Ymca of Cumberland Maryland

Youth Development - In the YMCA aquatics programs, children learn to be safe around water and they feel the sense of accomplishment that comes with learning something new. Our progressive swimming lessons are taught in a positive, caring environment where children can develop lifelong skills that can help them stay healthy. Other YMCA aquatics programs include water exercise and water sports, including a competitive swimming team for youth. We also offer special classes to help children and families learn how to be safer in and around water, including YMCA Splash. YSPLASH is an aquatics orientation and safety program providing instruction on swimming skills and basic water safety. The YMCA also offers low-cost, quality programs that support enrichment programs, child care, day camps and parent-child programs. Our programs focus on the YMCA's four core values - Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility. We offer sports programs for youth that promote teamwork, interaction, and development of social and physical skills. YMCA programs include gymnastics, soccer, t-ball, skate park, climbing wall, sports clinics, basketball, adventure sports, martial arts and sports camps. The YMCA also provides financial assistance to those families in need.

Social Responsibility - The Gilchrist Center campus of the Cumberland YMCA offers various housing programs through HUD grant funding, including both Transitional and Communtity Housing Programs for homeless families and individuals from the surrounding area. That campus is also the only location within the County that offers housing to single men who are both homeless and have some type of disability. All housing programs offer supportive case management services to the participants. An average of 104 people per night have a roof over their head due to these housing programs. The Family Center program offers non-traditional high school classroom (through referals by the Board of Education), employment skills and linkages, service coordination, child development room, parenting, computer skills, life skills, health information, field trips and in home/in school intervention for young families. The Riverside YMCA's teen pregnancy prevention project is designed to reduce sexual risk behaviors among low-income youth, 11 to 14 years old by providing them with the motivation to make safe choices and to address deeper barriers to sexual risk prevention. The YMCA is uniquely poised for using fun and recreation to attract program participants and strengthen the parent-child connectedness - a crucial component in the effectiveness of absitnence messages given by the parents. These socially responsible programs are supported by grant funding sources.

Healty Living - Helping people of all ages and abilities develop health in spirit, mind and body is the core of the YMCA movement. Our programs are designed to help people create realistic goals for self improvement and emphasize health through regular exercise, proper nutrition, and health education. We offer sports programs for families and adults that promote teamwork, interaction, and development of social and physical skills. YMCA exercise programs include strength training, group exercise, martial arts, yoga soccer, volleyball, basketball, mind/body fitness. With over 5,000 participants in various health enhancement and skill development classes, the list of results is endless. We also strive to impact the wellness of the community by offering health fairs and seminars where we provide various free health screenings, tests and evaluations.