Ymca Of Greater Charlotte

Causes: Human Services, Physical Fitness & Community Recreational Facilities, Sports, Young Mens or Womens Associations

Mission: The ymca of greater charlotte is dedicated to putting christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all. Inspired by christian principles, we will grow our reach, resources and impact to serve all. The ymca's focus is on healthy living, youth development and social responsibility. In 2017, the ymca of greater charlotte served more than 299,000 people . There are 19 operating branches, additional extension centers and 2 resident camps covering a 900 square mile footprint.

Programs: Healthy living: in 2017, the ymca of greater charlotte operated 19 branches and 2 resident camps throughout the charlotte metropolitan area and enriched the lives of 299,749 people in the community. A health focus area of the y is drowning prevention. More than 12,000 adults and children received swim lessons or water safety instruction in group or private sessions in 2017. Our ymca operates 15 indoor and 11 outdoor swimming pools plus 5 splash parks and 10 waterslides. Two camps and one branch have lake waterfronts for swimming, canoeing and boating recreation. All are monitored by lifeguards, who must complte a 40-hour course for certification. Each pool conducts up to eight full drills a year. Through an additional effort to save lives, the y operates its safety around water program. In 2017, certified swim instructors taught 1,400 children living in 28 apartment complexes basic water safety skills such as climbing out of the pool independently, swimming on their stomachs for at least 6. 5 feet, jumping in deep water and then returning to a wall, floating on their backs, rolling in water and how to help other people. Community health staff provided health educational programs on site and as outreach. Using evidence-based curriculum and best practice counseling methods, the y helped individuals build physical, intellectual, and spiritual strength. Livestrong at the ymca provided 22 sessions in 2017, helping 147 adult cancer survivors achieve their holistic health goals. The ymca diabetes prevention program was offered at nine branches, serving 58 adults. Afterschool programs, summer day camps and resident camps provided activities to children that focused on building character, developing friendships, and being outdoors. Branches provided afterschool programming to 2,021 school-age children. Participants received homework assistance and reading skills practice, exercise and play time. Branches provided summer day camp programming to 11,588 children 4 to 17 years old. In the safe environment, children 1) learned and mastered skills that nutured their passions, talents, and potential; 2) bonded with new friends; and 3) observed staff as positive role models. At the two resident camps, 3,418 youth experienced overnight programming. By incorporating the y's five core values of honesty, caring, responsibility, respect and faith into these youth program activities, the y inspired youth to develop positive behaviors, improve their health and achieve academically. Supplementing staff were over 12,500 volunteers who supported these programs: swim lessons, swim programs, youth sports, running/walking/biking clubs, active older adults, resident camp, day camp and child watch.

family life: mecklenburg, iredell, lincoln and union counties in south central north carolina are the association's service area. Staff, volunteers and agency partners collaborated at 19 branches, two resident camps and schools within three school systems to 1) develop youth character and academic success, 2) prevent drowning, 3)improve quality of life for people facing health challenges and 4) provide increased access and belonging for people of all ages, ethnicities, abilities and income levels. Across all membership and programming activities, the ymca of greater charlotte enriched the lives of 299,747 people in 2017. Financial assistance is available through my y pricing which is a discounted rate structure for membership and program access based on household income. Parent educators and a community nurse served 207 families in charlotte with children under the age of five in the y's parents as teachers program. This evidence-based program influences parents' awareness of themselves as teachers to their children and guides parents on practical matters of early childhood health. Families served exhibited at least one high-need protective factor such as low household income, low parent education level or lack of insurance. The y offers the y readers program, which served 954 students in 2017. Led by certified teachers and suported by 244 community volunteers, the nationally recognized literacy intervention program improved the reading scores of kindergarten through third grade students, increasing their chance of meeting third grade reading requirements and graduating from high school on time with their peers. Through parents as teachers, y readers and branch afterschool at four sites, the y began to teach parents the abc's of active reading method that is evidence-based for teaching reading comprehension skills. It is the read aloud method that charlotte mecklenburg library and read charlotte are scaling across mecklenburg county with the aid of service providor agencies such as the y. Teens were served in y achievers, a collaboration with the y, charlotte-mecklenburg schools and communities in schools charlotte-mecklenburg. This career and college readiness program prepares 9th - 12th graders to envision their independence after high school. Staff, volunteers and certified teachers teach workplace skills, provide college tours and arrange paid internships. During the 2016-2017 school year, y achievers served 113 students. All seniors (12) graduated, besting the 90% goal. In summer 2017, paid internships were provided to 19 students. Responding to the charlotte-mecklenburg opportunity task force report (published in april 2017), the y created a summer program called summer of opportunity (now called level up) that served 1,003 youth ages 13-17. Enlisting more than 330 volunteers, three cmpd officers each in-session night, staff from nine partnering youth-serving organizations and ymca youth development staff, summer of opportunity program planners established teen-only nights at three ymca branches for adults to interact with and guide teens on building trust and increasing self-confidence. Activities included networking, leadership, academic skills, financial literacy, and civic engagement activities as well as sports and fitness clinics. In y guides, the y emphasized the vital role that a dad plays in the growth and development of his children. Program activities focused on teamwork, independence, cooperation and goal setting so that children emerged with a greater sense of self-esteem and personal worth. The program served 1125 children and 981 families in 2017.

camping/outdoor: resident camp follows american camping association accreditation guidelines. It is one of the, most formative experiences in a young person's life. Campers build character values, develop self-reliance, learn good sportsmanship and cultivate interpersonal skills. In 2017, the y's two resident camps served 1,562 boys and 1,865 girls. In 2017, the environmental education center operated at camp thunderbird served 12,449 school-aged children. With a focus on ecology and the environment, the educational activities encouraged team-building and understanding of science, technology, engineering and math (stem) curriculum. The y's conference and retreat programs served 11,219 adults in 2017, offering team-building and professional development activities on a ymca campground.