OHIO ALLIANCE OF YMCAS
6956 E BROAD STREET SUITE 243, COLUMBUS, OH 43213 ohioymcas.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF OHIO STATE ALLIANCE OF YMCAS IS TO FOSTER STATEWIDE COMMUNICATION AND COOPERATION AMONG YMCAS, GAIN CONSENSUS ON ISSUES OF IMPORTANCE TO THE YMCA, MAKE POLICY AND DECISION MAKERS AWARE OF THE YMCA'S MISSION AND PROGRAMS AND GAIN RECOGNITION AS A LEADER ON ISSUES THAT AFFECT CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF THE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES SERVED BY THE YMCA, PROTECT THE OPERATING INTEGRITY OF THE YMCA ORGANIZATION IN ORDER TO CARRY OUT ITS MISSION, AND REPRESENT, COMMUNICATE TO, AND LOBBY ON BEHALF OF, ALL MEMBER YMCAS.

EACH YEAR, THE ALLIANCE ADVOCATES ON BEHALF OF THE 163 YMCAS IN OHIO, COVERING MANY DIVERSE COMMUNITIES IN THE STATE. THE BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE OVER 1.6 MILLION FAMILIES, WOMEN, AND MEN.IN 2019, THE ALLIANCE CONCENTRATED EFFORTS ON FOUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES: (A) YOUNG AND SCHOOL-AGE KIDS, (B) CHRONIC DISEASE PREVENTION, (C) PIONEERING HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES OHIO, WHICH IS AN INITIATIVE THAT WORKS TO IMPROVE COMMUNITY HEALTH, AND (D) TEACHING DEMOCRACY TO EACH GENERATION THROUGH YMCA TEEN LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS. THE ALLIANCE ROUTINELY ASKS STATE EXECUTIVE, STATE AGENCY, AND LEGISLATIVE PARTNERS TO SUPPORT INITIATIVES AND POLICIES TARGETING THESE AREAS.

OUR YOUNG AND SCHOOL AGE KIDS NEED INCREASED INVESTMENT TO THRIVE:THE YMCAS ARE THE LARGEST EARLY CHILDHOOD AND SCHOOL AGE CARE PROVIDERS IN OHIO, AND HELPING CHILDREN DEVELOP EDUCATIONALLY AND SOCIALLY IS A CRITICAL PART OF THE YMCA MISSION. IN THESE PROGRAMS, WE SERVE KIDS FROM SIX WEEKS TO AGE THIRTEEN.Y EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS ARE EARLY LEARNING FOR CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS SIX WEEKS, AND NO LONGER "BABYSITTING." INVESTMENT IN QUALITY CHILD CARE LEADS TO KINDERGARTEN READINESS, INCREASED 3RD GRADE READING PROFICIENCY, BETTER GRADUATION RATES, REDUCED NEED FOR INTERVENTION, LESS INVOLVEMENT WITH THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM, AND A READY WORKFORCE FOR THE FUTURE.YMCAS' SCHOOL AGE PROGRAMS ARE NOT JUST A PLACE WHERE KIDS SOCIALIZE OUT OF SCHOOL. AT THE Y, SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION AFTER SCHOOL IN SAFE, STIMULATING ENVIRONMENTS. WE ALSO REDUCE SUMMER LEARNING LOSS THROUGH QUALITY SUMMER CAMP PROGRAMS. CHILD CARE IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. EARLY CHILDHOOD AND SCHOOL AGE CARE IS CRUCIAL TO SUPPORT OHIO'S WORKING PARENTS. PARENTS, AND THEIR EMPLOYERS, RELY ON QUALITY CHILD CARE TO TEACH AND CARE FOR THEIR CHILDREN WHILE THEY SUPPORT THEIR FAMILY.OUR CHILD CARE PROGRAMS ALSO ARE A STABLE SOURCE FOR NUTRITIOUS MEALS FOR KIDS IN OUR CARE. OHIO YMCAS PROVIDE THOUSANDS OF MEALS EACH DAY THROUGH THE CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM, WHICH OFTEN IS DIFFICULT TO ADMINISTER. WHILE OUR GOAL IS TO FEED OUR KIDS, THE PROGRAM'S BURDENSOME RESTRICTIONS PREVENT YS FROM REACHING THAT GOAL.

