Monthly Monday Mission Update: Summer at the Y: More Than a Place to Go
As students across our region head back to school, I’ve been reflecting on what summer has meant for the thousands of young people and families we serve.
For kids, summer at the Y meant time to explore, make friends, discover new interests and simply have fun. For working parents, however, the Y was a comforting answer to a practical question: Where will my children go while I’m at work and can I afford it?
That challenge is increasingly common. Here in Maryland, approximately 72% of two-parent families with children have both parents in the workforce (my wife and I are in that majority). That makes access to safe, affordable and enriching summer experiences more important than ever.
This summer, over 4,000 young people attended Y camp or a Y summer enrichment program, spending their days swimming, playing, learning, building friendships and discovering what they’re capable of. And because we believe a family's financial circumstances shouldn't determine whether a child gets to experience camp, many of those campers received financial support funded by our Send a Kid to Camp donors.
Of course, summer support at the Y extends well beyond camp.
For 17-year-old Daylin, this summer was about taking an important step toward independence and her future.
Daylin came to the Y through New Horizons II, our workforce development program serving youth experiencing housing insecurity. Now in its 28th year, New Horizons II provides young people with academic support, life-skills training and paid, real-world work internship experiences. This summer, 24 young people across Baltimore City participated in the program.
Daylin interned with the Y’s Development team hoping to earn money, strengthen her communication skills and gain professional experience. What she found was an opportunity to do all three, and to see the Y she had known since childhood in an entirely new way.
As a young child, Daylin's primary experience at the Y was in Stay & Play at the Y in Parkville while her parents exercised. Years later, she returned as a Development intern and discovered the breadth of the Y's work in communities across the region.
During this past summer, Daylin learned how to read grant applications, write professional emails and communicate effectively in a workplace. She also discovered an unexpected interest in philanthropy.
By the end of the summer, she said she felt more comfortable conducting herself in a professional environment and had successfully reached the goals she set when she entered the program. Click here to read Daylin’s story.
Daylin at the New Horizons II Graduation Ceremony
That's what a summer at the Y can do.
For one child, it may mean learning to swim. For another, making a new friend at camp. For a working parent, it can mean knowing his or her child is safe, engaged and cared for. And for a teenager like Daylin, it can mean walking into a first job and beginning to imagine what's possible for her future.
Across our Youth Development programs and Y Family Centers, we serve more than 70,000 young people. That’s not a misprint! The programs may look different, but the purpose behind them is the same: surrounding young people with caring adults, meaningful experiences and opportunities to learn, grow and thrive.
As another summer has come to a close, I’m grateful to everyone who has helped make that possible: our associates, volunteers, donors, partners and families.
And even though all summers eventually come to an end, the impact of a summer well spent will last much longer.
All the best,
John K. Hoey
President & CEO