YOUNG MENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS
424 LEBANON AVENUE, BELLEVILLE, IL 622204127 www.ymcaswil.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: FOR OVER 140 YEARS THE YMCA OF SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS HAS BEEN TRANSFORMING THE LIVES OF PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE METRO-EAST. OUR MISSION IS "TO PUT CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE THROUGH PROGRAMS THAT BUILD HEALTHY SPIRIT , MIND AND BODY FOR ALL." ROOTED IN CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES, OUR PROGRAMS DO MORE THAN JUST PROVIDE DISTRACTION; THEY CREATE MOMENTS OF REVOLUTION, MOMENTS OF TRANSFORMATION, IN THE CHARACTER OF THE INDIVIDUAL, THE VALUES OF A FAMILY, AND IN THE CULTURE OF OUR COMMUNITIES. WHAT STARTED AS A MOVEMENT WITHOUT A PLACE TO CALL HOME, HAS NOW GROWN TO INCLUDE 8 LOCATIONS AND OVER 87 PROGRAM SITES---THROUGHOUT OUR REGION. BECAUSE THE YMCA IS NOT ABOUT A BUILDING, WE DELIVER SERVICES IN SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, PARKS, LIBRARIES, HOSPITALS, PARKING-LOTS AND EVEN IN REMOTE VILLAGES IN GUATEMALA--- THE YMCA IS A MOVEMENT THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO A PLACE OR SITE--- FOLLOWING THE LEAD OF OUR PREDECESSORS WE GO WHERE THE CHALLENGES ARE, WHERE PEOPLE GATHER, WHERE SPIRITS, MINDS, AND BODIES CAN BE

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT OUR YMCA IS COMMITTED TO NURTURING THE POTENTIAL OF EVERY CHILD AND TEEN. WE BELIEVE THAT ALL KIDS DESERVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCOVER WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY THINK THEY CAN ACHIEVE. AS PART OF OUR EFFORTS TO NURTURE THE POTENTIAL OF YOUNG PEOPLE---WE OFFER PROGRAMS SUCH AS, AFTER AND BEFORE SCHOOL CARE, EDUCATION AND LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS, COMPETITIVE SWIMMING AND SPORTS, RECREATION, YOUTH SPORTS PROGRAMS AND YOUTH SWIM LESSONS THAT HELP INSTILL VALUES, BUILD MUSCLES, CHANGE MIND-SETS, AND EVEN SAVE LIVES. LAST YEAR, THE YMCA HAD 3453 YOUTH SPORTS PARTICIPANTS MAKING LAY-UPS, RUNNING BASES, AND SCORING GOALS. OVER 9490 LEARNED TO SWIM OR MADE THEIR FIRST ATTEMPT AT FULLY SUBMERGING THEIR FACE IN THE WATER FOR THE FIRST TIME WHILE BLOWING BUBBLES--- AND ABOUT 341 YOUNG PEOPLE STAYED WITH US AFTER SCHOOL AS THEIR PARENTS MADE THEIR WAY HOME FROM WORK. DURING THE SUMMERTIME, 1,273 YOUTH JOINED US AS WE MADE CRAFTS, SANG SONGS, TOOK FIELD-TRIPS, AND LEARNED HOW TO BE CARING, HONEST, RESPECTFUL, AND RESPONSIBLE. FOR SOME STUDENTS, OUR HELP WAS MORE BASIC AND SIGNIFICANTLY TRANSFORMATIONAL. FACING THE PROSPECT OF FAILING SCHOOL, FAMILIES TURNED TO THE Y FOR HELP WITH MATH, SCIENCE, AND ENGLISH HOMEWORK. AT A LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL, THE YMCA HELPED MAKE A WAY FOR THE DREAM OF A COLLEGE EDUCATION TAKE ROOT. THESE AND MANY OTHER PROGRAMS SET THE STAGE FOR REDIRECTING AND AFFIRMING A "CHILD IN THE WAY HE SHOULD GO" EVEN WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH. YMCA, LOCAL CHURCH JOIN FORCES