Young Mens Christian Association

Programs: Wellness and healthy living: the y helps individuals, families and the community improve health and well-being through membership that provides a supportive environment for lasting personal change. Financial assistance is provided for those who have financial need. We received $100,766 in public contributions through our annual support campaign from 394 individual donors. These contributed dollars provided for membership dues for community members who otherwise couldn't afford ymca fees. We served 12,372 people as members assisting them in improving their well-being in 2017. Over 3,500 of these individuals received financial assistance equating to an overall award amount of $ 266,059 in 2017.

youth development: the ymca helps children and teens reach their potential through a variety of programs including mentoring partnership with marion city schools. In 2017, 93 elementary and middle school students had a mentor relationship with a volunteer adult. Youth sports which teach teamwork, build self confidence and help children learn self-discipline. Our preschool programs help young children get ready for kindergarten, develop gross motor skills and succeed in life. The y provides many programs and opportunities for families to have fun, learn and grow together. Parents volunteer as youth coaches and participate alongside their children in some programs. Our youth martial arts program had 190 youth participants in 2017 each of whom learned self-discipline and gained a sense of accomplishment. We had 1,019 participants in youth sports including volleyball, basketball, soccer and flag football.

aquatics: through aquatic program and facilities the ymca develops the potential of youth and helps people improve their health and well-being. Children develop self-confidence, teamwork and leadership skills through our youth swimming programs. Adults and people with disabilities improve their well-being through water exercise and support from y aquatic staff. We serve preschool age through older adults. Time in the water not only provides physical fitness, but for many older adults it provides their daily socialization and connection to others leading to total wellness. Participants served in organized classes and programs in 2017: 1,666

fitness: the ymca helps people of all ages and abilities improve their fitness as part of our overall emphasis on total well-being and health in spirit, mind and body. Programs and services create overall emphasis for self-improvement and disease prevention. We offer a variety of fitness programs including a family wellness center for children and families, group exercise for older adults, and a state of the art fitness center with wellness coaches. Participants attended free exercise classes in 2017: 32,604 with the majority of our 8,941 individual adult members using the fitness center to improve their health and well-being.