SO MANY REASONS WHY THE Y 2019 Impact Report YMCA OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT® FOR HEALTHY LIVING FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY2 Dear YMCA Friends, The YMCA of Greater Indianapolis exists to make Indianapolis a stronger and healthier community. We do this by coming together to bring awareness, support and resources to help people of all walks of life grow in spirit, mind and body. At its core, this is the “why” of the Y and, in 2019, we expanded on our “why” with continued growth and celebration of the impact of our mission. For example, in February our Ransburg Center celebrated 60 years of service and impact. This celebration featured a look back at the role the Center has played in responding to some of the most critical needs on the eastside and reaffirmed our commitment to continuing the growth and impact of the Ransburg YMCA. In addition, we celebrated the growth of the OrthoIndy Foundation YMCA. This facility and its one-of-a- kind partnership with the Veterans Administration is the fulfillment of a decades-long commitment to build a new YMCA in a majority minority neighborhood. In its first full year of operation, the facility exceeded all expectations and served more than 10,000 members! Throughout this annual Impact Report you will read examples of the mission of the YMCA at work in our community. Through our 12 Centers, overnight camp and over 100 program sites, we are focused on responding to community needs and delivering innovative solutions that support community health and well-being. In 2019, you also welcomed a new Board Chair and a new President and CEO. For both of us, it has been a great honor to serve the community and work together to build on the success of our Association. The YMCA is a volunteer-founded and volunteer-led organization, and we appreciate the vital role you play in supporting the success of our community. Thank you for your leadership and thank you for your service. Together, we can and will do so much more! Tom Denari Board Chair, YMCA of Greater Indianapolis Derrick Stewart President & CEO, YMCA of Greater Indianapolis FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT® FOR HEALTHY LIVING FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY3 THE YMCA OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit,mind and bodyfor all. O U R M I S S I O N On the front cover: Ransburg YMCA preschoolers entertain at the Center’s 60th anniversary celebration.4 • The new Indy Aquatic Alliance hosted the first-ever Indy Water Safety Week in June. The collection of sports, swimming and recreation organizations offered free water safety programs and swim events at 30 locations throughout the week to help prevent child drownings. Six YMCA locations hosted a 4-day course on safety around water. • Thanks to an Experiential Grant from the Indiana Department of Education, the Intercollegiate YMCA partnered with Jameson Camp to take 30 kids from the Laurelwood community on their first overnight camping trip. • The Fishers YMCA hosted half a dozen ex- NFL players, including Super Bowl champ and former Colts special teams captain, Cliff Crosby, and Chukie Nwokorie (Colts DE 99-02), for the first-ever Indy Breakfast Club, a nation-wide program of The Trust powered by the NFLPA. • With the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis as the backbone, the Top Ten Coalition of over 100 organizations reported in August that Marion County residents improved in two key health outcomes: 1) increased physical activity in adults, and 2) decreased tobacco use. • Healthy Weight and Your Child launched in June. The goal of this 15-week program is to bring families together to focus on setting goals for healthy eating and physical activity. The program focuses on children ages 7-13 at or above the 95th percentile for BMI, along with their parents. Family sessions include time for physical activity as a group. • In November, as a way of showing appreciation for our nation’s heroes, the Benjamin Harrison YMCA hosted its “Breakfast for the Brave” H IG H L IG H T S Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Frank Reich shared an inspiring message of faith, family and football at the YMCA’s 51st Annual Good Friday Breakfast on April 19 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom. Nearly 900 guests were in attendance to hear Coach Reich speak about his own Y experience growing up and his journey in faith and the NFL. 5 The Harper J. Ransburg YMCA opened in 1959. In celebration of its 60 year anniversary, a luncheon kicked off in February with special guest speaker Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, shown here with Ransburg YMCA Executive Director Nancy Short. Many others joined the celebration, including emcee Debby Knox (WISH-TV), and IMPD District Chief Craig McCartt. fundraising event. The money raised helped support Veteran and Active Duty Military programs and memberships. • All twelve area YMCAs collected new toys for the 19th Annual YMCA Toy Drive presented by Tom Wood Automotive Group. As a result of this team effort, more than 1,000 families and over 3,000 children received gifts and toys to help make their holidays a little brighter. • eGym launched at the Fishers YMCA, with state-of-the-art technology that adjusts to the user’s personal settings. Members are able to reap the benefits by taking the guesswork out of strength training, while at the same time making it easy to stick to a routine and keeping workouts fun! The specialized equipment was also expanded to the Irsay Family YMCA at CityWay, with plans to launch at the Baxter YMCA and Ransburg YMCA in early 2020. YOUTH & ADULT SPORTS • VETERAN SERVICES • CHILDCARE In June, the Y-Achievers Scholarship Luncheon recognized college-bound students and awarded $15,500 in scholarships for tuition, books and care packages for school. Nicholas Ford is the 2019 Y-Achiever of the Year. Nicholas is a graduate of Bishop Chatard High School and has been involved with the Y for several years as a volunteer at the Avondale Meadows YMCA in the wellness center, and at the Annual YMCA Holiday Toy Drive. Nicholas is attending Marian University, where he is majoring in exercise science, and