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Building Strong Communities
Our YMCA says it “builds strong kids, strong families and
strong communities”, but what does that mean and how do we
actually perform on that promise? At the risk of sounding like an
old guy, it truly is becoming more difficult to build a sense of
community. Communities are built through sustained communication,
by sharing common hopes and dreams and by embracing common values
as a group.
For better or worse, we live at a time in a society where what
once was so natural and easy has become complex and confused. I
live in a town home where I use my electric garage door opener to
come and go and I don’t see my neighbors in the yard very often.
In fact, I don’t even have a yard. I actually know very few of the
good folks that live nearby. If I need to communicate with a
friend or colleague, even if they are ten feet away in another
office, I send an email rather than walk next door for a face to
face conversation. Many of us spend more time with the computer
than we do with family and friends. Kids play video games and surf
the net rather than stay physically active. We are only now
beginning to see the long term effects on our country’s healthcare
costs as obesity and heart disease rise at an alarming rate. We
talk much more about having stress than we do about having fun.
Good grief, now I am sounding like an old guy.
The essential genius of the YMCA at the local level is that we
have always been about being an organization that is managed by
local volunteers who come together to identify programs that
address the pressing issues that affect the life and vitality of
the community. It should never be about being the only game in
town but rather about how do we partner and complement our schools
and churches and other not-for-profits to enrich the fabric of the
community?
In our Y branches we are working to create an environment where
everyone feels at home. Our Ys need to be built around communities
of friends. No one is required to be a Y member. We want people to
choose to be at our facilities. We build strong communities by
taking on programming that needs special attention. Our Y
Naperville Family Resource Center represents our very best work.
We are building a better community as we work on our Strong Kids
Program that insures that no young person will ever be turned away
from the YMCA even if they can not afford the cost of
participation. We are committed to relying less on fund raising
events and more on face to face, one on one visits with
individuals who care deeply about our kids and our families. This
will ultimately strengthen our Y and strengthen our community.
Please know your YMCA staff and volunteers are committed to
building a stronger, better community. Your support of our work is
very much appreciated.
Submitted by: Tom Beerntsen
President/CEO
Heritage YMCA Group
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