. They were referred to Vancouver for medical treatment—with a long haul of frequent, lengthy, and costly visits.

During this time, Sandra realized that countless other families were in the very same situation, and eventually, with the help of her family and a dedicated group of volunteers, she spearheaded the creation of a way to help: the You Are Not Alone (YANA) Fund Society. Now, after nearly 40 years of service, YANA has become a powerful example of what can be made possible when a community comes together.

Depending on the year, approximately 94 to 98 per cent of the organization’s funds are generated on their local events and community contributions. Just last year, in 2024, YANA successfully raised over $450,000—helping 271 families with 588 medical trips. Of those donations, 96 per cent came from right here, in the Comox Valley.

These remarkable initiatives are powered by YANA’s small but mighty team. They organize and host three major fundraisers every year: the YANA Ride, a community-wide bike event; YANA Christmas Crackers, a festive sale of 5,000 handcrafted holiday crackers; and the YANA Big Love Benefit, a dinner and auction celebrating local philanthropy.

These events are made possible thanks to the hard work of dedicated volunteers and the generous sponsorships of local businesses. One such business who lends a helping hand is Sure Copy, a locally owned print shop committed to supporting its Comox Valley community.

Like many charities, YANA carefully stewards every dollar to keep administrative costs low and maximize impact for families. To help, Sure Copy sponsors their print services, ensuring that YANA has everything covered, from posters and thank-you cards to event program booklets and more. “Our operational budget is extremely low because the simple fact is every dollar we spend is one less dollar we have to use for our families,” explains Kelly Barnie, YANA’s executive director. “It can be a difficult circle to be in, but when someone steps up like Sure Copy has, it breaks that cycle.”

Budgets and bills haven’t been the only obstacles YANA has had to overcome. “2020 – 2021 was a time where everything changed,” says Kelly. “All of our events were in person so we had to come up with a lot of different ways to do what we do, but we were determined to find a way to do it.”

Many of YANA’s fundraising gatherings had to evolve into virtual alternatives—online auctions, chart-your-own-course bike routes, and more. But that was only half the battle. As Kelly explains, “Any changes we made required a big effort in communication to ensure the community was made aware.”