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FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ® FOR HEALTHY LIVING FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 2022 Impact Report YMCA OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS MAKING A DIFFERENCE THAT MATTERS2 Gregg Hiland President & CEO, YMCA of Greater Indianapolis FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ® FOR HEALTHY LIVING FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Dear YMCA Friends, One of my key objectives in 2022 in my first full-year as President & CEO of the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis was to be more actively engaged with the community. The goal was to listen and hear how others view the Y and also understand how we can do a more effective job of telling our better story. What I heard from dozens of community leaders, and what I know is true, is that we do an awesome job of welcoming new members, teaching classes, working with kids and building relationships with senior members. Our staff and volunteers are incredible people who show up every day to live out our YMCA mission in the community. In 2022, we wanted to be even more intentional about getting our better stories around community outreach in front of the people who want and need to make meaningful changes in their lives. We were challenged this year to continue adapting to a new world on this side of the pandemic. Fortunately, we were also able to turn our attention back to the evolving needs of our local community by working on our strategic plan that will guide us through the next three years. As we launch into our strategic plan, it’s important to know that our vision is for a healthier, more equitable, and more connected community. We’re going to be hyper focused on positively impacting health outcomes, increasing access to education and career opportunities, supporting families & positioning youth for success, and expanding our charitable support by linking arms with those who have the same passion for this work. We’re committed to being a trusted community partner, and I believe the YMCA is uniquely positioned to provide hope and a pathway for people to thrive. Thank you to our donors, staff, and volunteers who have and continue to support the vision and mission of our association. We continue to strive to be one YMCA in 13 locations with further developments in Westfield coming soon! The input and feedback we have received from so many community leaders has greatly informed our future plan. We look forward to working together to serve our community in 2023 and beyond. 3 •Residents at an apartment complex on the northeast side of town experienced loss of water, leaks, mold and other hardships as we started the year. The nearby Jordan YMCA offered families without hot water a place to shower. •Ilyasah Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm X, delivered a stirring message on diversity, equity and inclusion at the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis Monster Meeting lecture series February 27 event held at the OrthoIndy Foundation YMCA. The Monster Meeting series focuses on racial reconciliation in Indianapolis and beyond. • The Y welcomed Michael C. Farris Jr. as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis in March. He came to Indianapolis from his position as Senior Director for Diversity and Inclusion at the YMCA of the USA in Chicago. Farris holds a bachelor’s degree from Grand Valley State University and a master’s degree from the University of Central Missouri. As COO, Farris will develop collaborative projects in the community and enhance the capacity of the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis as a mission-driven organization. • Also in March, the Westfield City Council pledged $5 million to help bring the Y one step closer to the goal of completing a best-in- class YMCA that will include a wellness center, basketball courts, demonstration kitchen, community gathering spaces, access to the Monon Trail and other amenities. It will also IMPACT provide an opportunity to continue to engage the community through programs currently operating, such as LIVE STRONG at the YMCA, the YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program, swim lessons and day camp. The new Y will connect to the previously constructed 35,000 square-foot Westfield Aquatic Center, which is managed by the YMCA. COMMUNITY4 •Since 2008, kids ages 6-16 from YMCAs across greater Indianapolis have come together for the YMCA All-City Basketball Tournament. “The All-City Tournament gives kids confidence and a sense of accomplishment,” says Coach Kevin Cornett. Since its inception, the tournament has impacted the lives of more than 8,000 kids. The Irsay Family YMCA at CityWay hosted this year’s event on March 18 and 19. •Vietnam Veterans were recognized by the Fishers Armed Services Commission at the Fishers YMCA on March 29. The public and their families were invited to honor