Offering Alternatives
As Executive Director of the largest service provider in Southington, John Myers sees a lot of need in the community. Established in 1928, the YMCA (Y) serves 8,500 members annually through health and wellness programs, childcare, youth development, senior citizen services, and family activities.
“We’re always trying to find the funds to meet these needs,” says Myers. “Thankfully, organizations like the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain enable us to provide a range of important services.”
“Early on, we learned that the Foundation valued the work we did in the community,” says Myers. “It was nice to get into conversa¬tions that were meaningful right away.”
This relationship began when the Community Foundation awarded two grants to the Y in 2001. The first was to support the organiza¬tion’s capital campaign and was structured as a challenge grant, which created an opportunity to leverage the Foundation’s dollars to attract new donors to the Y.
Another grant was issued later that year for the “Y in the Afternoon” program, which brings the Y to at-risk neighborhoods during after-school hours when children are often unsupervised. “It’s scary what those kids can get into without adult supervision,” says Myers, whose goal is to provide positive role models and alternative activities.
In September 2004, the Foundation awarded a grant to support the Y’s teen programs. This diverse array of programs, costing more than $45,000 annually to operate, includes the Leadership Club for middle and high school students; Tw-Y-Light Zone, Friday night gatherings for teens; volunteer and community service clubs; the Y’s Youth & Government program; a Teen Fitness Camp; and scholarships to the Y’s Camp Sloper in Southington.
Myers says the teen programs are an important component of the Y’s community service mission. “Our goal here is to provide both traditional and creative ways to enrich the lives of area teens in any way we can.”
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