YMCA reaches out to community in annual campaign
NORWICH – Every year the Norwich YMCA supports hundreds of families caught under economic strain and sponsors several events involving an untold number of local organizations.
This week kicks off the fourth annual YMCA Annual Support Campaign, Reach Out to Your Community.
Until 2005, the YMCA solely contributed more than $35,000 each year to its Open Doors Scholarship Program, which offers reductions or free memberships to individuals caught in poor economic circumstance. However, when the Y moved into its new facility and there was a sudden boom in participation, that made absorbing the yearly costs a challenge.
YMCA Executive Director James Mullen explained that the cost of handing out the scholarships went from about $35,000 in 2002 to about $80,000 in 2003 – and then to $90,000 in 2004. Today, the YMCA supports over 650 scholarships and still annually contributes more than $30,000 into the program. Last year’s support campaign raised $60,000, more than ever before, but the cost of supporting the scholarships remained at about $90,000, meaning the YMCA contributed the difference.
Mullen said he doesn’t mind the costs associated with the program, in fact he explained it’s the most important reason the YMCA exists.
“If you look at all the programs we offer and accounted for all the people participating in this program or all the money earned by that program, I’d still say our priority is the Open Door Scholarships. When we first saw a rise in the level of need, we knew we’d be giving out more than we’d be receiving. We don’t want to turn people away; it’s not what we do here,” said Mullen.
Roughly half of all YMCA members are currently under the age of 22 and an even higher percentage are awarded the Open Door scholarships, allowing youths to participate in a countless number of socially safe and physically healthy activities.
Mullen explained that about one in every seven members are on some form of reduced fee program, and that while the scholarships benefit low-income families, they also help families going through an unexpected crisis.
“We often hear from people that the Y really made a difference in their lives growing up. They come in and thank us and say, ‘I don’t know where or what I would have been doing if I didn’t have this place to go to,’” said Mullen.
Jack Weinman has been named this year’s Honorary Chairperson for the support campaign.
“For many years, local businesses like mine, the Norwich Shoe Company, would sponsor children every year to attend the YMCA. Today the need is greater than it was in the 1950s and 60s and businesses cannot do it alone. With the support of our entire community, we will engage more youth, families and seniors in YMCA programs, and in turn, support their efforts to belong to a community organization that can provide many life-changing opportunities and experiences,” Weinman wrote in a letter to potential supporters this week.
Mullen said that before the YMCA held its annual support campaign, his predecessors would often call local business leaders and ask them to support a handful of troubled children in need. “They’d call up someone like Mr. Weinman at the Shoe Company and say ‘Hey Jack, I’ve got seven kids over here whose families don’t have the money, but would gain a lot if they had a membership. Would you sponsor them?’”
Mullen said it’s important to honor the past contributions to the YMCA and the impact on the community, but also noted that times had changed, citing a number of business closures over the last decade and a half.
“The face of the community has changed, but the importance of the community hasn’t,” he said.
In response to a loss of some of its longtime members who had lost their jobs, the YMCA started the Unemployment Program earlier this year to help struggling families in the recession.
“When you see people who have been members of your program for years and years, some for over 20 years, come in and say ‘Hey I like it here but I really just can’t afford it anymore,’ you know something must be wrong,” said Mullen.
Shawn Witherow participated in the Unemployment Benefit and wrote another letter to the YMCA thanking the organization for helping him after he lost his job.
“In June 2009, my daily way of life changed. I was told my place of employment would be closing and I would be losing my job. What would I do? On my first day of unemployment, I went to the Y. I exercised in the Fitness Center and played noon time basketball with my friends. It was a great opportunity to relieve the stress and anxiety of not working as the store manager at Save-A-Lot.
“While at the Y, the staff told me about their new unemployment membership program. I spoke to the executive director and he explained that I qualified to extend my membership for three months at no additional cost to me. Thank you to the YMCA for being there for me during my time of need,” he wrote to the staff.
Mullen explained that while the fitness facility is a big part of the Y, the organization provides a lot more programs and services than that, including the childcare program, youth and adult sports programs, Camp Thompson, after school programs in Norwich, Bainbridge-Guilford, Unadilla Valley and Oxford, a Universal Pre-Kindergarten program in collaboration with the Norwich City School District, swimming lessons and many more.
This year alone, the YMCA has opened its doors to 46 different organizations at no cost which spent an estimated total of 850 hours utilizing the facility. Some of those organizations include the Health Department which used the facility for its annual flu clinic, the Chenango Memorial Hospital and Norwich Rotary for their blood screenings, the Norwich Marching Band for practice before their performance at the Carrier Dome and 43 other groups.
The YMCA is a not-for-profit organization and receives no money, in the form of grants or other funds, from the government. It is solely operated on the contributions of individuals and the revenue created by its memberships and programs.
“We know we are experiencing a difficult economy, but if we can collectively support our YMCA, we know that in return our YMCA will continue to add value to our community. By participating in this campaign, we will have the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life,” said Mullen.
Anyone interested in making a contribution to the Norwich Family YMCA’s support campaign can call 336-9622 for more information, or visit the web site at www.norwichymca.com. The campaign runs continuously throughout the year.
