YMCA of Central Kentucky

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 2022, we provided $232,903 in financial assistance to families participating in programs focused on healthy 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, achieve 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.

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 Kentucky 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.

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 2022, we provided $277,286 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. 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 county public schools the skills and confidence they need to safely enjoy water by learning critical water safety and swimming skills. This program was temporarily suspended due to covid but returned on a smaller scale in 2022. The program is expected to expand to include more children in 2023. Youth sports leagues 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 skills 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 sports skills, sports leagues, martial 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 participants 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 licensed child care programs foster growth and development in children and 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. Education and leadership: the y supports programs that enhance knowledge, character development, guidance and encouragement to help youth develop and realize their potential. The y is committed to working with local and regional nonprofit agencies in support of stronger communities. Programs and events such as arts and humanities, black achievers, neighborhood events, back to school rallies that distribute free school supplies, educational efforts that reduce summer learning loss, nonprofit use of Ymca facilities, city wide events, healthy kids' day, kids' triathlon and more emphasize our commitment to community partners. The power scholars academy is a summer learning loss prevention program designed to help youth scholars disproportionately represented in the achievement gap achieve grade level understanding in literacy and mathematics. The Ymca of Central Kentucky is also proud to have one of the longest running Ymca black achievers programs in the nation. Since 1985, black achievers has continued to provide students in grades 6 - 12 exposure to present and future education and career opportunities, instill positive social values, encourage a quest for knowledge and enable students to reach their fullest potential.