YMCA OF METROPOLITAN DALLAS
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Mission Statement
Founded in 1885, the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas operates 19 branches, an 800-acre resident camp, a 500-acre outdoor education facility/camp and 300 program sites across seven counties. The YMCA serves a diverse population and persons of all socio-economic levels. 70% of program participants are youth and 30% are adults. Over 300,000 members are part of our healthy, connected and secure community, and range in age from six weeks to 96 years of age. The YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas is constantly evaluating how we serve all of the communities in which we operate. The YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas has many community partnerships throughout the service area. YMCA branches have created partnerships with local independent school districts, churches, city governments and businesses to meet the various needs of families in the areas they serve.
About This Cause
Founded in 1885, the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas serves seven counties and operates 19 branch locations, two resident camps, and more than 300 program sites. We are committed to our cause: the Y is for youth development, healthy living and social responsibility; and are proud of being a cause-driven organization that strengthens the foundation of community. The mission of the YMCA is to put Christian values into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all. We take the "for all" piece seriously by offering all of our programs and facilities to anyone, regardless of their ability to pay. Within the walls of our branches, we transform lives; and what happens outside of our walls transforms communities, all through the generosity of individual and corporate community leaders and partners who financially support our work. The YMCA raises critical funds each year to support the YMCA's signature programs including Afterschool, which keeps kids safe and engaged during critical out of school hours; Youth & Government, a mock government program that not only teaches kids the workings of state government, but also creates a sense of belonging and sets students up for future engagement as responsible citizens; and Safety Around Water, a program including outreach swim lessons in apartment communities and helping all kids learn how to be safe around water. These funds support teaching children to swim, instilling confidence in youth, creating future leaders, enabling the Y to offer quality programs for all, and helping the community. The YMCA is constantly evaluating and adapting, where needed, how we serve communities. Our Apartment Swim program (formerly called Make a Splash) was born out of a 100-year history of teaching people how to swim, and now this history enables us to identify needs in our community where we can have the most impact. Over the years we have discovered that Hispanic and African American children learn to swim at far lower rates than their White peers. Not only that, but in Texas drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death among children ages one to four. African American children ages five-14 are three times more likely to experience a fatal drowning incident. The Y has therefore developed a curriculum of life-saving skills. During the summer of 2015 we conducted 155 8-lesson sessions at low-income apartment communities where we helped 4,111 at-risk youth learn basic water safety skills. During the summer of 2015 we mobilized YMCA instructors to visit 72 apartment communities, meeting children where they live, to ensure their safety. The Y has identified basic skills that kids would need to protect themselves if they were to fall into water. We test each of these skills once at the beginning and once at the end of each eight-class session. We hope to see the number of eight-class sessions increase to a total of 165 during the summer of 2016. Swim safety however, is not the only way the YMCA keeps children safe in our communities. National studies have proven that the most dangerous time for children is during the hours of 3-7 p.m. when children are alone after school and can engage in risky behaviors. Opportunities for risk-taking behaviors are also magnified during the out-of-school summer time. The YMCA is keeping children engaged and active during these critical out of school hours, while also addressing the academic achievement gap and STEM learning activities through our Afterschool program, which also includes summer day camp. The Y addresses a critical need for civic learning in our Youth and Government programs for middle and high school students. Texas has some of the lowest overall civic engagement rates of any state and we are determined to create a new generation of young citizens who value civic life and engage in it with exceptional moral character. The YMCA measures students with pre- and post-tests in the following areas: • Future Engagement - student intentions to be involved both politically and in their own communities when they graduate (includes items such as voting, volunteering, and working to solve community problems) • Civic Confidence - how confident students are that they have the skills to make a difference (expressing opinions to a group, contacting elected officials or media, writing opinion letters, etc.) • Time Spent Engaged- # of days per week students get news or political information from various sources (TV, radio, internet, etc.). Of course at the YMCA we are also committed to healthy bodies as well as healthy minds. For example, the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas is addressing higher diabetes rates among our Hispanic and African American populations. For our Salsa, Sabor y Salud outcomes, we hope to see a 50% increase in physical activity and healthy eating habits among participants. Our goals for our YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program are to see a 7% reduction in body weight and a gradual increase of 150 minutes of physical activity per week. We strive to reach the most people to build a healthy spirit, mind, and body. In all of our branches and camps, and even in our programs, an individual or family can walk in the door and be met where they are financially. The assistance we provide sometimes means the difference between being able to make healthy choices and not having the proper resources to choose a healthy lifestyle. No one is turned away from the YMCA for inability to pay. The work being done in 19 communities throughout our service area continues to change lives. Several of our branches are in economically challenged communities such as South Dallas, West Dallas and Irving. The needs of the residents in these communities are great and the YMCA is proud that we are viewed as a leader in youth and family programs. Along with the faith community, other agencies, and our important foundation and corporate partners, the YMCA plays a role in making sure that the communities with the greatest need have the right resources to keep their residents healthy in spirit, mind, and body.