Through its own facilities, programs and partnerships with other organizations, the YMCA of Grays Harbor has a big presence throughout the Grays Harbor County. Programming is currently offered in Quinault, Taholah, Ocean Shores, Wishkah, Shelton, McCleary, Elma, Cosmopolis, Westport, Aberdeen and Hoquiam. Pretty much the entire county is touched in some way by the Y.
One of the core principals of the YMCA is that it doesn’t turn anyone away for lack of ability to pay. On April 12, they launched their Annual Campaign to raise $200,000 for scholarships and programming this year.
The bulk of funds raised during the campaign go toward membership scholarships for those that couldn’t otherwise afford to join. In 2016, the YMCA averaged 82 requests per month for financial assistance. Thanks to the support of donors in our community, they were able to award $303,761 in youth and family scholarships and an additional $107,190 in assistance for adults and seniors. That means that 29% of the YMCA’s membership base received some type of scholarship assistance last year.
When asked why the Y is important to the Grays Harbor community, CEO Franzine Potts shared, “The biggest impact of the Y is being able to evaluate current community needs and address them through programs and outreach. Through our collaborations, we serve over 7,000 members, over 600 youth at camp each year, over 400 kids per day in after-school programming, over 100 youth from birth to five in early learning readiness programming, and over 120 in childcare, just to name a few.”
Roughly $15,000 of this year’s funding is earmarked for program scholarships, available to members and non-members alike. These scholarships provide opportunities for youth from around the county to participate in activities like youth sports. Beyond gaining specific technical and teamwork skills, youth participants are taught life skills through the Four Core Values of the YMCA: honesty, caring, respect and responsibility.
The YMCA of Grays Harbor’s free teen programming includes leadership programs for middle school and high school aged students. These programs help build self-confidence and leadership skills in youth from around the county.
The After School Program offered by the YMCA is a much needed option for many working families. They currently provide a safe place for over 400 kids per day after school. The annual campaign also makes it possible for the Y to provide free youth memberships to after school participants so they can take advantage of other program offerings. Through the after school and summer programming, the YMCA of Grays Harbor also works to combat childhood hunger and obesity. Last year, they provided over 44,000 snacks and over 24,000 meals to youth in Grays Harbor.
This year, the YMCA of Grays Harbor plans to designate a larger portion of funds raised to go toward “camperships” (aka scholarships) for kids to attend Camp Bishop. If they beat their overall $200,000 goal by at least $10,000, it would allow them to invest in additional program and facility enhancements at Camp Bishop.
At Camp Bishop, all youth in the community are welcome to participate. They learn life skills, build self-confidence and make positive youth-adult connections with counselors, something that all children need to thrive. Sessions are offered for Pioneer Mini Camp (Grades K-1) and Resident Camp (Grades 2-9).
At both Camp Bishop and through YMCA aquatics programs, youth learn the importance of water safety. According to Franzine, “Statistics show that 88% of kids who drown do so under adult supervision. In an area where we are surrounded by water, the YMCA taught more than 2,800 kids to swim in 2016.”
This year, the Annual Campaign is co-chaired by Abbi Quigg and Erik Kupka. Katie Snodgrass is stepping down as co-chair, after several amazing years of service. The volunteer team has decided on the theme of #sharekindness this year. Throughout the campaign, they will be sharing ways that the YMCA of Grays Harbor has facilitated the sharing of kindness throughout the community.
Franzine says, “My favorite thing about the Y is we are truly a bright spot in the community. We strive each day to meet people ‘where they are’ by being a ‘for all’ organization for all ages, for all genders, for all religions. At any given point in the day,” she continues, “you can walk into the facility and find groupings of individuals working together from all different economic status’, ages and demographics. We work to be the difference every day in a person’s life that they need to bring smile to their face, make them feel safe, give them a sense of well-being, teach them life lessons – whatever they need that day to address their entire well-being, staying true to the YMCA motto of for spirit, mind and body.”
The campaign will run through May 17. To learn more about the annual campaign, visit the YMCA of Grays Harbor online.
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