Published in the February 17 – March 1, 2016 issue of Morgan Hill Life
Let’s put a spotlight on the positive impact the Mt. Madonna YMCA has on the Morgan Hill community. With a base in our city’s Centennial Recreation Center, this popular nonprofit organization is focused on helping individuals of the South Valley community to learn, grow and thrive. This in turn supports a high quality of life in the region.
The benefits coming from the many YMCA activities and programs are tremendous in ensuring a better life for all. From social advocacy to food security, disease prevention, swim lessons and dance class, the YMCA plays an important role in strengthening the Morgan Hill community. It also works in some of our schools, such as programs at P.A. Walsh STEAM Academy.
The Mt. Madonna YMCA focuses on youth development. It believes every child deserves an opportunity to discover his or her individual strengths and learn what they can achieve in life. Learning and development is a part of the Y’s core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. Child care is one aspect of this focus — and it’s much more than just looking after kids. It’s about nurturing their development by providing a safe place to learn foundational skills. At the Mt. Madonna YMCA child care center, children receive a healthy snack, work on homework, participate in an outdoor activity and enjoy curriculum-based, life-enriching activities. Swimming lessons, sports and playtime — as well as overnight and day camps — for youngsters are also fun ways the Y promotes physical activities and health.
We at Morgan Hill Life are particularly impressed that the Mt. Madonna YMCA runs a summer learning program that gives young people the chance to improve their core reading, writing and math skills. One mother wrote the YMCA a testimonial letter describing how she saw a change in her son after six weeks:
“Danny gained a wonderful outlook on people and the world around him. The biggest change in Danny was he has developed a desire to read. He never had that before. I listen to him now and I see what an improvement he has made over the six weeks in this program. Danny also met a very nice boy through the program who has not only become one of his best friends, but is also teaching him to speak a bit of Spanish.”
Another focus of the YMCA is healthy living. The organization helps individuals and families build and maintain healthy habits in their everyday lives to enhance their spirit, mind and body. Its work to improve the health and well-being of children and adults of all age groups helps make Morgan Hill so much stronger.
But being healthy means more than just being physically active. It’s also about maintaining a balanced spirit, mind and body. The Y is a place where residents can work toward that balance by challenging themselves to learn a new skill or hobby, building connections with friends through lifelong learning programs, or bringing loved ones closer together through many family-centered activities. At the Mt. Madonna YMCA, it’s not about the activity people do as much as it is about the benefits of living healthier both mentally and physically.
Social responsibility is a third component of the local YMCA’s mission. The organization keeps its doors open to everyone. It especially works to support those who urgently need assistance the most but are financially not able to pay for that help. This spirit of service enhances the character of our community.
The Mt. Madonna YMCA is here day-in and day-out to provide the resources our community needs to address the most pressing social issues, including child welfare, education and public health.
Despite the efforts by the Mt. Madonna YMCA, challenges still face many individuals and families in our community. The parents of families struggling financially find it difficult to spend quality time with their children. These children, in turn, can often face seemingly insurmountable learning gaps because they are not getting the support they need to reach their full potential. And senior citizens on limited budgets often face a day where they don’t know if they will get enough healthy food — and social companionship — to enhance the quality of their lives. The Mt. Madonna YMCA can be a pillar in providing support to these people.
At the start of every year, the YMCA has a fundraising campaign where volunteers seek the financial support of members of the community. From money raised in the 2015 campaign, donors helped ensure that 36,958 meals were served to senior citizens, 492 children participated in summer programs, 922 children attended after-school enrichment programs, and 347 children received quality care.
The YMCA can’t do all this good work without the generosity of the community. This year the goal is to raise $209,000. “It’s a big goal, but we have so many people coming into the Y every single day wanting to be a part of our programs, and we accept them all, even if they can’t afford to pay the full price,” said Bobbi Jo Stevenson, who is on the fundraising committee.
The fundraising campaign closes this month, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to help out the YMCA. Visit www.ymcasv.org/mtmadonna and click on the “Give to the Y” button. Support the Mt. Madonna YMCA because it supports Morgan Hill.