veterans who served during the Vietnam War period. changed dramatically the day he found out that his son Bowen would be born with a rare heart condition. Matt shared his personal and passionate testimony about the blessings that came after God led him to step away from his band to spend more time at home with his family. •In April, the local Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs office held an LGBTQ+ veterans’ health fair at the Irsay Family YMCA at CityWay. Experts report LGBTQ+ veterans often face discrimination and are denied their benefits. At this health fair, various veterans’ organizations and health partners presented options to veterans for health care specific to their needs. •Former Pacers player Keifer Sykes returned on April 30 and hosted a free three-hour basketball camp at the Irsay Family YMCA at CityWay. The camp was made possible through Sykes’ Free 10 Foundation, which helps children who’ve been impacted by gun violence and mass shootings. •The YMCA of Greater Indianapolis hosted summer job fairs at the Jordan and Irsay Family YMCAs. Multiple positions were •The 53rd Annual YMCA Good Friday Breakfast took place in person April 15 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom for the first time since 2019. Grammy nominated artist Matt Hammitt was the special guest. Matt’s life 5 sought, with an emphasis on lifeguards and camp counselors. •On a beautiful Memorial Day morning at the Avondale Meadows YMCA, the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis hosted its first annual Memorial Day Hero Challenge. Through grit, sweat and determination, a proud group of participants remembered and honored our fallen heroes, one rep at a time. Additionally, the Avondale Meadows leadership team officially dedicated a new parking spot for our veteran members. •The Avondale Meadows YMCA partnered with Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana to distribute food to thousands of families in the community. The program ran from June 1 – August 31 and served 216,993 meals to 6,313 households with a value of over $466,000. Twenty organizations joined the Avondale Meadows community to make this outreach a success, including: Ivy Tech Community College, Marion County Election Board, Shepherd Community Center, Avondale Meadows YMCA, Indianapolis Public Schools/John Marshall and the Indianapolis public safety agencies. •From July 3–8, Flat Rock River YMCA Camp hosted a camping experience exclusively for children with parents who are veterans or active in the armed services, including the Reserves and National Guard. •The 33rd annual American Dairy Association Indiana Ice Cream Social took place Thursday, July 14, on Monument Circle in front of Hilbert Circle Theatre. A bevy of volunteers— including dozens of celebrity scoopers—dished up gigantic ice cream sundaes from five serving tents. All $5,000 raised (including tips) was donated to the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis. • The Witham Family YMCA was awarded $10,000 from Noblesville’s Ellinger Riggs Insurance. The company chose the YMCA because it’s a local organization that provides programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body. The donation will help the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program offer free courses for people under the age of 60—a significant preventative care benefit as Medicare only covers the cost for those over 60 years old. The donation will also benefit the Witham Y’s Safety Around Water campaign, which teaches children and their families basic swim skills, CPR training, rescue techniques and more to help prevent drownings. 6 the Fishers YMCA from BJ’s Charitable Foundation helped make it possible for over 2,100 families in our community to participate in transformational experiences. •Crew Carwash, an Indiana-based family business, partnered with the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis to raise funds for the future Ascension St. Vincent YMCA in Westfield. For the month of October, patrons of the Crew Carwash located on State Road 32 in Westfield were asked to consider an onsite donation to the Y. One hundred percent of the collected proceeds went directly to the fundraising campaign to build the new Y Center. “Thank you to the entire Crew Carwash team for their support in helping us bring our Y to Westfield,” Westfield YMCA Campaign Chair Mitch Frazier said. “We are honored to work with such an incredible Indiana-based family business that shares the Y’s commitment to well- being and community support.” •Community members were invited to attend a major milestone in the construction of the new state-of-the-art health and community center on the east side of Indianapolis. On Tuesday, Nov. 1, Eskenazi Health hosted a health fair and beam signing event at the Avondale Meadows YMCA. During the celebration, attendees had the opportunity to sign one of the structural beams that would eventually become part of the new Eskenazi Health