For a better you. For a better family. For a better Kansas City. YMCA OF GREATER KANSAS CITY 1 ABOUT THE YMCA OF GREATER KANSAS CITY OUR MISSION The YMCA of Greater Kansas City, founded on Christian principles, is a charitable organization with an inclusive environment committed to enriching the quality of family, spiritual, social, mental and physical well-being. OUR VISION People of all ages have access to the resources and experiences that provide safe passage through life’s many chapters ensuring a passport for life. OUR VALUES Character development gives us the ability to meet our mission. By holding ourselves accountable and building character around our core values—Caring, Honesty, Respect BUILDING A BETTER US and Responsibility—we build healthy spirit, mind and body for all. From advocacy to education, disease prevention to sports for all abilities, swim lessons to after school programs, the OUR CAUSE Y fills the gaps where society falls short. With the support of generous donors, volunteers and Strengthening Communities partners, the Y strives to give every person and every community the chance to be healthy and thrive, to connect Youth Development—Nurturing the with others, and contribute to a better community. potential of youth and teens. The best way to see the impact is through the stories of Healthy Living—Improving the people who have been part of some of our life-changing community’s health and overall well-being. programs. Read on to learn more about how individuals and families of Social Responsibility—Giving back and all ages are growing stronger at the Y every day. providing support to our neighbors. For a better you. For a better community. For a better country. KansasCityYMCA.org 2 YMCA of Greater Kansas City 3 FOR INSPIRING STORIES To address growing obesity From career exploration to rates and inactivity levels among college tours, the Young Hispanic and Latino families, the Achievers program helps teens Y offers Salsa, Sabor y Salud—a reach their fullest potential. Spanish, culturally based program. Amanda shares how the Find out how it helped one mom program provided her support change her lifestyle. and helped her dream bigger. 10 16 Thousands of families find Drowning is the second leading support from before and after cause of accidental death in school programs and summer children ages 1-14. Learn about a day camps every year. Read partnership that strives to change about how Y Club is providing this statistic by equipping kids like one family education, Silas and Harry with the swim and resources and peace of mind. safety skills they need to stay safe in the water. 12 18 The YMCA’s Diabetes For 10 years, the YMCA Prevention Program helps Challenger program has given adults at high risk of developing young people with physical, type 2 diabetes reduce their developmental and intellectual risk by taking steps to improve disabilities the opportunity stay their overall health and well- active and make friends. Meet being. Don shares his success. the Fraziers, one family who has benefited since the beginning. 14 20 DISCOVER › Our Impact › 6 Our Programs › 8 Our Financials › 22 Our Leadership › 24 Our Donors › 26 4 YMCA of Greater Kansas City 5 FOR COMMUNITY IMPACT Everything the Y does is in service of making us — as individuals and a community—better. FOR Y MEMBER CONNECTIONS MAKING AN 1,929,863 visits that 136,048 lives touched by the Y IMPACT members make to the Y through membership, programs, each year giving and volunteering Whether you’re volunteering your time FOR or making a WELL-BEING donation of money, goods or services to 52,611 children and teens stay 76,410 adults and seniors improve the Y, your gift active and learn new skills through their health and well-being through strengthens Y membership and programs Y membership and programs our community and advances our programs. FOR FUTURES 1,482 children prepare for 8,268 youth discover new skills and kindergarten in early learning friendship in before and after school and Head Start programs programs and summer day camps FOR COMMUNITIES 3,440 volunteers share their 4,592 donors help ensure time and talents with the Y to a brighter future through strengthen the community their gifts to the Y ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES 6 YMCA of Greater Kansas City All numbers are from 2015. 