IMPACTA Newsletter for Donors, Members and Volunteers YMCA OF GREATER SEATTLE

THAT’S A WRAP!Innovative, impactful, record breaking – just another summer at the Y. Expanded programming, new partnerships, and increased enrollment all contributed to truly making this the best summer ever by ensuring that kids have the tools they need to overcome barriers related to hunger, learning, water safety, and safe spaces.

HungerWith the help of our summer meal programs, more King County kids were able to receive healthy and nutritious food than ever before. Expanded partnerships allowed for new program sites, serving more than 45,000 meals this summer. Networking brought in more organizations as guest speakers as part of the enrichment component. And a pilot summer kickoff event, “Passport to a Healthy Summer,” was a huge success and provided fresh produce and books for families to share together at home.

LearningWhat do you get when you put together 145 curious elementary school kids, engineering/technology mentors, old computers and a gym full of repurposed materials? YMCA’s Thingamajig of course! The Y’s academic enrichment programs organized the invention convention with partners including the Pacific Science Center and National Weather Service, with the goal of stimulating kids’ creativity and curiosity in a nurturing environment that helps them develop self-esteem and confidence. The young inventors spent the day engineering prototypes using only recyclable materials in categories like robotics, stop motion animation, and fashion.

Water SafetyJoining Ys across the country, the Dale Turner Family and Meredith Mathews East Madison Ys took the pledge for water safety. The Y’s new water safety and drowning prevention program, Safety Around Water, gave local kids who have never before been able to enjoy swim lessons due to lack of opportunity or affordability, the vital skills they need to be safe, in, near and around water. So more kids can safely enjoy summer’s signature activity!

Safe Spaces at CampThe Y makes sure that children and teens have a space where they can be themselves, learn new skills and make new friends in a caring and supportive environment. This extends to the Y’s overnight specialty and family camps which have always been a summer highlight at YMCA Camp Colman. This year’s session of Latino Family Camp was filled to capacity with more than 140 participants, an increase from 40 in 2013. In addition, a partnership with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation provided a safe and supportive camp experience for kids and staff living with these conditions who might not otherwise have access to summer camp. One hundred and fifteen campers were able to discover, bond, and be active with others facing similar challenges.

To learn more about how the Y engages kids in learning, physical activity, and fun all year round visit ykids.org.

INVESTING IN COMMUNITIESYMCA/SAMMAMISH COMMUNITY & AQUATIC CENTER

Great communities don’t just happen, they need to be nurtured, encouraged, and empowered. When people have a place to grow, learn, and connect then communities thrive, unite, and strengthen. For more than two decades, Sammamish residents have been asking for a gathering place and now that day isn’t far off. The Y is partnering with the City of Sammamish to bring a 69,000 square-foot YMCA/Community and Aquatic Center to the heart of the plateau, scheduled to open in early 2016.

While Sammamish is the city with the highest number per capita of youth under age 18 in the state, there are currently few resources where teens are able to participate in safe, positive activities. The new YMCA/Community and Aquatic Center will offer increased programming for a rapidly expanding region and anticipates growing youth programs to reach 5,000 children and teens annually.

One Y youth program already active in the area is the Teen Leadership Board comprised of 30 local youth who do impactful work both inside and outside the walls of the Y and serve as members of the branch’s advisory board. Representatives from the Board recently had the opportunity to meet with Congressman Dave Reichert as part of his city visit and construction tour.

Congressman Reichert discussed topics such as voter responsibility and youth leadership, a priority for him. He encouraged the teens to stay active in the democratic process by voting and staying informed on issues impacting their community.

As the building takes shape, it’s an exciting reminder that the community’s vision will soon be a reality. On the tour, Congressman Reichert had the opportunity to hear more about how this partnership model can be translated to other communities in King County in need of supportive resources for youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.

Stay up to date on the latest news from the YMCA/Sammamish Community & Aquatic Center and follow the construction progress at bit.ly/new-sammamish-y.

YOUTH DEVELOPMENTLEARN, LEAD, SERVE

It can be difficult for even the most outgoing teen to discover their talents and voice in high school. YMCA Youth & Government helps students like Denise Chen find their passion, confidence, and leadership in the courtroom instead of the sports field, an important opportunity for youth not connected with “typical” extracurricular activities.

“I always struggled to feel confident in sharing my ideas. I feel that the YMCA has given me so many opportunities to push my limits, expand, and feel confident putting myself out there,” says Denise.

Introduced to Mock Trial through the Jefferson Community Center in Seattle, Denise found she immediately connected with the competitiveness of the program in a way she never found with other afterschool activities. “There are no right or wrong answers; you are really working through the whole of the case. The way Y staff set you up to solve things on your own has been so helpful in class, life, and in building my problem solving skills,” Denise explains.

Youth & Government doesn’t help teens learn how to be leaders of the future but rather, leaders today. Students gain writing, research, critical thinking, and public speaking skills that are put into practice by creating policy solutions and debating alternatives to issues facing our communities.

