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WELCOME EVERYONE YMCA OF GREATER RICHMOND 2019 IMPACT REPORT
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IS THE UNIVERSAL
WELCOME -MAX EASTMAN
DEAR FRIENDS, I AM THRILLED TO PRESENT YOU WITH THE 2019 IMPACT REPORT for the YMCA OF GREATER RICHMOND. All of us in the Y family are so proud of the work that we accomplished together. This year has been marked by positive growth, from the groundbreaking of the new HENRICO YMCA AQUATICS CENTER, to the tremendous growth in our Power Scholars Academy, to celebrating 175 years of the YMCA with our Teen Leaders in London and countless other programs, too many to list in this report, we deliver each day. Everything we do, from the pool to the classroom to the wellness floor, has the single goal of opening the doors to embrace everyone in our community. This would not be possible without you, our dedicated volunteers, donors and community partners who believe so strongly in the work of the YMCA and allow us to continue to remain relevant to our community and invest in equity of opportunity for all. As I come to the end of my time as board chair for the YMCA OF GREATER RICHMOND, I am encouraged by the dedication of our members, staff and partners who continue to lead and grow our Y. Thank you for your investment in this work. I can’t wait to see what 2020 has in store.
MATT CLARKE 2019 BOARD CHAIR YMCA OF GREATER RICHMOND
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CHANGING COMMUNITIES
AT THE YMCA
WITH MORE THAN 42 MILLION FOREIGN-BORN INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES, the Y is dedicated to empowering immigrants to reach their full potential and prepare receiving communities to be welcoming and inclusive through language and education, employment, health and well-being and citizenship. 76,000 Latinx people and nearly 100,000 immigrants live in greater Richmond. Latinxs and other immigrants are less likely to graduate from high school or have access to healthy lifestyle choices and more likely to live in poverty and experience food insecurity. Building cross-cultural understating creates a more secure nation where all members of society—regardless of race, national origin, or socio-economic status—live in dignity and equality.
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AGING
STRONG
WITH THE NUMBER OF ADULTS 65 AND OLDER in our region projected to more than double between 2000 and 2030, the Y has introduced the Aging Strong program to help older adults improve their health, maintain independent living and increase socialization. In 2019, more than 495 seniors were supported in the YMCA’s Four Keys to Aging Well: Fall Prevention, Mental Fitness, Connecting with Others and Physical Activity. At 25 sites—22 community-based locations and 3 branches—seniors like Eugene, who has lost 25 pounds through our exercise program at the Senior Connections’ Good Shepherd Baptist Church Friendship Café, says, “I used to go to the store every day and get a honey bun, and all I drank was soda. Now I drink water. I’ve been coming for 4 years. I’ve learned some important stuff like how to prevent falls and call for help. More people need to join the YMCA, especially senior citizens.” Eugene has high praise for his Y group exercise instructors. “They are good instructors. Yes, indeed! I love for them to come.”
EUGENE AGING STRONG PARTICIPANT
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The YMCA OF GREATER RICHMOND provided
$7.3 MILLION in financial assistance to
Welcome Everyone
51,000
More than individuals received financial assistance
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GEORGE WILLIAMS WAS ONLY 22 WHEN HE FOUNDED THE FIRST YMCA in 1844 in London, England. 175 years later, the Y is the world’s leading youth development organization. In August, the global YMCA Movement united in London for YMCA175, an event that brought together 4,000 young leaders from around the world to connect with one another to build relationships and strengthen cross-cultural understanding, celebrate 175 years of the Y’s impact on youth and communities around the world, and create solutions to address societal challenges. For 4 days, 16 teen delegates from the YMCA OF GREATER RICHMOND engaged in thought-provoking lectures and workshops on key issues like climate change and mental health. Amber, a member of NORTHSIDE FAMILY YMCA Leaders’ Club, and one of the Y delegates, remarks: “YMCA175 made me feel empowered, determined, and ready to raise awareness for myself, for others, and for our world. I believe change can happen even if it has to start with one leader at a time.”
AMBER LEADERS’ CLUB PARTICIPANT
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HENRICO
AQUATICS
DROWNING IS THE SECOND LEADING CAUSE OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH FOR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 14, according to the Center for Disease Control. The Y believes that every child should have access to life-saving aquatic skills. 3,732 2nd graders participated in our Learn To Swim program last year. To reach more children and have an even greater impact, Henrico County and the YMCA OF GREATER RICHMOND have partnered to build and operate the Henrico Aquatics Center, an indoor swimming facility expected to open in Spring 2020 on North Laburnum Avenue. The 20,000-square-foot facility will feature an 8-lane, 25-yard pool and a warm-water instructional pool with zero-depth entry, a family spray area, and a waterslide. This project is an extension of the Y’s continued commitment to accessibility, opportunity, equity and inclusion. Henrico County Public Schools Superintendent Amy E. Cashwell says the center will support the school system’s initiatives on student safety and wellness: “A community-supported aquatics program would allow us to add one more layer of critical ‘life ready’ skills to prepare students for the rest of their lives.”
AMY CASHWELL HENRICO COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT
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CHILDREN took part in before-and-after-school care in 2018-19 year with more than 1,000 receiving financial assistance
More than
POWER SCHOLARS
YMCA SUMMER DAY CAMP
BEFOREAND AFTERSCHOOL
More than 2,800
4,700 CHILDREN
enjoyed summer camp in 2019 with nearly 700 receiving financial assistance
1,451 CHILDREN
participated in Power Scholars Academy in 2019
VOLUNTEERS
8,945 PEOPLE
volunteered for 115,522 hours (a value of $2,939,753)
The Y empowered MORE THAN
550 TEEN LEADERS (180 Junior Leaders’ Club and 371 Leaders’ Club).
TEEN ACHIEVERS
were engaged in positive, developmental programs
TEENS
In 2018-19, more than 200
Aging Strong engaged
physical activity and socialization, improving health outcomes, decreasing social isolation, and help maintaining independent living
The Y served more than
3,700 SECOND GRADERS in Learn
to Swim and taught more than 166,000 swim lessons in 2019
2,200 volunteers helped
1,590 CHILDREN
prepare for back-to-school through Bright Beginnings
BRIGHT BEGINNINGS
LEARN TO SWIM
AGING STRONG
495 LOW-INCOME SENIORS through
OUR MISSION To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all. YMCA OF GREATER RICHMOND
2 West Franklin Street, Richmond, VA 23220 P 804.649.9622 ymcarichmond.org