TO HELP NEEDY WITH A TUTORING COLLABORATION BY DANIEL KELLY-BELLEVILLE NEWS DEMOCRAT THE YMCA OF SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS (YMCA) AND LOCAL VOLUNTEERS WITH THE UNITED CHURCHES OF THE METRO EAST (UCM) HAVE BEEN SURVEYING RESIDENTS WITHIN A FEDERALLY SUBSIDIZED HOUSING LOCATED IN O'FALLON, ILLINOIS. THE GROUPS ARE TRYING TO LEARN WAYS TO HELP RESIDENTS IN THAT LOW-INCOME NEIGHBORHOOD AND OTHERS THROUGH THE QUALITY OF LIFE SURVEY AND, YMCA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, JARED BEARD SAID. "IT'S FACE TO FACE WITH THE USUALLY TWO INTERVIEWERS GOING INTO HOMES AND BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE PEOPLE, AND FINDING OUT WHAT THEIR INTERESTS ARE AND WHAT NEEDS THEY HAVE," BEARD SAID. "WE USE IT AS A TOOL, TO FIND OUT WHAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ARE AND BASED OUR PROGRAMS AROUND THEM." THE YMCA INTITIATED THE SURVEY AND UCM JOINED THE EFFORT BECAUSE THEIR GOALS HAD A "COMMON GROUND," UCM VOLUNTEER SHERYL SOMMER SAID. "WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS," SOMMER SAID. "RELATIONSHIPS ARE SO KEY IN BUILDING A COMMUNITY INSTEAD OF BEING ISOLATED. THAT IS HOW WE GET MYTHS ABOUT THOSE DIFFERENT FROM US IN LOWER INCOME STATUSES." BEARD SAID THE EFFORT WAS PART OF THE YMCA'S OVERARCHING EMPHASIS UPON BUILDING LOCAL OUTREACH COMMUNITY PROGRAMS.

HEALTHY LIVING THE YMCA IS A LEADING VOICE ON HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. WE BRING FAMILIES CLOSER TOGETHER, ENCOURAGE GOOD HEALTH, AND FOSTER CONNECTIONS THROUGH FITNESS, SPORTS, FUN AND SHARED INTEREST. AS A RESULT, THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE RECEIVING THE SUPPORT, GUIDANCE AND RESOURCES THEY NEED TO ACHIEVE GREATER HEALTH IN SPIRIT, MIND AND BODY. BUT, IMPROVING OUR COMMUNITY'S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING IS A TALL ORDER; ESPECIALLY WHEN ONE CONSIDERS THE RATES OF OBESITY AND OTHER ILLNESSES CAUSED BY POOR EATING AND INACTIVITY. ALONG WITH CLARIFYING FACTS---WE KNOW THAT THE YMCA HAS TO DO MORE THAN OFFER A TREADMILL TO USE OR A CLASS TO TAKE. THAT'S WHY WE CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS TO ENGAGE 32,000 MEMBERS TO JOIN US AND BECOME PART OF OUR CULTURE; WE DO THIS BY ENCOURAGING VISITS TO OUR FACILITIES---WE HAD CLOSE TO 1 MILLION LAST YEAR---AND BY ASKING OUR MEMBERS TO "DO LIFE TOGETHER" AS THEY COMPLETE A WELLNESS JOURNEY. NEARLY 2700 INDIVIDUALS JOINED A SMALL "JOURNEY" GROUP TO HELP MEET HEALTH AND WELLNESS GOALS THAT INCLUDED ITEMS NOT NECESSARILY FOCUSED ON PHYSICAL HEALTH. WE ENCOURAGED THEM TO READ, MEETING OTHERS, SERVE, AND SHARE THEIR JOURNEY--- OUR HOPE IS THAT WE COULD TAP INTO THEIR INTERNAL MOTIVATORS--- RESULTING IN A STRONGER: SPIRIT, MIND, AND BODY. IN 2007 WE HAD A YOUNG GENTLEMAN, IN HIS 30S NAMED ROSS, WALK INTO OUR DOORS AT THE O'FALLON YMCA. ROSS HAD BEEN STRUGGLING WITH SEVERE LUNG DAMAGE FROM WORKING CONSTRUCTION AND WAS IN NEED OF A LUNG TRANSPLANT. HE WAS NOT HEALTHY ENOUGH TO WORK AND HE WAS 150 POUNDS OVERWEIGHT. HIS DOCTORS TOLD HIM THAT