YOUNG MENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF METROPOLITAN MILWAUKEE INC
161 W Wisconsin Ave 4000, Milwaukee, WI 53203 ymcamke.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: The Y is the nation's leading nonprofit committed to strengthening communities through Youth Development, Healthy Living and Social Responsibility.

The YMCA is a volunteer non-profit organization that strengthens the foundation of community through our mission to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.

Youth Development - The Y 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 can achieve. At the Y, youth develop values and refine skills that lead to more positive relationships with peers, better health, and increased educational success. Programs such as Achievers, Early Childhood Education, Day Camp, Resident Camp, and School Age offer a range of experiences that actively promote cognitive, social, physical, and emotional growth. Our programs seek to create confident kids today who will be contributing, engaged adults tomorrow. All of resident camp's adventure and learning activities provide both challenging learning environments and optimal conditions that include time devoted to reflection, spiritual awareness, and physical maturation. This time devoted to self-growth and maturation takes place in an unplugged environment far away from city life. In addition, school groups and classrooms during the non-summer months visit resident camp to learn about our environment and everyone's connection to the ecosystem from skilled guides and counselors. The environmental education instruction teaches youth to actively use our natural spaces and to always strive to adopt sustainable practices. Our overnight camp also runs a successful three-year Leaders in Training (LIT) program for those teens who want to continue working to further their outdoor skills and leadership abilities. Many LIT youth become Camp Counselors once they complete the program. At Day Camp, all youth experienced firsthand the Y's Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (HEPA) standards which encourages nutritious food, at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day, no sugary drinks, and minimal screen time. Most of the summer Day Camps, Wrap Programs, and our Northside Y's summer youth program were Summer Food Service Provider (SFSP) sites and distributed free lunch and dinner to campers. Because they were "open sites", anyone in the community under 18 years of age could participate, whether or not they took part in Y youth programming. Day Camp youth also practiced their math and reading skills in almost every program activity. The Early Childhood programs at the Northwest Early Childhood Center and Northside Y have both retained five-star ratings (the highest possible) from Wisconsin's YoungStar childcare rating system.. Financial assistance was available for those preschool families who could not afford to pay through the Wisconsin Shares Childcare Subsidy and program scholarships made possible in large part through United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County support. Our Early Childhood Education and School Age programs are staffed with people who understand standard developmental milestones and encourage the optimal cognitive, physical, and social development of participating children and youth. Our Y centers and youth development programs give parents and family members the peace of mind to go to work each day knowing their children will keep learning and will be spending time in safe, stimulating, and productive environments. The Y often is the starting point for youth to learn about the importance of staying active and developing healthy habits: traits we hope they'll practice at home, in school, and within their local communities. The benefits of Y Youth Development programs are far more than just physical health. Through the Miracle League of Milwaukee, kids of all abilities were part of an organized baseball team and each week swung a bat, fielded a ball, and exceled before family, friends, and community volunteers. Whether it's gaining the confidence that comes from learning to swim or building positive relationships from sports and teamwork, Y youth development programs center on the growth of the whole child rather than categorizing youth who participate in our youth development programs as winners or losers. The Y served more than 6,000 children, infants through teens during FY 2019. Because of the Y, more young people in neighborhoods across Milwaukee knew the importance of always acting in a socially responsible manner. The Y's highly regarded summer Day Camp was held at five locations Northwest, Rite-Hite, Parklawn, Maple Dale, and Wilson Park sites, along with a free bus pickup at several other locations. Campers were part of a proprietary Character Development Learning Institute project aimed to build social-emotional competencies. In FY 2019, the Northside and Northwest Early Childhood Education centers again served infants and toddlers from low-income families through the federal Early Head Start Program under a sub-grant from Next Door (the local grantee) More than 75 high school students, many from Milwaukee public schools, were supported through the Achievers program during the school year. One Hundred percent of YMCA Achievers seniors graduated from High School in 2019, and 100% went on to a two or four year college or to enlist in the armed services. Camp Minikani, an overnight camp 30 minutes away from Milwaukee, served 2,672 kids and teens in the summer of 2019. Camp enrollment has grown more than 50% in the past 13 years. In August, YMCA Camp Minikani celebrated 100 years of serving youth. Providing an accessible and inclusive environment at camp is critical to Camp Minikani's mission. During the school year, another 8,000 children, mostly from school groups, came to Camp Minikani for environmental education or to experience the High Ropes Course which challenges participants to grow their leadership competencies. We provided more than $117,000 in scholarships and subsidies so children and teens from underserved families could attend YMCA Camp Minikani in 2019. The subsidy program benefited 168 youth, with 58 receiving full scholarships. Day Camp helped address summer learning loss for 966 children, helping them stay active, eat healthy, and keep growing academically and socially while learning moral principles. Over the entire year, the Y distributed 100,000 free meals to youth under 18 years of age in our youth development programs through either the Summer Food Service Provider Program and the Child and Adult Care Food Program. More than $71,000 in Y-sponsored scholarships allowed nearly 300 youth from low-income families to attend. Our School Age program provided a safe and nurturing environment at 26 sites where youth could develop self-esteem and learn the four core values (caring, honesty, respect and responsibility) of the YMCA. The program each week served 750 students before school and 1,300 students after each school day ended. The Y's early learning centers served 212 youth birth-to-five years of age through a variety of state licensed full-time and part-time programs. During its ninth year of operation, Miracle League in 2019 had 100 summer season participants, more than 200 volunteers, and 48 All Star Game participants. Two Milwaukee athletes even participated in the National Miracle League. These athletes came out to play ball on a custom-designed, universally accessible baseball diamond, located at the Northwest Early Childhood Center, which also features a zero-depth pool and an accessible playground. The Northwest Early Childhood Center also hosted Y Adaptive Summer Camp for 20 youth.