PREVENTING AND MANAGING CHRONIC DISEASE IS HEALTHY LIVING:OUR MISSION OF HEALTHY LIVING ENCOMPASSES NOT ONLY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, BUT ALSO ADDITIONAL TOOLS TO HELP OUR COMMUNITIES PREVENT AND COMBAT CHRONIC DISEASE, SUCH AS DIABETES AND CANCER.YMCA'S DIABETES PREVENTION PROGRAMFOR OHIOANS AT HIGH RISK OF DEVELOPING TYPE 2 DIABETES, THE YMCA'S DIABETES PREVENTION PROGRAM CAN HELP PRE-DIABETICS ADOPT AND MAINTAIN HEALTHY LIFESTYLES THAT WILL REDUCE THE CHANCE OF DEVELOPING DIABETES. THIS PROGRAM ALREADY IS THE CORNERSTONE OF OHIO'S CHRONIC DISEASE STATE PLAN, AND MUST BE A PART OF OHIO'S HEALTH CARE INNOVATION PLAN AS A CRITICAL COMMUNITY-BASED SUPPORT. OHIO YMCAS ALREADY OFFER THE PROGRAM IN OVER 75 COMMUNITIES, AND CONTINUE TO GROW EACH YEAR.THE YMCA'S DIABETES PREVENTION PROGRAM IS BASED ON RESEARCH FUNDED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH AND THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, WHICH SHOWED THAT BY EATING HEALTHIER, INCREASING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND LOSING A SMALL AMOUNT OF WEIGHT, A PERSON WITH PRE-DIABETES CAN PREVENT OR DELAY THE ONSET OF TYPE 2 DIABETES BY 58%.IN A CLASSROOM SETTING, A TRAINED LIFESTYLE COACH WILL HELP YOU CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE BY LEARNING ABOUT HEALTHY EATING, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND OTHER BEHAVIOR CHANGES OVER THE COURSE OF 16 ONE-HOUR SESSIONS. AFTER THE INITIAL 16 CORE SESSIONS, YOU WILL MEET MONTHLY FOR ADDED SUPPORT TO HELP MAINTAIN YOUR PROGRESS. THE PROGRAM'S GOALS ARE TO REDUCE BODY WEIGHT BY 7% AND INCREASE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TO 150 MINUTES PER WEEK.AFTER OVER THREE YEARS OF ADMINISTERING THE PROGRAM NATIONWIDE, AN INDEPENDENT STUDY BY UNITED HEALTH FOUNDATION SHOWS THE YS ARE HITTING THE PROGRAM GOALS, AND SAVING LIVES AND DOLLARS.LIVESTRONG AT THE Y, WE BELIEVE IN FREELY PROVIDING THE GIFT OF HOPE TO THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE EXPERIENCING CANCER.LIVESTRONG AT THE YMCA ALLOWS CANCER SURVIVORS WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO THE Y TO HEAL. WE BELIEVE IN PARTNERING WITH PEOPLE EXPERIENCING CANCER TO CREATE A SAFE, LOVING, AND CARING ENVIRONMENT. CANCER KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES, BUT WE BELIEVE IN THE STRENGTH OF COMMUNITY AND THAT EVERY SURVIVOR DESERVES UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT, A CHANCE TO BELONG AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO FEEL "NORMAL" AS THEY REGAIN THEIR STRENGTH.AT NO COST, CANCER SURVIVORS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TWICE EACH WEEK TO ENGAGE IN A PROVEN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAM UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF QUALIFIED INSTRUCTORS TRAINED IN THE LIVESTRONG CURRICULUM. EACH SURVIVOR AND THEIR FAMILY WILL ALSO BE PROVIDED A MEMBERSHIP TO THE Y DURING THE 12-WEEK PROGRAM.WE BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS AND BELONGING TO HEAL. WE BELIEVE IN SUPPORTING THE CANCER SURVIVOR WITH THE HOPE THAT THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE Y. HUMAN CONNECTION HEALS AND IT IS CRITICAL THAT WE BUILD SMALL COMMUNITIES OF CANCER SURVIVORS AT ALL YMCA BRANCHES.

PIONEERING HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES OHIO WORKS TO IMPROVE COMMUNITY HEALTH:THE Y IS NOT JUST A GYM. IT'S A PLACE WHERE CHILDREN LEARN FROM AN EARLY AGE ABOUT HEALTHY EATING AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY THAT HELPS PREVENT CHILDHOOD AND ADULT OBESITY. CHILDHOOD OBESITY HAS BECOME AN EPIDEMIC IN OHIO. ACCORDING TO NATIONAL ESTIMATES, 30-34% OF OHIO'S CHILDREN AGE 10-17 ARE OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE.IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION AND YMCA OF THE USA, THE OHIO ALLIANCE OF YMCAS IS LEADING A COLLABORATIVE CALLED PIONEERING HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES OHIO (PHC OHIO). PHC OHIO IS A DIVERSE GROUP OF STATEWIDE PARTNERS WORKING TO CREATE FAIR OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN TO ACCESS HEALTHY FOOD AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.THE PRIMARY GOAL OF THIS INITIATIVE IS TO IMPROVE CHILDHOOD HEALTH THROUGH SUSTAINABLE AND SYSTEMIC CHANGE. ACROSS THE COUNTRY, YMCA CHILD CARE CENTERS ARE IMPLEMENTED HEALTHY EATING AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (HEPA) STANDARDS. HEPA SETS GOALS FOR (1) THE NUTRITIONAL QUALITY OF THE FOODS AND BEVERAGES PROVIDED IN EARLY CHILDHOOD AND SCHOOL AGE CARE, (2) THE AMOUNT OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY CHILDREN AND YOUTH ACCUMULATE WHILE ATTENDING THESE PROGRAMS, (3) ENGAGING PARENTS OF THE CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN OUR CHILD CARE PROGRAMS, AND (4) LIMITING SCREEN TIME FOR PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS.AS YMCAS IMPLEMENT THESE STANDARDS, AND AS OTHER HEALTH-CONSCIENCE CHILD CARE CENTERS REACH SIMILAR GOALS, OUR CHILDREN BENEFIT BY IMPROVED LEARNING AND HEALTH. OHIO'S TIERED QUALITY RATING AND IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM (STEP UP TO QUALITY) SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE CENTERS THAT ACHIEVE THESE HEALTH-RELATED GOALS.THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEALTH AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT. HOW HEALTHY WE ARE OFTEN REFLECTS THE WAY OUR BUILDINGS AND NEIGHBORHOODS FUNCTION. WE CAN IMPROVE LIVES AND FOSTER HEALTHY OUTCOMES BY CHANGING OUR APPROACH WHEN BUILDING CITIES, STREETS, AND PLACES. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INVESTS LITTLE IN THIS WORK, AND OHIO INVESTS EVEN LESS. OHIO MUST PRIORITIZE AND FUND SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL AND COMPLETE STREETS, WHICH ENABLE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES TO SAFELY WALK AND BIKE TO SCHOOL AND THROUGHOUT THEIR COMMUNITIES. THESE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS ALSO MAKE OHIO COMMUNITIES MORE ATTRACTIVE TO BUSINESSES LOOKING TO SETTLE IN OUR STATE.

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