Nearly $16,000 raised as Y staff and volunteers come together for triennial gathering
Over 3,000 YMCA staff and volunteers attended the Y’s General Assembly of YMCAs two weeks ago in Anaheim. Over the course of the four-day conference, attendees raised almost $16,000 to directly support the Anaheim Family YMCA.
As a leading nonprofit committed to strengthening the community, the Y strives to nurture the potential of youth, improve the nation’s health and wellbeing and give back and support neighbors. As part of this commitment, Y staff and volunteers were asked to donate directly to the Anaheim Family YMCA to support its work to close the opportunity gap and make the Anaheim Y’s programs available to all children—regardless of their address or ability to pay.
“We were thrilled to be the host city for General Assembly 2019 and honored to receive the collective donation from attendees,” said Rick Martens, Ed.D, President and CEO of the Anaheim Family YMCA. “This donation helps ensure that our programs are available to anyone here who needs them.”
Attendees were also able to participate in two community service projects during their time in Anaheim. Well-maintained outdoor public spaces can boost a community’s sense of health and wellbeing and encourage social interaction and activity. With that in mind, a group of YMCA staff and volunteers worked at Betsy Ross Park to help remove trash, decorate the fence with put-in-cups and make other small improvements to the space. A second group worked to create a new mural that will welcome community members to the new Anaheim Family YMCA Sports Complex.
The General Assembly of YMCAs gathers Y staff and volunteers from around the U.S. and provides a forum for networking, inspiration and education, along with a celebration of the passion these staff and volunteers bring to their work in the nearly 2,700 Y facilities that touch more than 10,000 communities nationwide.
“Our time in Anaheim was a spirited celebration of the power and potential of Ys throughout this country to create the change makers we need for the communities we all want to live in,” said Kevin Washington, President and CEO of YMCA of the USA. “General Assembly is always a powerful reminder of the Y to positively impact lives and strengthen communities.”
