Young Mens Christian Association Saratoga County

Programs: Healthy living. The saratoga regional ymca focuses on healthy living by advocating health and well-being from the inside out - the spirit, the mind, the body. The srymca provided over 40,000 people with the supportive relationships and environments they need for their successful pursuit of health and well-being. This is particularly important as our nation struggles with an obesity crisis, families struggle with work/life balance and individuals search for personal fulfillment. We bring families together and offer sport, recreational and social networks that build relationships and strengthen bonds. Our programs are accessible, affordable and open to all faiths, backgrounds, abilities and income levels. We provided $488,000 in financial assistance and $820,000 in community benefit support to overcome barriers to participation. This assistance reached 3,500 individuals or families. Sry healthy living programs include family nights, group fitness classes, cpr and first aid classes, lifeguard training, obesity programs, pre-natal programs, personal fitness training, adult learn to swim programs, and basketball and tennis leagues. The emphasis of health of spirit, mind and body is embodied in the health and wellness programs of the y. Sry programs stress proper exercise, nutrition, stress management and avoidance of abusive substances and behaviors. The programs are designed to serve people of all ages, with specific programs for children through seniors. Y wellness areas are staffed with knowledgeable and trained individuals who can answer questions and offer support to members who are looking for a program tailored to their needs. Obesity rates in the united states have increased drastically and the center for disease control and prevention has recognized obesity to be common, serious and costly. They estimate that more than one third of us adults (34. 9% or 78. 6 million) are obese, and that obesity related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers - all of which are some of the leading causes of preventable death. A 2008 cdc study produced statistics showing that the estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the us was $147 billion and that the medical costs for people who are obese were $1,429 higher than those of normal weight. The new england journal of medicine has noted that the current generation of americans could be the first to lead shorter lives than their parents. The ymca is uniquely positioned to help combat the obesity crisis in america, and we design our physical programs to introduce people to healthier lifestyles by incorporating better eating habits through our nutrition classes, assisting in developing attainable goals by interactions with our floor staff, utilizing fitness assessment programs, and incorporating group and individual exercise programs. The saratoga regional ymca is targeting this growing crisis and designs programs to shift how we focus our work inside and outside of the ymca to engage health seekers - children, youth, teens, adults, seniors and families whose successful pursuit of health and well-being requires continuously supportive relationships and environments. Inside the y we can influence and motivate health seekers to make positive changes in the pursuit of well-being and outside the y we can help create and sustain healthier communities

youth development. The ymca is a leader in nurturing the potential of every child and teen. Every day, the saratoga regional ymca helps young people deepen positive values, their commitment to service, and their motivation to learn. Our ymca programs such as before and after school enrichment, kidzcare, full day childcare, preschool, leaders club, competitive gymnastics, competitive swimming, youth fitness, micro soccer, youth tennis, youth swim lessons, youth gymnastics classes, and summer day camps offer a range of experiences that enrich cognitive, social, physical and emotional growth. Expenses include subsidies and direct financial assistance that enable all youth to participate without regard to their ability to pay. In 2018, over 2,750 children took swim lessons and learned to be safe around water. 2,513 children were able to enjoy youth sports. 1,264 children participated in our gymnastics program, and 508 children attended our summer day camp. The saratoga regional ymca child care programs serve a critical role in youth development within our service area, and serve children from infancy through middle school. The ymca full day child care center in malta provides top quality childcare to children 2 to 5 years of age. The children experience age appropriate activities enabling them to strengthen their large motor skills, verbal skills and their cognitive social and emotional skills. Additionally, they are introduced to different cultural and theme related experiences, fitness programs, computers and swim lessons. Opportunities for community service are offered such as donating to the local food pantry and holiday donations to local service organizations. The preschool program offers children ages 2 to 5 a quality developmentally appropriate classroom experience enhanced by a healthy kids curriculum component. In addition to classroom learning, regular field trips and swim and tumbling lessons are provided to the children. Preschool is held at the saratoga springs and wilton branches and a collaborative inter generational program is held offsite at wesley health care center where the children interact regularly with residents. B. A. S. E. (before and after school enrichment) is a nys licensed program that provides a safe, reliable and nurturing before and after school environment for elementary school children of working parents. Children in the program enjoy a wide variety of activities including plays, arts and crafts, physical games, swimming and assistance with homework.

social responsibility. Our ymca provides a variety of programs to develop personal educational/vocational/leadership skills, and we partner with other community organizations to identify and respond to community needs. Our ymca partners with the us navy making access to y facilities and programs affordable to enlisted personnel and their families. We also support the ymca movement internationally participating in the ymca of the usa world service campaign and are involved in supporting ymca's in need throughout the world. We promote volunteerism and giving through our be a hero annual support campaign, the proceeds of which are used to provide need based financial assistance for y programs and memberships to individuals and families. We support many local organizations by donating ymca memberships for them to use to raise money in their silent auctions. These are all community building efforts that lay the foundation for future generations to thrive. At the saratoga regional ymca, many programs are offered throughout the year to help build strong communities in our service area. Healthy kids day is held annually in early april providing many activities that offer health related information to children and families. Other community days, blood drives, health screenings, health fairs and member appreciation days are held throughout the year to help build a sense of community amongst members. The saratoga regional ymca participates in many community collaborations including: a student mentoring program with skidmore college, a teen fit program at the corinth branch in association with saratoga county, free swim lessons to children in corinth in the summer, the membership contract with the united states navy, and a space sharing agreement with the saratoga springs city school district.