Y Talk: Advancing Our Cause by Cate Mellen

Did you know that the YMCA is one of the largest community service organizations in the United States? Collectively, American YMCAs employ more than 19,000 full-time staff (and thousands and thousands more part-time staff) and have the benefit of over 600,000 volunteers from all walks of life. We serve over 9 million youth and over 13 million adults each year in the U.S. The Carlisle Family YMCA is one of more than 2,700 YMCAs located in over 10,000 communities across the country. There is a YMCA in every U.S. congressional district.

That makes us a powerful voice to advocate for change across the country. We believe that everyone, regardless of age, income or background, deserves to be healthy, confident, connected and secure. And we work every single day to empower individuals, families and communities to learn, grow and thrive.

We Stand for Youth Development

Every day, the Y nurtures the potential of children and teens. In our Child Care program, in our Youth Sports and Aquatic programs, and in our Summer Camps, we help to provide guidance in safe spaces to allow children to discover who they are and what they can achieve. Soccer, basketball, swimming and other organized sports help children to learn cooperation and teamwork, as well as to develop healthy habits to last a lifetime. And our summer camps offer a liberating mix of independence and community unlike any other childhood experience.

We Stand for Healthy Living

Improving the health and well-being of our communities is a core area of focus for the Y. We offer our members dozens of free fitness classes every week, cardio equipment and weights in our Adult Fitness Center, use of the pool, gymnasium and racquetball courts and our new Functional Fitness Center. But we also offer an amazingly supportive community—we have members of every age, and every fitness level, who provide encouragement to each other as they work towards their fitness goals. We believe that being healthy is more than just being physically active—it’s about maintaining a balanced spirit, mind and body.

We Stand for Social Responsibility

We know that when we work together, we move individuals, families and communities forward. Since 1859, the Carlisle Family YMCA has responded to our community’s most pressing needs by developing innovative solutions and uniting people from all walks of life to participate in and work for positive social change. Through the generous support of our donors, sponsors and volunteers, we are able to make our programs available to those with the greatest need. We provide scholarships for many of our programs and for our Child Care Center, as well as income-based membership options. We also work with The Mentoring Project to help provide guidance to fatherless youth, and we were named a Darkness to Light “Partner in Prevention” for our work in training our employees in child abuse prevention. We collaborate with the American Red Cross, the Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank, the Bosler Memorial Library, Camp Koala, Project Share, and many, many more.

When you join the Carlisle Family YMCA, you’re not just joining a gym. You’re helping us to strengthen our community from the inside out in so many different ways, each and every day. Find out how you can help by contacting Cate Mellen, Development Director, at 717 243 2525 ext 203 or cmellen@carlislefamilyymca.org.