will pursue a minor in pastoral leadership.6 • The Baxter YMCA hosted a Little Red Door Youth Camp for children who have been affected by cancer. • The Ransburg YMCA expanded relationships with Warren Central High School’s Athletic Department by adding a volleyball academy and tennis lessons to its sports offerings. They worked with varsity coaches in both sports, and participants received a high quality experience with first class instruction. • A 6-week Military Readiness Boot Camp was designed for people wanting to challenge themselves both physically and mentally. This high intensity interval workout used exercises focused on functional fitness: tire carry, sled variations, ball toss and more. Military standard assessments were given to each participant to measure their fitness gains. • Move for Better Balance was on-boarded. This 12-week Tai Chi based program helps participants improve balance and stability, memory and cognition, muscle strength, self-confidence, flexibility, and mental and emotional wellbeing. • The YMCA convened a group of stakeholders and used a lens of health equity to discuss an inclusive trauma informed approach to support the mental health needs of the community. The approach focused on three key areas: physical activity for mental wellness, developing resilience and building protective factors. • One on One Yoga allowed clients to meet with a 200+ hour certified instructor to help lay the foundation of a good yoga practice. Participants learned to realign and feel more comfortable in their own body. PROGRAMS FOR EVERYONE YMCA Day Camp activities helped 6,473 children enjoy their BEST. SUMMER. EVER. 7 • The Little Black Dress weight loss program was started at the Ransburg YMCA to provide nutritional and meal preparation information, personal training and group support for women. • Tri Training prepared participants for the Eagle Creek Triathlon in August. The class ran for 7 weeks, meeting 3 days a week with each day focusing on a different sport: swimming, running and biking. • Sweat and Sip, an off-site group exercise event, was held at a local brewery. Yoga, Body Attack, Zumba and Turbo Kick classes were offered to the community. Participants stayed after class for a sip of their favorite beverages and to build relationships. • A Mobility Clinics was led by a certified personal trainer who covered the importance of deep stretching to improve mobility at any age. Americorps members serve lunch at the Intercollegiate YMCA overnight camping experience. C L A S S E S • E V E N T S • C A M P S The YMCA of Greater Indianapolis offered traditional, sports and enrichment camps at nearly 30 locations around central Indiana, as well as overnight adventures at the Flat Rock River YMCA Camp. Here, young campers are enjoying some cooling pool time during the hot summer!8 ON A PERSONAL NOTE Improving Health while Making Friends Before retiring at age 67, Paula was sedentary. She often sat at a desk and in a car 10-11 hours daily. Lack of exercise and almost no physical activity led her to chronic asthma, arthritis, high blood pressure and weight gain. Due to pain in her hands from arthritis, Paula had to give up her hobbies of crocheting and sewing. That’s when she knew she needed to make a lifestyle change. FINDING A NEW ROUTINE Shortly after retirement, Paula joined the Hendricks Regional Health YMCA as a SilverSneakers® member through her insurance. Because she was new to exercise, she started with cardio and strength equipment, but was not enjoying her workouts or seeing progress. After talking with friends, she decided to add Arthritis Water Aerobics to her routine. Soon after consistently attending classes, she noticed that her endurance had improved and, best of all, her hands felt better and she could pursue her hobbies again. YOU CAN DO THIS! Encouraging words of “you can do this!” and “this is your class!” from instructors kept her motivated, and she fell in love with water aerobics. She can now participate in more intense classes such as Shallow Water Aerobics and Aqua Zumba. Getting in better physical condition has paid off in many ways for Paula. She rarely needs to use an inhaler for asthma, her blood pressure has normalized, she can keep up with her friends and she lost 50 lbs! Last, but certainly not least, Paula has made new friends with other members and the YMCA staff. “All I can say is THANK YOU! You have literally saved my life! I will always be grateful!” HEALTH & WELLNESS • COMMUNITY • MOTIVATION9 Y Scholarships Inspire Mission to Serve The Y-Achievers Program assists youth and teens with tools that lead to higher education. Participants have the opportunity to learn about career planning, college options (post-secondary education), vocational training programs, the college enrollment process, and financial aid and scholarships. David Ramirez is a 2018 graduate of The Excel Center Meadows, operated by Goodwill Industries of Central and Southern Indiana. He is currently enrolled in an apprenticeship called the Association Builders and Contractors (ABC) Indiana/Kentucky Chapter. After completing the 4-year apprenticeship, graduates who pass the final exam will earn their Journeyman’s Card. “The ABC program allows me to learn in a classroom setting, as well as through hands-on training. The hands-on process will prepare me for what I can expect out in the field daily and it also pays hourly. While being an apprentice, the money I earn will be used to purchase any tools I need for daily tasks and provide for my living expenses as I become a responsible adult. The company also provides opportunities to work with people of all age groups to see how everyone works differently, but ends with the same outcome. The education along with the skills I am receiving every week are things that will stick with me, and I will use every day of my career. I want to thank the YMCA for my scholarship which is helping me pursue my career goals without taking on large amounts of debt. Because I grew up in an area that didn’t expect a lot from me, I know the importance of giving back to better serve young people today. I can say the YMCA helps me in my mission to serve my community.” TEEN LEADERSHIP • SCHOLARSHIPS • LEARNINGNext >