Healthy Living - At the Y, we know that healthy lifestyles are achieved through nurturing mind, body and spirit. Well-being and fitness at the Y are so much more than just working out. Beyond exercise facilities, the Y provides educational programs to promote smarter and healthier decisions. Community integrated health is the Y's effort to strengthen the linkages between traditional health care and community-based prevention strategies in order to help individuals prevent, delay, or live better with chronic conditions. Community Integrated Health benefits include: increased access to care, lowered costs, prevention and reduction of chronic disease, and reduced effects of some social determinants of health. To provide the highest level of quality, most of our healthy lifestyles programs are evidence-based and developed in collaboration with a variety of healthcare, academic, and community specialists. Our healthy lifestyles programming help people manage, control, and prevent chronic diseases, including Livestrong at the Y, an exercise training program for cancer survivors, which is led by caring trainers and supported by frontline staff. In addition, the Y runs programs for individuals living with Multiple Sclerosis, suffering from Parkinson's disease, or dealing with the after-effects of a Stroke. To expand on and complement the Y's long-standing expertise on exercise, the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee's health programming responds to community needs and changing demographics, including the growing number of older adults. Fitness center activities, group exercise, healthy lifestyle programming, and personal training offer important ways for people of any age to achieve their personal heath goals and reduce social isolation by developing bonds with their peers. Our centers are also places where all members of a family can take a break from outside social pressures and learn how to begin the difficult process of implementing behavioral lifestyle changes. We have a fundamental ambition to offer opportunities for every family we come in contact with to build stronger bonds, achieve greater work/life balances, and become more engaged within their communities. Through programs and activities like parent-child swim and preschool classes, Healthy Kids Day, and family fun nights, families grow closer and more connected. Personal trainers guide and support people from all starting points on their journey to a healthier lifestyle. The Y, Ascension Healthcare and the Walter Schroeder Aquatic Center opened the first ever YMCA healthy lifestyle village in the Milwaukee area on the site of the Rite-Hite Family YMCA in Brown Deer in 2009. Since opening, the shared space has offered a comprehensive set of services related to health and fitness, wellness education, family programming, and health screenings that serve Y members, Ascension Healthcare patients, and the community at large. Our overriding objective at the Y is for all of our members, but especially children, and staff to be as safe as possible at all time. We will make use of all available assessments and tools to assure that is the case. Nationally, 70% of African-American children, 58% of Hispanic children and 40% of white children have little or no swimming ability and are at risk of water-related injury or death. Not only does Safety Around Water work to eradicate this most preventable issue, this program also helps vitalize a community that can truly experience the joy of swim. The Y charged each participant a minimal participation fee ($5 with a maximum cost of $10 for a family) and subsidized 95% of the program costs. We do so because of the overall importance of this issue and the Y's historic expertise in providing best in class swim lessons. All Safety Around Water children receive healthy snacks at the end of each swim lesson to promote healthy eating and good nutrition. Children with special needs were welcome in the program and received individual instruction to ensure their success. In 2018, the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee partnered with Kettle Moraine YMCA to offer the Diabetes Prevention Program at Marquette University, launched Moving for Better Balance, and completed training for Enhance Fitness. Through Active Older Adults and Silver Sneakers, the Y helps seniors maintain a healthy lifestyle and strengthen social ties by providing spaces for people to gather, engage in specially-designed exercise classes, and go on outings to unique cultural attractions. Our overriding objective at the Y is for all of our members, but especially children, and staff to be as safe as possible at all time. We make use of extensive staff training and all available assessments and tools to ensure that is the case. Nationally, 70% of African-American children, 58% of Hispanic children and 40% of white children have little or no swimming ability and are at risk of water-related injury or death. Not only does Safety Around Water work to eradicate this most preventable issue, this program also helps vitalize a community that can truly experience the joy of swim. The Y charged each participant a minimal participation fee ($5 with a maximum cost of $10 for a family) and subsidized the full enrollment cost for 90% of participants through private and public funding. We do so because of the overall importance of this issue and the Y's historic expertise in providing best in class swim lessons for more than 100 years. All Safety Around Water children receive healthy snacks at the end of each swim lesson to promote healthy eating and good nutrition. Children with special needs were welcome in the program and received individual instruction to ensure their success. In 2019, the Y became recertified for hosting the Diabetes Prevention program and launched Moving for Better Balance and EnhanceFitness along with completing the training for Healthy Weight and Your Child. Through Active Older Adults and Silver Sneakers, the Y helped seniors maintain a healthy lifestyle and strengthen social ties by providing spaces for people to gather, engage in specially-designed exercise classes, and go on outings to unique cultural attractions.