HE WOULD NEED TO LOSE THE WEIGHT IN ORDER TO BE PUT ON THE DONOR LIST. THAT IS WHEN HE FOUND THE Y AND SOME HELP FROM OUR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. THROUGH OUR COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS WITH MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, ROSS WAS ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE LIVELY LUNGS PROGRAM (A LUNG REHABILITATION GROUP) AND USE THE FACILITIES AT THE Y. EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY (WHEN WELL ENOUGH) HE WOULD COME IN TO THE O'FALLON Y TO RECIEVE TREATMENT FROM THE AMAZING MEMORIAL TEAM. HE ALSO CONNECTED WITH MANY STAFF MEMBERS FOR GUIDANCE ON HOW BEST TO LOSE THE WEIGHT IN A HEALTHY WAY. ROSS AND I HAD COUNTLESS CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HIS PROGRESS AND HIS LIFE IN GENERAL. HE IS AN AMAZING SOUL AND I FEEL LUCKY TO KNOW HIM. ROSS LOST HIS 150 POUNDS AND HE WAS PUT ON THE DONOR LIST MARCH 20, 2012. I AM SO HAPPY TO SAY, HE RECEIVED A NEW SET OF LUNGS MARCH 22, 2012 HE IS ALREADY BACK AT THE Y CONTINUING TO IMPROVE HIS HEALTH AND WELL-BEING HE IS VERY EXCITED TO EVENTUALLY BEGIN WORKING AGAIN AND GOING HUNTING WITH HIS SON AS HE DID BEFORE. THIS IS TRULY A LIFE THAT HAS BEEN CHANGED WITH THE HELP OF Y SUPPORTERS IN OUR AMAZING COMMUNITY.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OUR YMCA BELIEVES IN GIVING BACK AND SUPPORTING OUR NEIGHBORS. WE HAVE BEEN LISTENING AND RESPONDING TO OUR COMMUNITY'S MOST CRITICAL NEEDS FOR MORE THAN 140 YEARS. YMCA PROGRAMS SUCH AS OUR INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP AND ASSISTANCE TO THE YMCA OF GUATEMALA, VOLUNTEERISM AND GIVING PROGRAMS ARE EXAMPLES OF HOW WE DELIVER TRAINING, RESOURCES, AND SUPPORT THAT EMPOWER OUR NEIGHBORS TO EFFECT CHANGE, BRIDGE GAPS AND TO OVERCOME OBSTACLES. HOW DOES THE Y STRENGTHEN OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS? IN 2014 WE ENGAGED THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS, PARTICIPANTS AND VOLUNTEERS TO ACCOMPLISH: PROGRAM VOLUNTEERS 2929 POLICY VOLUNTEERS 108 SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE 21,000 ITEMS THANKSGIVING FOOD BOXES 452 ANGEL TREE GIFTS 402 COMMUNITY GARDEN 2850 LBS WE DO THIS BY INVITING OUR MEMBERS TO JOIN THE CAUSE. TO "GET IN THE GAME"---ROLL UP THEIR SLEEVES AND PLANT A SEED (LITERALLY), COACH A TEAM, OR HELP A NEEDY KID WITH SCHOOL SUPPLIES. WE ASK THEM TO CONSIDER A STRUGGLING FAMILY DURING THANKSGIVING---AND A CHILD ON SCHOLARSHIP DURING CHRISTMAS. DURING FEBRUARY AND MARCH WE INVITE THEM TO JOIN THOUSANDS AS WE RAISE FUNDS TO HELP PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STRUGGLING FAMILIES/KIDS. THESE ARE NOT "GIMMICKS" TO SQUEEZE MORE MONEY OUT OF PEOPLE. THESE ARE EFFORTS THAT CHALLENGE ALL OF US TO BE BETTER---TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE---TO TRANSFORM OTHERS AND AT THE SAME TIME BE TRANSFORMED. IT'S ABOUT FINDING OUR PURPOSE AS A MOVEMENT. OUR PLACE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

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