Center on East 38th Street. Attendees also received free flu shots, health screenings and information and tips on disease prevention and health. •Witham Family YMCA staff and volunteers offered veterans free meals and gratitude Thursday, Nov. 10, a day before Veterans Day, at Memorial Park in Lebanon. This •Thanks to the generous support from donors, the Y Achiever Scholarship Recognition & Fashion Show event raised over $50,780 in October. Hosted in partnership with the Society of Diversity and other sponsors, the dollars raised will give more students the chance to earn secondary degrees and receive care packages. Y Achievers extends a sense of community to our youth and provides year-round programming to inspire high school students to achieve their goals. •The end of the outdoor pool season was a highlight for our furry friends at the Benjamin Harrison, Fishers, Hendricks Regional Health and Jordan YMCA’s Doggie Dip events. Some came to simply relax by the pools while most of the four-legged visitors splashed around in the cool water or retrieved tennis balls. •Our youth sports programs provide a safe environment for children so they can foster connections, develop healthy habits and growth on and off the field. In September, a donation to 7 was the sixth year the YMCA provided hot lunches to veterans in advance of Veterans Day. A group of children and adults waved American flags as veterans, young and old, left the line to shouts of “Thank you for your service!” •The YMCA of Greater Indianapolis was awarded healthy challenge funding by the Indiana State Department of Health, expanding our chronic disease prevention impact through the establishment of the Community Health Worker Model and hiring six community health workers. •We served 7,894 unique participants in youth sports. •We provided 40,780 swim lessons, serving 6,574 youth. •We served over 400 new members in personal training and Y+Studio. •In partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs, we launched the first overnight camp for veterans in the country, with 27 veterans participating. •The annual YMCA Holiday Toy Drive again brought smiles to children and families at a drive-thru event held on Dec. 17 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Thanks to donations from the community, the Y provided two to three toys each to approximately 3,000 children in need for the holiday season. The YMCA Holiday Toy Drive is in its 22nd year, bringing joy to over 55,000 children since it began in 2000.88 MEMBER “I love Senior Aerobics class (at the Avondale Meadows YMCA), especially since we now have it three days a week. Also enjoy book club for seniors.” “I have been a member at the Baxter YMCA for 10+ years. It’s a family friendly place that offers so much for many different age groups and interests. Best of all is the community I experience there—the friendliness and support of the members and staff. I love the Baxter Y!” VOICES9 “I love how early the indoor pool opens. My toddler and I are usually early birds (5 a.m.), so having time to swim so early has been great. Play & Learn is a phenomenal resource for parents. I'm a single parent and rarely get time to myself. The two hours that they offer gives me a chance to restore myself while my toddler gets to play with other kids in a safe environment with little screen time. Everyone has been tremendously nice and helpful and the site is remarkably clean. I know I made a wise choice when I signed us up for the Benjamin Harrison YMCA.” “I really enjoy the water aerobics class at 9 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Stephanie gives us a great workout each session. She is tough but encouraging, which makes us stronger and more flexible. Thank you for adding black edges to the steps leading into the indoor pool! That makes it easier for us to get in and out of the pool safely. I also appreciate the extra mats that have been added. We are less likely to slip on the wet floor. The morning staff members at the check-in desk are always friendly. A special shout-out to Harold at the Fishers Y!” “I felt very comfortable (at the Hendricks Regional Health YMCA) the first week and look forward to working out with the instructors. Many different classes to choose from. Variety is great.” “My big phobia now is cleanliness, and the Irsay Family Y is very clean. I've had health problems and I'm new at working out. The staff was very helpful and patient with me and my silly questions.” “Everyone at the Jordan Y is kind and helpful. The facility itself is clean and there's usually enough space for me to get a good workout in even at busy hours. Do yourself a favor and befriend Byron—he's got lots of good tips on form and getting the most out of your workouts.” “My daughter really enjoys swim class (at the OrthoIndy Foundation YMCA). I enjoy the instructors and the lifeguards. Everyone seems to be very knowledgeable and efficient. Everyone genuinely cares for the safety of the children.” Next >