The Young Men's Christian Association of North Central Ohio

Youth Development - The Y is committed to nurturing the potential of every child and teen. It is one of the main pillars of the Y's mission. e are able to provide children with an environment and opportunities where they can cultivate values, skills, and relationships that encourage positive relationships, healthy behaviors, and educational advancement. Our Y provides many childcare opportunities including extended day care, school age before and after school care, Preschool, and child watch. Our Y also provides opportunities for youth to participate in other programs like youth sports, youth aquatics, youth and government, the arts, and more. In 2023, we provided 259,332 meals to children in our community, taught 950 3rd graders how to be safe around water, and engaged 3,285 children in our youth sports programs. Over the summer, we were also able to provide a mobile Y experience that reached 1,714 children in our community, take school age kids on educations field trips around our state, and provide free and nutritious snacks weekly to ensure no child goes hungry. In alignment with our mission that the Y be For All, we were able to provide $245,889 in scholarships to 52 families in the community to ensure that all have access to the Y's services, regardless of their background or ability to pay. We provided fun events for kids to get out and experience the community positively though our Healthy Kids Day and Trunk or Treat events.

Healthy Living and Social Responsibiility - The Y is committed to fostering healthy living styles for individuals and families from all backgrounds, age groups, and cultures in our community. Our goal is to strengthen not only the body, but also the spirit and the mind. We create a space for people to connect with other people while also improving their health and wellbeing. As a result, over 12,000 members and participants are receiving support, guidance, and resources to meet these goals. The Y offers group exercise classes, individual personal training, and adult and child team sports. We also offer comprehensive swim programs for individuals from 6 months of age to senior citizens to individuals with special needs. Through our Livestrong program, we helped 23 cancer survivors gain physical strength and endurance in a safe, encouraging space free of cost. We started a Crochet for Cancer program where we were able to handmake 27 blankets to give to individuals struggling with a cancer diagnosis. We also started a free Yoga 4 Cancer class that allowed 24 students to participate for anyone touched by cancer. We partnered with our county Foster program to provide $22,445 of discounted memberships to those who Foster children in the community. We also partnered with a local organization to provide $103,762 in discounted memberships to individuals with disabilities that are learning to live independently. In alignment with our mission that the Y be For All, we were able to provide 457 families a total of $137,942 in scholarships to lower income individuals and families in the community to ensure that all have access to the Y's services, regardless of their background or ability to pay. As part of an outreach program, we partnered with a local organization to provide 400 free meals to members of the community experiencing homelessness and poverty.