7 FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO THRIVE ADAPTIVE/CHALLENGER SPORTS Young people ages 4-30 with physical, developmental Kids as young as 3 have the opportunity to be active, build confidence, learn new and intellectual disabilities have the opportunity to build skills and make new friends in sports at the Y. Youth sports are a fun and engaging HERE confidence and friendships through sports and social way to learn important life lessons, including positive competition, fair play, the experiences in the YMCA’s Challenger program. Inclusive value of participation over winning, team-building, positive self-image and respect activities are adapted for all abilities. Participants are for others. FOR supported as needed by volunteer Buddies, who provide encouragement, assistance, safety and nurturing support. SUMMER DAY CAMP Y Summer Day Camps are full of learning, adventure, active play and friendship. A YOU BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL Y CLUB wide variety of camp experiences include field trips, swimming, reading, arts and With a focus on safety, health, social growth and academic more, to help kids stay active mentally and physically throughout the summer. We help kids and enhancement, our licensed Y Club before and after school Specialty camps range from sports and engineering to community service. families be their programs give kindergartners through sixth graders a safe, best selves and supportive and fun environment to learn, develop interests reach their greatest and make friends. Programs are offered at schools throughout SWIM potential through the metro, giving families added convenience. Swimming is a life skill as well as great exercise and a challenging sport. Ys offer a variety of high swim lessons for all ages starting with Parent/Child Lessons, youth swim clubs and teams, Masters Swimming for adults, a variety of water fitness classes, and impact programs CHRONIC DISEASE PREVENTION adaptive swim programs for kids with special needs, so we can all safely enjoy the that change lives. To help people manage and prevent chronic disease, we pleasures of an aquatic environment. Thanks to the provide classes, programs, health assessments and wellness generosity of donors, coaching. Opportunities include the Y’s healthy living program we are able to offer for cancer survivors, the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program VOLUNTEERISM financial assistance for people diagnosed with prediabetes, blood pressure The Y counts on generous volunteers who donate their time and talents to for program fees monitoring, and group exercise classes designed for people strengthen our community. Y volunteers provide direct support to programs, to make programs coping with arthritis and strokes. raise needed funds, support special events, and provide leadership by serving on Community Mission Boards and the Board of Directors. In addition, the accessible to those Y’s Togetherhood™ program gives members the opportunity to be part of in need. EARLY EDUCATION meaningful community service projects that benefit people and organizations in Our licensed early education programs provide infants through their neighborhood. preschoolers a nurturing environment where kids are safe and supported while learning, growing, making friends, and preparing for success in kindergarten and beyond. Programs YOUTH ENRICHMENT AND LEADERSHIP and locations include YMCA early learning centers, early To ensure every child has the opportunity to pursue a positive future, the Y education programs held in elementary schools, and Head offers a variety of enrichment and leadership activities. Programs include Young Start programs for families who meet income and eligibility Achievers to support teens to explore careers and prepare for college; Youth and guidelines. Government to give high schoolers hands-on learning about the legislative process; and Youth Volunteer Corps hosted by the Y, to promote a lifetime commitment of service among youth ages 11-18 through service learning and volunteering. HEALTHY LIVING PARTNERS We work with companies throughout our community to make our Y’s healthy living programs and support more accessible Y CENTERS to their employees. Companies and the Y partner to offer Centers throughout the metro support wellness and a sense of community for memberships to their associates and programs on site, all ages through membership and a range of programs and activities open to the such as health seminars, blood pressure measurements, and community. Programs for individuals and families vary from location to location, as diabetes prevention assessments and classes. centers tailor their offerings to the unique needs of the neighborhoods they serve. 8 YMCA of Greater Kansas City 9 FOR LIFESTYLE CHANGE Salsa, Sabor y Salud helps Hispanic families ralia never struggled with her weight. But as life presented her and her husband with the challenges of jobs, home ownership O and raising children, Oralia found her waistline expanding and her energy levels low. “I was still cooking and eating the traditional foods we loved, the beef tacos, stewed meats, tortillas. All foods high in fat and salt, and I wasn’t exercising. I got to 235 pounds.” A visit to her doctor was a turning point, when her physician told her she had blood pressure problems. “I’ll never forget because she asked ‘Do you care about your kids?’ and I thought, of course I do! Then she said, ‘Then you need to take care of yourself.’ I had never seen it quite that way before,” Oralia said. Oralia was ready to make a change, but wasn’t sure where to begin. Until one day she accompanied a friend to a local clinic and someone told her about the Y’s Salsa, Sabor y Salud The Gutierrez family found a positive and motivating environment at the Y.