Greater Green Bay Ymca Inc

Programs: Youth development: youth development or nurturing the development of every child and teen means we believe that all children deserve the opportunity to discover who they are and to foster growth and development of not only the child but also the family. That is why we help young people cultivate the skills, values and relationships that lead to positive behaviors, better health and education achievement. The greater green bay ymca has many programs for the youth division that offer a range of experiences that enrich cognitive, social, physical and emotional growth. Expenses include subsidies and financial assistance to make sure participation is possible for those with a financial need. In 2017, $190,569 in financial assistance was provided to 2,802 youth and their families. One strategic initiative for the greater green bay ymca is to help change the growing trend of youth inactivity and childhood obesity. Education, encouragement and modeling healthy behavior is important and necessary for the ymca to facilitate lifestyle changes in youth. There are a variety of programs offered to youth: food & fun, teen adventure programs, pre-school and youth gym and swim classes, dance classes, aquatic classes, gymnastics classes, gymnastics events and camps, competitive swim classes, youth sport leagues, fitness and strength classes, baby sitting classes, special populations, 21st century learning center, studio dance, competitive gymnastics, competitive swim team, sports classes, swim smart program, sensory splash, y klub, y nights, girl's night out, sports power zone, family night and special events such as healthy kids day.

healthy living improving the nation's, or more specifically greater green bay's health and well being means building a healthy spirit, mind and body for all. The ymca is a leading voice on health and well-being. We bring families closer together, encourage good health and foster connections through fitness, sports, fun and shared interests. Ymca healthy living programs are medically based and stress the value of prevention through balanced efforts of good exercise habits and overall health including proper nutrition, stress management and health education. This is important as our nation struggles with an obesity crisis, families struggle with work/life balance and individuals search for personal fulfillment. Our programs are family oriented and offered at affordable fees, with financial assistance for those that are unable to pay the full fees; in 2017, we provided $590,439 in financial assistance to people seeking healthy actions and who otherwise would have faced economic barriers to participation. The ymca provides a variety of programs that assist our community with attaining healthier habits and includes fitness classes, family camps, cpr and first aid, lifeguard training, livestrong at the y, aquatic exercise, sports and swim lessons, indoor cycling and senior social groups. The nature of these programs is to promote one's own self worth by emphasizing skill acquisition & development, safety, cooperation and self confidence, leadership & teamwork. The depth and breadth of ymca programs also serve all ages: infants, pre-school, youth, adult, family and active older adults; all programs promote the desirable state of leading a healthy lifestyle through practice and education.

social responsibility or giving back and providing support to our neighbors means the ymca has been listening and responding to the green bay community's most critical social needs for 147 years. Our programs, such as swim smart (water safety for children), family nights, y night, sensory splash and 21c afterschool programs are examples of programs that help strengthen our community and empower individuals to change and overcome obstacles. Blessings in a backpack program provides weekend meals for families in our 21c program. This service is provided through a collaborative effort using volunteers, ymca resources and generous outside support. We sponsor a healthy kids day event held at shopko hall. This signature event gave our community an opportunity to learn more about how to stay active, eat healthy, and engage in fun activities to help keep their kids and families healthy. It is rewarding to see the ymca help the greater green bay area in this pursuit and to reinforce how we build strong kids, strong families, strong communities, every day. The event was free to the participants and 2,350 children and adults participated in this community event involving 172 volunteers. There were free give aways and a drawing for bicycles, longboards, y memberships and summer camp experiences for those who completed an activity bingo card. The activities included: fun run (with 3 others occurring throughout the year), zumba demonstration and participation, bike rodeo with the first 500 kids receiving free helmets, fitness video gaming, local interactive musical entertainer with dancing, games and prizes, health screening from area hospitals and clinics, large inflatables, rock climbing wall, fitness testing, soccer and basketball skills with uwgb phoenix players, family run/walk, master gardeners super foods, arts and crafts, make-your-own healthy snacks, face painting, family martial arts, first tee golf, ymca gymnastics demo and participation, gaga game, giant twister with live54218, y-guy and other area mascots, fire truck and ambulance exploration, climbing wall, and various informational booths with themes of oral health, nutrition, and community resources. The ymca has piloted programs focusing on families with children with cancer and children in the autism spectrum. These programs have filled an unmet need within the community and with 3-year funding from cellcom marathon, will continue into the future.