Volunteerism is at the heart of what drives the YMCA, and the agency wants an eclectic group to join the ranks so as many problems as possible in the area can be addressed.
The agency is preparing to launch its biggest drive to sign-up volunteers yet — beginning in early September — and would love to see the numbers reflect the community it serves.
“We are not just a gym and swim anymore … not so much your father’s YMCA,” Behrman said. “With the recent problems in the area involving heroin, drug overdoses, domestic violence, we want to help reach out and help address these issues.”
School projects and getting deeply entrenched in neighborhood initiatives to help a wide-range of residents is what the city can expect from the YMCA in the upcoming year.
Lindsey Mithoefer, director of communications for the YMCA, said the agency has some innovative projects in place.
“There are a whole array of projects we are doing,” she said. “We are trying to bring all of our resources together and figure out what kind of projects people want us to address — it can be a school, a church, rehabilitation project, a shelter for battered women, or just offering the classes that people need. We want the YMCA in each community to establish itself as an anchor institution in these communities.”
Ian MacKenzie-Thurley, executive director of the Fitton Center for Creative Arts, thinks the partnering of agencies like the YMCA and city decision makers will grow the area in the right way.
“You have to stop managing the decline,” he said. “You have to become part of the solution.”
That is exactly what Behrman and Mithoefer say the YMCA wants to do.
“I want to see parents and families come out and join and understand that volunteering is part of life,” Behrman said.
To enhance the volunteerism idea to the public, the September recruiting launch features a revamped Togetherhood Initiative. The idea now is to let every neighborhood within the city fall under the umbrella of a program designed to select, plan and create meaningful community service projects.
“This is a signature program of the YMCA nationally,” Behrman said. “We are recruiting volunteers to be a part of this big launch. We want all of these volunteers to come together and lead the projects that we will do in the city. We want the community to put together our service calendars. This is getting back to the roots of what the YMCA is — it is volunteer driven.”
A celebration event will be planned in October after the volunteer launch concludes.
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