NORTH VALLEY YMCA - Newsletter October 2014

OUR VOICE

NORTH VALLEY FAMILY YMCA 11336 Corbin Ave, Northridge, CA 91326

October2014 www.ymcala.org/nv

A newsletter for members and volunteers of the Y

INSPIRING LEADERS YOUTH & GOVERNMENT PROGRAM Youth & Government (Y&G) teaches the values of democracy by creating citizen leaders to experience government first-hand and learn how to solve community problems through the democratic process.

The program also develops an attitude of self-help and self-confidence for their personal future. Y&G is a six-month program in which high school delegates role play various positions within California State Legislature a nd the State Court Systems.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT WE ARE FUTURE LEADERS!

Read on P.2 why one youth member finds Y&G to be so important.

Why Youth & Government?

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While 66% of the general population reported being registered to vote, 96% of Y&G alumni were registered to vote.

54% of the general population voted in the last presidential election, 86% of Y&G alumni voted in that same election.

43% of Y&G alumni worked with others on a community issue, only 17% of the general population did so.

36% of Y&G alumni are members of a board, compared with 3% of the general population.

5 Tips for A HEALTHIER HALLOWEEN Halloween is that sweet time of year when children can collect and eat as much candy as they want.

But with the obesity rate triple what it was a generation ago, and the number of cavities among children increasing for the first time in 40 years, some health experts consider the candy-focused holiday a nightmare.

Based on the nutrition labels on popular candies, the average child accumulates 3,500 to 7,000 calories worth of treats on Halloween night, according to Donna Arnett, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Alabama-Birmingham’s School of Public Health.

READ MORE on P 4 Read more on p. 2

OUR VOICE | A newsletter for members and volunteers of the Y

INSIGHT

By John Sinnema , Chair of North Valley Family YMCA’s Board of Managers

Believe it or not, Fall is is here! School is back in session and if you’re in need of child care or programs for kids, I hope you’ll look into the fantastic programs that our Y has to offer. But that’s not all the Y offers for families: Family PROgrams: Why not try out Y Guides: Parent/Child Program? I know that I’m ready for another exciting year with my 3 daughters in the amazing Adventure Guides. It’s a great way to build stronger relationships with your children, as well as with other parents within our community.

FAMILY EVENTS: One of our biggest family events of the year is just around the corner.

Harvest Festival: Spooktacular is on October 25th and is a safe and of course, fun, way to celebrate the holidays.

For the big kids, check out Youth & Government. (article starting on P.1) Raise yur voices and be heard at the conference this year.

Finally, if you’d like an incredible night out that helps sponsor Y youth and family programs, get your tickets/sponsorship for our 27th annual Booster Club Dinner now.

The event is sure to sell out again this year under the leadership of Los Angeles City Council President Pro Tempore Mitchell Englander.

Thanks, and I’ll see you at the Y.

INSPIRING LEADERS CONTINUED FROM P. 1

My name is Marissa Juliette Martin, I am seventeen years old and a delegate of the North Valley Family YMCA Youth and Government. I am the oldest of six children and am part of a large, Catholic, Mexican-American family. Being the oldest has given me a sense of responsibility and while I have the conventional American family: a mom and dad, siblings, and a handful of pets, I have always felt that we were very unique because we have an uncommonly strong bond and relationship.

My parents, who have minimal education and are both Mexican immigrants, have strived to make sure that their children are properly educated. For that reason, they enrolled me in Louisville High School, an all-girls, Catholic college preparatory and currently I am a senior. Louisville has made an immense impact on my life: the teachers, my peers, the courses, the retreats, the class service trips, and the overall atmosphere have all shaped me in some way.

Besides my activities at Louisville, such as Drama, being a retreat leader, a campus minister, member of several committees, and president of a club, one activity has really changed my outlook on the world. For two summers during my high school career, I was a counselor at a camp called Camp Mariastella, a Catholic, allgirls camp that caters heavily to fostered and sheltered girls. The depth of some of their hardships and stories made me realize not only that I am so blessed but also that injustice is very real.

Injustice is all around us and in Youth and Government, a group I joined the beginning of my junior year, has really helped me to channel some of the frustrations I have with the wrong in the world. In fact, I clearly remember the first meeting I have ever had I suggested a bill idea, one having to do with a personal experience with homicide and victims’ rights, and several months later I was in Sacramento successfully passing that same bill through Senate. While camp definitely opened my eyes to injustice, Youth and Government is what gave me a voice-it was a place that I knew my voice had as much value as the next person and it was worth listening to.

