For many children, families and adults, the Y is a family. It is a place to come where they can learn, grow and thrive. But many need your help to benefit from this opportunity.

You know the faces of need in our community as well as we do: children in need of safe care and educational support; teens in need of positive role models and activities; and families who need a place to spend time together where they can grow in spirit, mind and body.

The YMCA of Greater Richmond is committed to meeting these needs and others through such programs as child care, camp, youth sports and health and wellness. Your gift improves a life. It keeps the Y open to all, making sure that everyone, regardless of age, income or background, has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive through the Y.

Learn how the YMCA of Greater Richmond is building Youth Development, Healthy Living and Social Responsibility.

A Message from the Annual Giving Chair

Michael E. Ames

The YMCA allows me to have a larger positive influence on the community than I could on my own. I am proud to serve an organization as wonderful as the Y. Please join me in supporting the work of the Northside Family YMCA.

Annual Support Campaign

The Northside Family YMCA provides $500,000 in assistance to our members and program participants through reduced membership and program fees. This Y serves in a census tract where 1,200 families live below the poverty level. Your contribution to the Strengthening Communities Fund keeps the Y open to all.

FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Preschool: Children who attend preschool not only perform better in school but gain the tools necessary to succeed in life. This year 103 children at the Northside Y will gain the fundamental skills they need to be fully prepared for kindergarten; 99 percent of these children will receive financial assistance.

After-School Care: Working parents seek safe and asset-rich opportunities for their children after school is out. Here 70 children attend each day: all but one receive financial assistance. Y camp continues child care throughout the summer.

Teens: The Northside Y provides an environment in which teens study, exercise, make friends, have fun, get fit and eat healthy meals. These activities build the necessary protective factors youth need to survive and thrive.

FOR HEALTHY LIVING
Learn to Swim: Children drown because they don’t know how to swim. In collaboration with Richmond Public Schools, 500 second-graders will develop basic swim and water safety skills through this free program.

FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Flatiron Garden: With cultivation of fresh fruit and vegetables, the Y’s garden serves as a teaching basis for choosing an improved diet of fresh produce and providing nutritious meals.

Financial Assistance: In our area, 85 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-fee lunches. We anticipate that six out of 10 members who join the Northside Y in 2013 will need financial assistance. Cost will not be a barrier to joining the Y family.