Ymca Of Central Ky

TO PUT CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES INTO PRACTICE THROUGH PROGRAMS THAT BUILD HEALTHY SPIRIT, MIND, AND BODY FOR ALL.

HEALTHY LIVING: IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE NATION, THE Y IS A LEADING VOICE ON HEALTH AND WELLNESS. WITH A MISSION CENTERED ON BALANCE, THE Y BRINGS FAMILIES CLOSER TOGETHER, ENCOURAGES GOOD HEALTH AND FOSTERS CONNECTIONS THROUGH FITNESS, SPORTS, AND SHARED INTERESTS. AS A RESULT, MILLIONS OF YOUTH, ADULTS AND FAMILIES ARE RECEIVING THE SUPPORT, GUIDANCE AND RESOURCES NEEDED TO ACHIEVE GREATER HEALTH AND WELL-BEING FOR THEIR SPIRIT, MIND AND BODY. IN 2021, WE PROVIDED $189,082 IN FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO FAMILIES PARTICIPATING IN PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON HEALTH LIVING. THESE PROGRAMS ARE GROUPED INTO FOUR CATEGORIES: FAMILY TIME, HEALTH, WELL-BEING & FITNESS, AND SPORTS, RECREATION, AND GROUP INTERESTS. FAMILY TIME: THE Y BELIEVES IN BRINGING FAMILIES TOGETHER TO HAVE FUN AND GROW. SERVING FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES HAS ALWAYS BEEN AT THE HEART OF THE Y. WE HAVE A FUNDAMENTAL DESIRE TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYONE TO BUILD STRONGER BONDS, ACHIEVER GREATER WORK/LIFE BALANCE AND BECOME MORE ENGAGED WITH THEIR COMMUNITIES. HEALTH, WELL-BEING AND FITNESS: WE KNOW THAT HEALTHY LIFESTYLES ARE ACHIEVED THROUGH NURTURING SPIRIT, MIND AND BODY. WELL-BEING AND FITNESS AT THE Y ARE SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST WORKING OUT. BEYOND FITNESS FACILITIES, WE PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS TO PROMOTE HEALTHIER DECISIONS AND OFFER A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT PHYSICAL INTELLECTUAL AND SPIRITUAL STRENGTH. SPORTS AND RECREATION: WE BELIEVE SPORTS, FUN AND EXPLORING NEW INTERESTS ARE NOT JUST FOR THE YOUNG. ALONG WITH IMPROVING HEALTH, WHENEVER TEAMWORK IS INVOLVED THERE IS AN ADDED BENEFIT OF BEING CONNECTED TO OTHERS. THAT IS WHY YOU WILL FIND A RANGE OF RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES AT THE Y. WITH SOMETHING TO OFFER EVERYONE, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS BEING TOO OLD TO GET IN THE GAME. YOUTH DEVELOPMENT: WE BELIEVE PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERYONE INCLUDES AFTER SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES FOR ALL AGES. YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IS THE SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL, COGNITIVE AND PHYSICAL PROCESSES THAT ALL YOUTH UNIQUELY EXPERIENCE FROM BIRTH TO CAREER. A SUCCESSFUL DEVELOPMENT JOURNEY LEADS TO HAPPY, HEALTHY AND PRODUCTIVE ADULTS.

