The YMCA of the Triangle is woven into community

This article was written for our sponsor, Whitley Law Firm

For 165 years, the YMCA of the Triangle has strengthened the very foundations of the community through three areas of impact: youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. The Y is proud of its diverse community and remains passionate about being a positive force for good.

Across the Triangle, the YMCA operates 17 branches, three overnight camps and runs youth programs at over 100+ sites throughout the region. This allows the organization to offer a wide range of valuable programs to the community, including after-school tutoring, day camps, child care, and more.

"When you think about youth development, the YMCA is the largest provider of child care programs across the country. That could be anything from daycare to after-school or summer camps. The YMCA does significant work with teenagers, sports, and – everybody would guess – with swim lessons, swim teams, and teaching families and children about water safety," said Bruce Ham, CEO of the YMCA of the Triangle.

In the Triangle area, the YMCA runs over 100 after-school programs. Forty-five of these programs are referred to as Y Learning Programs. These programs are designed for students who have been identified by their school as needing additional assistance to meet school benchmarks. Thanks to donations to the YMCA’s Annual Campaign, at no cost to families, students participate in educational support programs, engage in fun activities, enjoy healthy snacks and receive transportation home.

In the summer, day camps reach more than 6,000 children per day. One specific summer program is called Camp Excel. "We operate seven locations throughout the Triangle. Thanks to donations and grants, campers participate at no cost, receive breakfast and lunch each day, an hour of academic support, swim lessons, and participate in traditional summer camp activities like sports and arts & crafts," said Ham.

Programs are also designed for a wide range of age groups, from younger children to teenagers. "We intentionally focus on social and emotional learning. We are finding through research that it's not only that academic portion of the school day that's critically important to building the whole child; it's all the other components that are related – having a role model in your life, having goals and having someone who cares for you outside of your family," added Ham.

Beyond youth-focused programming, much of the YMCA’s work is to improve health and wellness within the community. Programs include small-group exercise classes, evidence-based diabetes prevention and weight loss programs, classes for seniors, LIVESTRONG at the YMCA for cancer survivors, and blood pressure self-monitoring. The organization is also committed to being socially responsible, ensuring everyone feels like they belong. When populations or communities can’t come to a center or established location, the YMCA is known to bring programming to them.

To keep with that mission, that no one should be denied access to programs, much of the work is made possible through support from the community and corporate donors. Without that assistance, the organization could not continue delivering these important programs. "Finances should not be a barrier to being part of the YMCA of the Triangle. Donations to our Annual Campaign support our evidence-based health programs, educational support programs, youth programs and YMCA membership," said Ham.

Because of the importance of the organization within the local community, Whitley Law Firm strongly believes in providing support. "[We] really enjoy giving back to the YMCA, and community organizations like the YMCA, because we get to see first-hand in our own community what that does," said Ben Whitley.

And for community members who want to give back, there are many volunteer opportunities through the YMCA. These include a variety of opportunities such as reading to children during the school year, distributing food to neighbors, teaching swim lessons, coaching youth sports and more. To learn more, visit the YMCA of the Triangle at YMCATriangle.org.

This article was written for our sponsor, Whitley Law Firm