Meeting Waters YMCA’s Board of Directors recently launched their 2015 “Reach Out to Youth” fundraising drive to secure community support for its scholarship fund for Y-ASPIRE, Y Day Camp and other youth development programs.

This year’s theme is “Hop the Gap”—a reference to helping hundreds of area youth successfully navigate five challenges common during the summer break: hunger; decreased health due to inactivity; learning loss; risks around water; and unsafe environments. As Executive Director Steve Fortier points out, “Our Y Day Camp addresses all five of these challenges which is good not only for these young people, but also for their families and communities. Every day, a child can hop on one of our camp busses in their community and, at camp, get a free healthy lunch, keep active, stimulate their mind and learn new skills, and develop water safety skills, all in a  safe environment surrounded by caring young adult leaders. It a one-stop shop for experiences young people need in the summer months!”

During the rest of the year, Y-ASPIRE helps area youth learn, grow and thrive after-school, during school vacations, and on holidays, teacher in-services, and parent-teach conference days. Y-ASPIRE takes place at all three Brattleboro elementary schools, Dummerston School, Putney Central School , Rockingham Central School (also serving children from Westminster and Saxtons River) and Walpole Primary School (also serving North Walpole School and Walpole Elementary School).

Meeting Waters YMCA Board Chair, Dr. Vernon Temple, stresses the need for strong community support. “Every day, we serve many of our region’s children regardless of their family’s income. ‘Reach Out to Youth’ helps ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive through Meeting Waters YMCA programs. We are reaching out to business and civic leaders as well as community members to ensure access to our programs. Access leads to success for area youth and teens.”

According to Fortier, over the past year, 58% of the regional Y’s youth program participants required some form of financial assistance. The total level of need exceeded $300,000—more than half of the organization’s budget.  “We work hard to secure state and federal contracts as well as grants to cover much of what our neighbors need,” Fortier stated. “But, all three of these sources have been cut back over the past several years. In order to keep serving the most-vulnerable children, we need help from the communities that benefit from our impacts.”

Founded 120 years ago, Meeting Waters YMCA is a charitable, non-profit, social service organization governed by local volunteers. All contributions to its Reach Out to Youth fundraising campaign are tax-deductible. For more information about Meeting Waters YMCA services or to make a donation, visit meetingwatersymca.org or call their phone number local to your town—Brattleboro area: 246-1036; Bellows Falls and Fall Mountain areas: (802) 463-4769; or Springfield area: 885-8131.