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT: THE YMCA BELIEVES THAT ALL CHILDREN DESERVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCOVER WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY CAN ACHIEVE. THAT'S WHY, THROUGH THE YMCA, THOUSANDS OF LOCAL YOUTH TODAY ARE CULTIVATING THE VALUES, SKILLS AND RELATIONSHIPS THAT LEAD TO POSITIVE BEHAVIORS, BETTER HEALTH AND EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT. IN 2021, WE PROVIDED $447,205 IN FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO FAMILIES INVOLVED IN OUR YOUTH PROGRAMS. THESE PROGRAMS ARE GROUPED INTO FOUR CATEGORIES: CHILDCARE; SWIM, SPORTS AND PLAY; CAMP AND AFTERSCHOOL; EDUCATION AND LEADERSHIP. THE Y MAINTAINS A REPUTATION IN THE COMMUNITY AS A LEADER IN THE INTEGRATION OF DEVELOPMENT ASSETS AND THE DEVELOPMENT STAGES OF CHILDREN. THEY Y FOSTERS THE LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT OF YOUNG PEOPLE. THE Y IS A CHAMPION FOR INCLUSION AND RESPONDS TO THE COMPREHENSIVE NEEDS OF ALL CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. FAMILY MEMBERS CAN RELY ON THE Y KNOWING THEIR CHILDREN ARE IN A SAFE, HEALTHY, NURTURING AND PRODUCTIVE ENVIRONMENT. SWIM, SPORTS AND PLAY: SWIMMING HAS LONG BEEN A Y MAINSTAY IN BUILDING HEALTHY SPIRT, MIND AND BODY THROUGH SWIM LESSONS AND WATER SAFETY FOR ALL AGES, FAMILY SWIMMING, COMPETITIVE SWIMMING TEAMS, LIFEGUARD TRAINING AND CERTIFICATIONS AND MANY KINDS OF ADAPTIVE SWIM PROGRAMS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. THE Y SYSTEMATICALLY FOLLOWS NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED STANDARDS FOR QUALITY AND SAFETY.THE CENTRAL KENTUCKY SWIMS SAFETY AROUND WATER PROGRAM AIMS TO DECREASE THE NUMBER OF SWIM- RELATED FATALITIES BY GIVING CHILDREN FROM FAYETTE AND JESSAMINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS THE SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE THEY NEED TO SAFELY ENJOY WATER BY LEARNING CRITICAL WATER SAFETY AND SWIMMING SKILLS. ALTHOUGH NOT PROVIDED ON A LARGER SCALE DURING THE PANDEMIC, THE SAFETY SKILLS AND LESSONS WERE IMBEDDED INTO OUR SWIM LESSONS. NORMAL PROGRAMMING WILL RETURN IN 2022. YOUTH SPORTS LEAGUES ARE AT THE Y OPERATE BY THE FOLLOWING MOTTO: EVERYONE PLAYS; EVERYONE WINS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THESE SPORTS LEAGUES IS TO IMPROVE PHYSICAL HEALTH AND SELF-CONFIDENCE, FOSTER SKILL DEVELOPMENT, TEACH TEAMWORK, ENCOURAGE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE Y'S CORE VALUES AND ABOVE ALL, HAVE FUN. NURTURING THE POTENTIAL OF EVERY CHILD AND TEEN MEANS SUPPORTING AND EMPOWERING CHILDREN TO DEVELOP THE VALUES AND SKILL THEY WILL CARRY WITH THEM THROUGHOUT LIFE. THOSE WHO DEVELOP STRONG VALUES BECOME LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITIES. A VARIETY OF YOUTH AND TEEN PROGRAM ACTIVITIES (INCLUDING SPORT SKILLS, SPORTS LEAGUES, MARITAL ARTS, YOUTH/TEEN EXERCISE PROGRAMS, LITERACY AND SOCIAL GATHERINGS) PROVIDE THE FRAMEWORK FOR INSTILLING OUR CORE VALUE OF CARING, HONESTY, RESPECT AND RESPONSIBILITY. THE TOYOTA BLUEGRASS MIRACLE LEAGUE, FOUNDED IN 2006, IS THE RESULT OF THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION FROM A LEGION OF COMMUNITY LEADERS AND VOLUNTEERS WHO WANTED TO CREATE A "LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN" FOR KIDS AND ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES. INSPIRED BY SIMILAR PROGRAMS AROUND THE COUNTRY, A SPECIALLY DESIGNED FIELD AND FACILITIES ALLOWS ALL CHILDREN TO ENJOY THE GREAT AMERICAN PAST-TIME OF BASEBALL. THE YMCA OF CENTRAL KENTUCKY HAS BEEN RUNNING THE PROGRAM SINCE ITS INCEPTION. CAMP AND AFTERSCHOOL: WE HAVE ACCREDITATION AND QUALITY STANDARDS WHICH GUIDE OUR FINANCIAL, STAFFING AND PROGRAMMATIC ACTIVITIES DURING OUT OF SCHOOL TIME. OUR LICENSE CHILD CARE PROGRAMS FOSTER GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT NOT ONLY IN CHILDREN BUT ALSO THEIR FAMILIES. THROUGH A VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES, Y CAMPS SEEK TO HELP YOUTH ACHIEVE THEIR FULLEST POTENTIAL IN SPRIT, MIND AND BODY WHILE PROVIDING FAMILIES WITH SAFE, HIGH QUALITY CARE WHILE SCHOOL IS NOT IN SESSION. FEW ENVIRONMENTS ARE AS SPECIAL AS CAMP AND AFTERSCHOOL, WHERE KIDS BECOME A COMMUNITY AS THEY LEARN BOTH HOW TO BE MORE INDEPENDENT AND HOW TO CONTRIBUTE TO A GROUP AS THEY ENGAGE IN PHYSICAL, SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IS AWARDED TO ENSURE THAT EVERY CHILD AND FAMILY HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BENEFIT FROM ENRICHING SUMMER EXPERIENCES THROUGH SPORTS, AFTERSCHOOL AND CAMP.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY - THE Y HAS BEEN LISTENING AND RESPONDING TO OUR COMMUNITY'S MOST CRITICAL SOCIAL NEEDS SINCE 1853. WHETHER DEVELOPING SKILLS OR EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING THROUGH EDUCATION AND TRAINING, WELCOMING AND CONNECTING DIVERSE DEMOGRAPHIC POPULATIONS THROUGH GLOBAL SERVICES, OR PREVENTING CHRONIC DISEASE AND BUILDING HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES THROUGH COLLABORATIONS WITH POLICY MAKERS, THE Y FOSTERS THE CARE AND RESPECT ALL PEOPLE NEED AND DESERVE. THESE PROGRAMS ARE GROUPED INTO FOUR CATEGORIES: SOCIAL SERVICES, GLOBAL SERVICES, VOLUNTEERISM & GIVING, AND ADVOCACY. THROUGH THE Y, HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS IN CENTRAL AND THOUSANDS OF DONORS, LEADERS AND PARTNERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE EMPOWERING MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN THE US AND AROUND THE WORLD TO BE HEALTHY, CONFIDENT, CONNECTED, AND SECURE. ANNUALLY, 400+ YMCA VOLUNTEERS ARE INVESTED IN SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY. TOGETHER, WE MAKE SURE EVERY CHILD HAS A CHANCE AT A BRIGHT FUTURE, PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE YOUNG AND YOUNG AT HEART TO ACHIEVE BETTER HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, AND GIVE EVERYONE A PLACE TO BELONG, REGARDLESS OF ANY FINANCIAL BARRIERS THAT MAY EXIST.