Today, because of Youth and Government, I feel so much more comfortable speaking in front of people, when before I used to be so shy and introverted and unwilling to share my opinion. I may not be sure of where my future is taking me but I hope to change the world just as much as Youth and Government has changed my world.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK & CHECK OUT OUR VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE. FIND LINKS AT: WWW.YMCALA.ORG/NV

OUR MISSION | The North Valley Family YMCA puts Judeo-Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit,

OCTOBER CALENDAR • Fall Child Care: Sign Up Now Providing a safe, nurturing environment for children to learn, grow and develop social skills, we provide before and after school licensed childcare at 13 schools throughout the valley. Featuring fun, theme-oriented curriculum including arts and crafts, sports, recreation, homework time, enrichment and a dedication to helping kids reach their personal potential.

• Art Walk at the YMCA: October 10, 5-8pm Come to the Y- where you’ll see great art from YMCA art class participants and students in the area. There will be performances, art, music, storytelling, art vendors, and so much more!

GIVING BACK

Community Support Campaign 2015 There are thousands of reasons to help support the YMCA: from scholarships for youth, family memberships to healthy living servces to program underwriting. What’s your reason to give back?

• Summit Seekers Hike: October 18, 9am Hike Level: Moderate Join us at Placerita Canyon in Newhall for a 5-mile, moderate hike. All the hikes are free and open to the community and geared for beginner/ intermediate hikers. Children are welcome to attend as long as an adult accompanies them. As always, remember to bring plenty of water and snacks. See you on the trail!

Contact Jody Guerrero for details: JodyGuerrero@ymcala.org

READY TO MAKE YOUR PLEDGE? go to: https://ymcala. thankyou4caring.org/ north-valley

• Member Appreciation Day: October 29th Thank you for being a member! Join us for our monthly member appreciation day with delicious healthy snacks prepared by Ann Marie Luna as our way of saying we appreciate you. Contact Bessie Salguero, Membership Director, 818-271-5050, Bessie.salguero@ymcala.org • Fall Sports Leagues YOUTH BASKETBALL, SOCCER, AND VOLLEYBALL : Ages 3-17 Sign-up now for an exciting season of fun for basketball, soccer or volleyball.

ADULT MEN’S AND WOMEN’S LEAGUES: The Y is not just for kids. We also offer leagues for adults of all skill levels! All Leagues, call Daniel Zadikov for details at ext 2307.

• Harvest Festival: October 25th, 2-5pm Read more pn P.5 • NOVEMBER TO REMEMBER: November is Diabetes Awarenes Month Join us as we bring awareness to our communities regarding Diabetes and the symptoms, prevention, management, nutritional advice, and more! Our goal is to help our community understand and provide resources to prevent or manage Diabetes. Details to follow.

• 27th YMCA Booster Club Dinner: November 6th Read more to the right!

• Parent & Child Y Guides Registration is now open for 2014-15 year. Time is short and kids grow up too soon… and for most parents, especially when so much time is spent working and commuting, finding quality time to do things together can be a problem. Join us, and the time you do have time together will be the best ever.

Contact Josie Rea for details: josierea@ymcala.org • Turkey Tri: November 27th Come to the Y on Thanksgiving Day to burn off those pre-turkey calories! The distance for adults is a 5 lap swim (250 yards), 5 mile bike, 1 mile run/walk outside. All ages can participate. For kids, 9 years or younger, enter the Tiny-Tri: 2 lap swim (100 yards), 3 mile bike, 1 mile run/walk outside. All participants receive a Turkey Tri t-shirt! Sign up at the front desk by November 15. Only $15 per participant.

27th

Booster Club Dinner

NORTH VALLEY FAMILY YMCA AT PORTER RANCH

Thursday, November 6th, Knollwood Country Club Chair: Los Angeles City Council President Pro Tempore Mitchell Englander Thanks to contributions from this unique event, the North Valley Family YMCA provides nearly 13,000 children with programs that promote youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, so that kids of every age grow into compassionate, healthy and successful adults.

Sponsor packages and tickets still available. Contact Debi Mayer at 818-368-3231 x2335 or DeborahMayer@YMCALA.org

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OUR VOICE | A newsletter for members and volunteers of the Y

5 TIPS FOR A HEALTHIER HALLOWEEN (cont.)

According to a recent report, a 100-pound child who consumed all of those treats, or 7,000 calories, would have to walk for nearly 44 hours or play full-court basketball for 14.5 hours to burn those calories. And the dangers aren’t just sweets-related: studies show that since children are walking neighborhoods in search of treats, there are more child pedestrian accidents on Halloween than any other day of the year.

