YMCA of Western North Carolina

In an effort to serve everyone regardless of their ability to pay, the ymca of Western North Carolina provides financial assistance and subsidized services for individuals and families who might otherwise be unable to participate in ymca programs and services. The most important measure of the ymca is the impact we have on the lives of the people and communities we serve. Through our seven centers, 24 childcare sites, and programs throughout the community, the ymca has a positive impact on people of all ages and from diverse backgrounds. Our charitable work supports youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. Below are programs that make a positive impact in those areas. Youth development - afterschool childcare our afterschool programs provide elementary school students with developmentally appropriate activities that offer a combination of individual and group activities based on weekly themes and lesson plans. These programs incorporate the national healthy eating and physical activity (hepa) standards, increasing the physical well-being of participants and promoting health-promoting behaviors. - summer day camp at summer day camp, children ages 5-15 have opportunities to make new friends, learn new skills, and explore the world around them. The y offers a variety of camps to fit the needs of families throughout the community. - ymca camp watia ymca camp watia is an affordable overnight camp for all children in Western North Carolina, regardless of family income. It is made accessible to all families through comparatively low costs and scholarship opportunities. Healthy living - aquatics programs the y offers lessons for swimmers of all levels and ages, including fun, educational classes for children ages 3 months through 12 years. We also offer safety around water, a four-to-eight lesson scholarship-based program that teaches children how to be safe in and near bodies of water, as well as some basic swim skills. Additionally, we have the piranhas, a year- round competitive swim team for swimmers ages 6-18. - youth sports youth sports programs honor the core y values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility. We strive to provide a quality experience for players, coaches, and families, and we promote the development of each athlete to reach their highest potential through skill refinement, teamwork, and sportsmanship. We serve youth ages 3-14. - nutrition programs access to fresh, healthy food is a social determinant of health that can affect people's ability to thrive. The y is dedicated to improving access and food security. We do this by distributing fresh produce at no charge, with no questions asked, and by offering practical, cost-effective cooking demonstrations and nutrition education. We do this at mobile food markets in several counties each month. We also operate a central hub to receive, sort, and store donated food before distributing it at mobile food markets. We distribute food boxes to hundreds of families each month, boxes are packed in our food hub and delivered directly to clients' homes mitigating the transportation barriers often associated with accessing healthy food. - livestrong at the ymca livestrong at the ymca is a free 12-week, evidence-based, small-group program that offers adult cancer survivors a supportive environment to participate in physical and social activities focused on the whole person. Goals of the program include building muscle mass and strength, increasing flexibility and endurance, and improving functional ability. In 2023 we presented this program in person. - diabetes prevention program the ymca of wnc's diabetes prevention program (dpp) is a year-long, community-based program for adults at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This evidence-based model from the centers for disease control and prevention has proven that lifestyle changes can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. This 12-month, supportive, virtual/classroom-based program focuses on the skills needed to move away from the type 2 diabetes border. Key program components include support for weight loss via healthy eating strategies, increased physical activity, and tools to overcome barriers and manage stress. The ymca of wnc's program emphasizes intentional relationship building, connectedness among participants, and excellent program facilitation by skilled lifestyle coaches. This program is currently offered at no cost in english and spanish. Multicultural- specific cohorts are available. In 2023 program participants met online and in person. Social responsibility - financial assistance we offer financial assistance for ymca programs and memberships on a case- by-case basis to individuals and families who otherwise would not be able to afford them. Our sliding-scale fees fit each individual's or family's financial situation. We do not turn away anyone for the inability to pay. - diversity and inclusion the ymca of wnc is dedicated to welcoming all. We are a part of the ymca of the usa's global diversity, equity, and inclusion (gdei) innovation network, a cohort of ys throughout the country in fast-growing areas that are leading the y movement's efforts in outreach to diverse and underserved communities and driving program innovation so that everyone, regardless of who they are or where they come from has an opportunity to reach their full potential. Locally, we are members of the wnc diversity engagement coalition, a network of organizations dedicated to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. We offer cultural lenses and dimensions of diversity training to staff, along with quarterly workshops. Inclusion training is part of the orientation process for day and overnight camp staff. We have active employee resource groups (ergs) which are employee led and directed and have executive sponsors for execution of plans. We have embarked upon the second level of plotting a path to become an anti-racist/multicultural organization, with assistance from racing 2 equity provided by y-usa. 2023 highlights: we continued to review staffing strategy to include diverse outreach and partnerships with entities that can help the diversity recruiting process. Diversity initiatives are elevated in staff orientation process to be sure that incoming staff knows that the ymca is striving to be an anti-racist, multicultural organization. We hosted undoing systemic racism training in partnership with the people's institute for survival and beyond. Ymca staff, volunteers, and community partners participated to better understand and call out systems of oppression and set a foundation for becoming an anti-racist, multicultural organization. The global diversity equity and inclusion committee was formed to support the work of ergs and advance dei efforts across the y and local community. We formed the board of directors equity committee to ensure alignment across all areas of the organization. We offered multiple training opportunities to staff around gdei topics. These included national y-usa training experiences and local trainings and conversations. In addition, we hosted several health fairs in conjuction with the mexican consulate and community partners.