Social Responsibility - The Y, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, opens its doors seven days a week by providing needed and life-enhancing programs for infants, children, families, seniors, and those with special needs throughout the city. And today we go beyond our four walls to bring services into the community to meet the people who need us most, where they are. The Y's priority on the city of Milwaukee seeks to strengthen residents and neighborhoods across the area, and our goal remains firmly at the forefront of our work - every day of the year. The generosity of others is at the core of the Y's survival as a nonprofit. It is primarily due to the leadership and commitment of volunteers who give of their time and talent and donors that provide the financial resources that the Y can continue to impact our community like it has continuously done since 1858. More than 300 volunteers served on our executive and center boards, provide support to our staff, and mentor, coach, and guide thousands of youth in our programs like Achievers. Through affordable pricing and membership scholarships, we ensure that all people have access to the Y. The YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee is committed to positioning the Y as a community convener and collaborator to address critical social issues which includes collaborations / partnerships, volunteer experiences, advocacy, community bridge building, and neighborhood engagement. Community service projects, special events like the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast Celebration, Martin Luther King Youth Engaged event, Healthy Kids Day, Health Fairs, and corporate wellness programs. All of these special events allowed us to broaden the scope of our mission and serve as a gathering place in neighborhoods where a Y branch is located or where we have formed a partnership, thereby allowing us to be a "Y without walls". The Y in its Workplace Wellness program collaborated with companies to help their employees adopt and sustain behaviors that reduce health risks, improve quality of life, and enhance personal effectiveness, as well as benefiting the business's profitability. More than $600,000 in membership and program scholarships were provided in FY 2019 to thousands of Milwaukee area children and adults with a safe, positive environment to have fun, spend quality time with each other, and live healthier. To help create a safe and memorable Wisconsin summer experience for children and families, the Y's Safety Around Water in 2019 had 1,103 children register and 5,683 touch points (classes attended), teaching invaluable drowning prevention skills. Aquatics programming throughout the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee helped an additional 2,500 youth gain beginning, intermediate, and advanced swimming skills. In FY 2019, the Y was supported by program and policy volunteers who contributed 10,230 hours of their time and talent, which is equivalent to $260,14l8 of inkind value. The work of these volunteers helped the Y to deliver on its mission and to reach even further into surrounding communities. In FY 2019, the Y lived out its promise as a Diversity, Inclusion, and Global (DIG) equity Y committed to creating, strengthening, and replicating practices that bring about greater community cohesion, address social determinants of health, and promote social equity. The diversity of our changing communities is reflective in the way we conduct all our business including the recruitment of board leaders and staff, and a volunteer Social Responsibility Committee provides input to how the Y can truly be "for all".

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