Still, the holiday shouldn’t be all spooks and no fun. If your children generally eat well all year long, then experts say that there is nothing wrong with letting them eat candy on Halloween night and a few mini pieces daily afterwards. The key, of course, is moderation. Family nutrition experts shared these tips with TIME Healthland about how parents can incorporate healthy foods, even workouts, into trick-or-treating — and some ideas for what to do with the rest of the loot when the trick and treating is over.

1. Fill up before trick-or-treating If kids are full before they go trick-or-treating, then they will eat fewer pieces of candy afterwards. “Consider having your kids eat something healthy before they go out so they aren’t tempted to eat the candy along the way,” said Vandana Sheth, a registered dietician based in Los Angeles.

2. Hand out non-sugary foods and toys Nutritionists suggest some more wholesome treats that parents could give trick-or-treaters. Kristi King, senior pediatric dietician at Texas Children’s Hospital, thinks animal crackers, mini rice cereal or granola bars, whole grain cheddar cheese crackers, and sugar free hot chocolate packets, make good treats. Sheth recommends pretzels, apples, tangerines, fruit leathers, or a trail mix of whole grain cereals. She also says kids will usually take cool toys over candy if given a choice, so she advises parents to consider pencils, erasers, stickers, tattoos, glow sticks, and Play-Doh containers. “Often [children’s] excitement is in collecting the candy, rather than eating the candy,” Sheth said.

Sometimes it’s what’s on the outside that counts more than what is inside. “It’s all in the packaging with kids,” said Angela Lemond, a registered dietician in the Dallas area. “You can make healthy treats, but you can package them in a really cool, spooky way that will make them more likely to consume it.” Lemond suggested freezing frozen yogurt in small paper cups and placing them in a cooler with dry ice for a spooky, smoky effect. Decorating the cooler to look like an old chest can make it more fun for kids to dig into the healthy treats.

3. Trick-or-Treat and Exercise King encourages parents to make their children walk from house to house instead of driving them. Parents can even encourage siblings or friends to wear pedometers or activity meters and start a friendly competition for who can be the most active while they are collecting candy.

4. Keep your favorite sweets. Hide the rest…

Some nutritionists suggest that a little goes a long way and say it’s best to allow kids to have 1-3 pieces of candy a day, starting with lunch at school, as an afternoon snack, or after dinner, making it a regular part of meals. The rest of the candy can go in the freezer so that it’s out of sight and out of mind.

Parents should be just as vigilant about their candy consumption as children, says Karen Ansel, a New York nutrition expert. “Kids go to school all day, and parents are often home with the candy lying around,” she said. “If you’re buying Halloween candy to hand out to trick-or-treaters, buy your least favorite ones so that you are not tempted to eat them.”

5. …Or give it away When children get back home from trick-or-treating, have them make two piles: one for the candy they want to keep, another for the candy they will not eat. Consider donating the second pile to a local senior citizens home, food pantry, Ronald McDonald House, or children’s hospital.

You can even make money off your stash and make a U.S. soldier’s day at the same time. This year, more than 1,000 dentists nationwide are buying candy from kids — $1 per pound — and then shipping it to U.S. troops overseas via Operation Gratitude as part of a Halloween Candy Buy-Back program, started by Wisconsin dentist Dr. Chris Kammer. He says that soldiers will receive toothbrushes, floss, and mouthwash with each handful of candy so that they can brush thoroughly afterwards.

“You can’t get a cavity in a short amount of time with a handful of exposures to candy,” he says.

In addition to the cash, participating dentists will also give kids treats, such as restaurant coupons and Xylitol gum made with a naturally-occurring sweetener that may prevent tooth decay and reduce cavities.

“We replace some of their candy with a healthy candy alternative,” Kammer said. And in the process, children can learn a valuable lesson about giving.

Read

more:

http://healthland.time.com/2012/10/30/5-tips-for-a-healthy-

halloween/#ixzz2fI2EEuzK

Cheddar popcorn balls in a plastic baggie sporting a smiling face can be instant pumpkin heads that are also a hit with kids who won’t miss the sugar of a sweeter treat.

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NOT SO SCARY

Harvest Festival: SPOOKTACULAR Saturday, October 25th, 2-5pm NORTH VALLEY FAMILY YMCA OPEN to the COMMUNITY! FUN for ALL AGES! Dress up for the perfect “not so scary” family event of the season.

Only $10 or 3 bags of candy per family for entry.

Bring your own trick or treat bag and enjoy: o Costume Parade o o o o o o o

Join us!

11336 Corbin Avenue | Northridge, CA 91326 818 368 3231 | www.ymcala.org/nv

Trunk or Treat Cars (and Contest) Arts and Crafts Food for sale Interactive Games for kids Rock Wall YMCA Youth Dance Performances Spooky House!!