This week kicks off the fourth annual YMCA Annual Support Campaign, Reach Out to Your Community.
Until 2005, the YMCA solely contributed more than $35,000 each year to its Open Doors Scholarship Program, which offers reductions or free memberships to individuals caught in poor economic circumstance. However, when the Y moved into its new facility and there was a sudden boom in participation, that made absorbing the yearly costs a challenge.
YMCA Executive Director James Mullen explained that the cost of handing out the scholarships went from about $35,000 in 2002 to about $80,000 in 2003 – and then to $90,000 in 2004. Today, the YMCA supports over 650 scholarships and still annually contributes more than $30,000 into the program. Last year’s support campaign raised $60,000, more than ever before, but the cost of supporting the scholarships remained at about $90,000, meaning the YMCA contributed the difference.
Mullen said he doesn’t mind the costs associated with the program, in fact he explained it’s the most important reason the YMCA exists.
“If you look at all the programs we offer and accounted for all the people participating in this program or all the money earned by that program, I’d still say our priority is the Open Door Scholarships. When we first saw a rise in the level of need, we knew we’d be giving out more than we’d be receiving. We don’t want to turn people away; it’s not what we do here,” said Mullen.
Roughly half of all YMCA members are currently under the age of 22 and an even higher percentage are awarded the Open Door scholarships, allowing youths to participate in a countless number of socially safe and physically healthy activities.
Mullen explained that about one in every seven members are on some form of reduced fee program, and that while the scholarships benefit low-income families, they also help families going through an unexpected crisis.
“We often hear from people that the Y really made a difference in their lives growing up. They come in and thank us and say, ‘I don’t know where or what I would have been doing if I didn’t have this place to go to,’” said Mullen.
Jack Weinman has been named this year’s Honorary Chairperson for the support campaign.
“For many years, local businesses like mine, the Norwich Shoe Company, would sponsor children every year to attend the YMCA. Today the need is greater than it was in the 1950s and 60s and businesses cannot do it alone. With the support of our entire community, we will engage more youth, families and seniors in YMCA programs, and in turn, support their efforts to belong to a community organization that can provide many life-changing opportunities and experiences,” Weinman wrote in a letter to potential supporters this week.
Mullen said that before the YMCA held its annual support campaign, his predecessors would often call local business leaders and ask them to support a handful of troubled children in need. “They’d call up someone like Mr. Weinman at the Shoe Company and say ‘Hey Jack, I’ve got seven kids over here whose families don’t have the money, but would gain a lot if they had a membership. Would you sponsor them?’”
Mullen said it’s important to honor the past contributions to the YMCA and the impact on the community, but also noted that times had changed, citing a number of business closures over the last decade and a half.
“The face of the community has changed, but the importance of the community hasn’t,” he said.
In response to a loss of some of its longtime members who had lost their jobs, the YMCA started the Unemployment Program earlier this year to help struggling families in the recession.
“When you see people who have been members of your program for years and years, some for over 20 years, come in and say ‘Hey I like it here but I really just can’t afford it anymore,’ you know something must be wrong,” said Mullen.
Shawn Witherow participated in the Unemployment Benefit and wrote another letter to the YMCA thanking the organization for helping him after he lost his job.
“In June 2009, my daily way of life changed. I was told my place of employment would be closing and I would be losing my job. What would I do? On my first day of unemployment, I went to the Y. I exercised in the Fitness Center and played noon time basketball with my friends. It was a great opportunity to relieve the stress and anxiety of not working as the store manager at Save-A-Lot.
“While at the Y, the staff told me about their new unemployment membership program. I spoke to the executive director and he explained that I qualified to extend my membership for three months at no additional cost to me. Thank you to the YMCA for being there for me during my time of need,” he wrote to the staff.
Mullen explained that while the fitness facility is a big part of the Y, the organization provides a lot more programs and services than that, including the childcare program, youth and adult sports programs, Camp Thompson, after school programs in Norwich, Bainbridge-Guilford, Unadilla Valley and Oxford, a Universal Pre-Kindergarten program in collaboration with the Norwich City School District, swimming lessons and many more.
This year alone, the YMCA has opened its doors to 46 different organizations at no cost which spent an estimated total of 850 hours utilizing the facility. Some of those organizations include the Health Department which used the facility for its annual flu clinic, the Chenango Memorial Hospital and Norwich Rotary for their blood screenings, the Norwich Marching Band for practice before their performance at the Carrier Dome and 43 other groups.
The YMCA is a not-for-profit organization and receives no money, in the form of grants or other funds, from the government. It is solely operated on the contributions of individuals and the revenue created by its memberships and programs.
“We know we are experiencing a difficult economy, but if we can collectively support our YMCA, we know that in return our YMCA will continue to add value to our community. By participating in this campaign, we will have the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life,” said Mullen.
Anyone interested in making a contribution to the Norwich Family YMCA’s support campaign can call 336-9622 for more information, or visit the web site at www.norwichymca.com. The campaign runs continuously throughout the year.
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