After two years with Mock Trial, Denise was chosen to participate in the YMCA Youth Conference on National Affairs (CONA), an extraordinary experience for her. Students draft policy proposals that are debated among their peers in committees until the strongest are put before the General Assembly. This year Denise was in that top one percent, ultimately presenting her argument to the 600 students participating.

“I’ve never felt more confident than when I was speaking in that moment. Finding that confidence in myself and being able to stand proudly behind my beliefs, knowing they are valid. It was amazing; I would say it’s life changing.”

Want to know more about how the Y’s Youth & Government program impacts local youth? Please visit bit.ly/ymca-youth-gov.

HEALTHY LIVINGSMALL CHANGES, LASTING SUCCESSES

The Y has been an important part of Debe Thomas’ life for as long as she can remember. Whether involved as a camp counselor, fitness instructor or member, she credits the Y with giving her the necessary tools for an active and healthy lifestyle. And most recently, she participated in the pilot session of Lose to Win, the Y’s new team based weight loss program.

As a busy mom of two young children, taking care of herself had taken a backseat to taking care of her family. Once her kids started reaching pre-school age, Debe recognized that she wasn’t where she wanted to be with her weight and there was no reason why she couldn’t be.

“I feel like the program has helped me realize that making myself a priority gives me so much more energy to focus on others. I don’t have to pick between them and me because helping myself helps me to help them,” says Debe.

Lose to Win isn’t about quick fixes, but instead encourages small, sustainable lifestyle changes to physical activity and nutrition habits. With the support of Y staff and fellow members also on the

same journey, participants address the motivations, obstacles, and challenges that can often become a barrier to weight loss.

Meeting her goals and losing 45 pounds has given Debe a new confidence and connection to activities she used to love like roller blading. She’s now using that confidence to inspire other Y members as a Lose to Win coach. Helping others achieve their goals has been a powerful transition for Debe. “I can coach people that this works, it really does work.”

Visit bit.ly/lose-to-win to discover more about the benefits of Lose to Win and find a program near you.

“People come to the Y for the community we offer and programs like Lose to Win provide that solid connection to people of like minds. If weight loss is one of your goals, you won’t find a more supportive environment,” relates Debe.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITYSTRONG FOUNDATIONS, BUILDING OPPORTUNITY

Imagine not knowing where you’ll sleep tonight or when you’ll get another full meal. Now picture that as a seventeen year old. This is the reality of many youth like Lexus, who are aging out of the foster care system. But with the assistance of the Metrocenter YMCA’s Young Adult Services, Lexus now has the support and stability to develop the life skills needed to eventually live independently.

In foster care since she was 2 years old, Lexus moved around between different homes until she was eventually kicked out of her maternal grandmother’s house at seventeen. She was then referred to other agencies but soon those resources ended too, once she turned eighteen. For Lexus, “it was very scary because I had to make the decision to either stay in the system or be out on my own. It took me a few weeks but I decided to stay in the system so I could use all the assistance provided.”

“Living in the shared home has been such an amazing opportunity for me because it’s allowed me to go to school, achieve and maintain good grades, all while living a little on my own and paying rent,” says Lexus.

The Independent Living Program, run through Young Adult Services, assists her and other teens currently in foster care transition into adulthood by providing Resource Specialists to help with employment, education, housing, and life skills. Participants receive guidance on topics like managing a bank account and writing a resume so they then can set their own goals moving forward towards independence.

For Lexus that means graduating from high school. “I did it a year late but I am very proud that I was even able to do it at all.” She looks forward to getting a job, attending college, and finding her own place. “I am honestly very thankful that I got this opportunity because if I hadn’t, I don’t know where I would be with my life.”

To learn more about Young Adult Services and the Independent Living Program visit bit.ly/social-resp-ymca.

909

Four

th A

venu

eSe

attle

, WA

9810

4

Non

-pro

fit

Org

U.S

. Pos

tage

PAID

Seat

tle,

WA

Perm

it N

o. 1

53

6

WE’

RE

HER

E FO

R YO

UYM

CA O

F G

REA

TER

SEAT

TLE

20

6 382

50

00

seat

tley

mca

.org

face

book

.com

/ym

caof

grea

ters

eatt

le@

ymca

grea

ters

ea

Aub

urn

Val

ley

Belle

vue

Fam

ily

Co

al C

reek

Fam

ilyD

ale

Turn

er F

amily

Dow

ntow

n Se

attl

e

Mat

t G

riffi

nM

ered

ith

Mat

hew

s Ea

st M

adis

onM

etro

cent

erN

orth

shor

eSa

mm

amis

h Fa

mily

Snoq

ualm

ie V

alle

yU

nive

rsit

y Fa

mily

W

est

Seat

tle

& F

aunt

lero

y YM

CA

Cam

p Co

lman

YM

CA

Cam

p O

rkila

Retu

rn S

ervi

ce R

eque

sted