NATIONAL COUNCIL OF YMCAS OF THE USA
101 N Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606 www.ymca.net

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Organizations Filed Purposes: YMCA of the USA (Y-USA) is the national resource office for the nation's 2,600 Ys, which strengthen community by nurturing the potential of kids, promoting healthy living for all, and fostering social responsibility.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: FOR MORE THAN 170 YEARS, THE Y HAS RESPONDED TO OUR NATION'S MOST PRESSING SOCIAL NEEDS. THROUGH WORLD WARS, THE GREAT DEPRESSION, THE SPANISH FLU AND MANY OTHER NATIONAL CHALLENGES, THE Y HAS RESPONDED TO HELP COMMUNITIES REBUILD FROM HARDSHIP. IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN 2020, YS PIVOTTED FROM OFFERING TRADITIONAL SERVICES TO SUPPORTING THE CHANGING NEEDS OF THE 10,000 COMMUNITIES YS SERVE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE PANDEMIC, AND DESPITE FACILITIES BEING CLOSED TO MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMING, MORE THAN 1,100 YS OFFERED CHILD CARE TO FAMILIES OF FIRST RESPONDERS AND ESSENTIAL WORKERS SO THAT PARENTS COULD GO TO WORK WHILE KNOWING THEIR CHILD WAS BEING CARED FOR IN A SAFE AND ENRICHING ENVIRONMENT. MORE THAN 1,200 YS BEGAN OFFERING FREE MEALS TO FAMILIES FACING FOOD INSECURITY AS A RESULT OF THE FINANCIAL CRISIS CAUSED BY COVID-19. WHILE YS HAVE TRADITIONALLY OFFERED AFTER-SCHOOL AND SUMMER MEALS TO CHILDREN, YS WERE OFFERING MEALS TO INDIVIDUALS AND ENTIRE FAMILIES IN NEED. YS ALSO TRANSFORMED THEIR FACILITIES TO OFFER HOUSING TO THE INCREASING NUMBER OF PEOPLE FACING HOMELESSNESS AS A RESULT OF THE ECONOMIC CRISIS. YS ALSO FOUND WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED WITH THE SENIOR MEMBERS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES BY CONDUCTING WELLNESS CHECK-INS ON THOSE FACING SOCIAL ISOLATION WHILE COMMUNITIES WERE LOCKED DOWN. YS ALSO PARTNERED WITH THE AMERICAN RED CROSS TO HOST BLOOD DRIVES TO HELP BOOST SUPPLY WHEN PEOPLE WERE HESITANT TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES. AS COMMUNITIES BEGAN TO REOPEN, YS EXPANDED THESE SERVICES TO HELP REACH THE BROADER POPULATION

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT: AT THE Y, WE BELIEVE AMERICA'S YOUNG PEOPLE ARE THE CHANGEMAKERS WITH THE SKILLS, COMMITMENT AND RESOURCES NECESSARY TO CREATE THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE ALL WANT TO LIVE IN. WE ALSO BELIEVE SUCCESS DEPENDS ON OUR COLLECTIVE ABILITY TO REACH AND INSPIRE THIS NEXT GENERATION TO BE GLOBALLY MINDED, CIVICALLY ENGAGED PROBLEM SOLVERS. THE SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL AND ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT OF YOUTH IN 2020 BECAME ONE OF THE Y'S TOP CONCERNS. FACING SOCIAL ISOLATION, ONLINE LEARNING, FEAR AND AXIETY, CHILDREN NEEDED A SENSE OF NORMALCY IN 2020 -- AND THE Y AIMED TO PROVIDE IT. USING KEY LEARNINGS FROM THE EMERGENCY DAY CARE OFFERED TO FIRST RESPONDERS AND ESSNEITAL WORKERS, YS WERE ABLE TO SAFELY OPEN DAY CAMPS ACROSS THE COUNTRY LAST SUMMER. Y CAMPS ARE ABOUT LEARNING SKILLS, DEVELOPING CHARACTER AND MAKING FRIENDS - ALL THINGS THAT WERE VERY DIFFICULT FOR KIDS TO DO WHILE REMOTE SCHOOLING AND SOCIALLY ISOLATED. LIKE THE Y'S EMERGENCY CHILD CARE SERVICES, Y DAY CAMPS ALSO OPERATED ACCORDING TO SAFETY PROTOCOLS IN 2020 WITH NO LARGE COVID OUTBREAKS ASSOCIATED WITH ANY CAMP. AS SUMMER TRANSITIONED TO BACK-TO-SCHOOL, THE Y REALIZED CHILD CARE AND REMOTE SCHOOLING WOULD CONTINUE TO BE A BIG CONCERN FOR PARENTS. TO ADDRESS THIS CONCERN, HUNDREDS OF Y FACILITIES WERE TRANSFORMED TO OFFER VIRTUAL LEARNING SPACES TO SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN. THESE SPACES PROVIDED THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CHILDREN TO PARTICIPATE IN SUPERVISED REMOTE SCHOOLING SO THEIR PARENTS COULD RETURN TO WORK. AS COMMUNITIES REOPEN, YS ARE OFFERING YOUTH SPORTS PROGRAMS WHICH PROVIDE A HEALTHY OUTLET FOR CHILDREN TO GAIN NEW SKILLS, DEVELOP A SENSE OF TEAMWORK AND CONNECT WITH POSITIVE ROLE MODELS. EVEN IN A VIRTUAL WORLD, THE Y'S YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT PROGRAM CONTINUED TO PROVIDE THOUSANDS OF TEENS NATIONWIDE WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO IMMERSE THEMSELVES IN EXPERIENTIAL CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND PRACTICE DEMOCRACY IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

HEALTHY LIVING: THE Y IS COMMITTED TO IMPROVING THE NATION'S HEALTH, WHICH IS WHY YS PROVIDED A VARIETY OF WELLNESS PROGRAMS THROUGH VIRTUAL PLATFORMS, HELPING PEOPLE REDUCE THEIR RISK FOR CHRONIC DISEASES, AND OFFERING ACCESS TO TOOLS AND SUPPORT THAT HELP INDIVIDUALS RECLAIM AND SUSTAIN POSITIVE HEALTH OUTCOMES. THE TOLL COVID-19 TOOK ON OUR COUNTRY'S MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH WAS OF UPMOST CONCERN TO THE Y THROUGHOUT 2020. WHEN FACILITIES WERE CLOSED IN MARCH, THE Y INTRODUCED Y360, A VIRTUAL HEALTH AND FITNESS PLATFORM TO BRING HEALTHY LIVING PROGRAMS INTO HOMES. THE PLATFORM WAS FREE FOR THE MAJORITY OF 2020. WHEN FACILITES OPENED FOR EMERGENCY CHILD CARE AND THEN AGAIN FOR ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS AND SERVICES LATER IN THE YEAR, THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF MEMBERS, STAFF AND PARTICIPANTS WAS A TOP PRIORITY AS YS IMPLEMENTED CDC SAFETY PROTOCOLS. LARGELY, YS AVOIDED SIGNIFICANT COVID-19 OUTBREAKS AS A RESULT. AND AS THE NATION'S SWIM INSTRUCTOR, THE Y DID NOT RELENT ON ITS COMMITMENT TO HELPING PEOPLE LEARN HOW TO SWIM AND TO BE SAFE AROUND WATER. ONCE AGAIN, YS ROSE TO THE CHALLENGES THAT COVID-19 PRESENTED AND FOUND NEW WAYS TO PROVIDE SAFETY AROUND WATER AND SWIM INSTRUCTION WHILE PRACTICING SAFETY PROTOCOLS.

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