FOR HEALTHY LIVING FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY POINTS

PTUORINNTISNG FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT®
FOR HEALTHY LIVING
FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

YMCA OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS
615 N. Alabama St., Suite 200
Indianapolis, IN 46204

www.OurCauseIsYou.org

A newsletter for members and volunteers of the Y Summer 2014

HELPING TO MAKE PEOPLE AND
COMMUNITIES BETTER
160th Anniversary

Whether it’s summer camp, playing
basketball after school, or learning a new
sport and meeting lifelong friends, the
YMCA has been a place for local Hoosiers in
every stage of life. During the entire month
of June the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis
celebrated its 160th anniversary. Founded
in 1854, the first YMCA began downtown
and as the city continued to grow, additional
locations were built to serve our diverse and
active community.

Several prominent YMCA board members
helped lead the organization in the early
years. These dedicated
supporters included a promising young
attorney named Benjamin Harrison, who
eventually became the 23rd
President of the United States along and Eli Photo Caption: This is a throwbak photo of the former gym at the
Lilly, founder of Eli Lilly and Company. The YMCA at the Athenaeum.
YMCA of Greater Indianapolis was also the
home of the Senate Avenue YMCA, which
was known as one of the most significant African American YMCAs in the country. The Senate Avenue Y became
famous for its “Monster Meetings,” which allowed African Americans to hear from prominent leaders such as
Langston Hughes and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis serves more than 215,000 people through 13 centers, and partners
with more than 200 churches, schools and other community groups and organizations. The Y’s Strengthening the
Heart of the City capital campaign is currently raising funds to build two more facilities, one in Pike Township and
another downtown at the CityWay development. Funds raised for the campaign, helped build the new Avondale
Meadows YMCA last year. The new facility is part of a larger community revitalization project in the area and is
the first success resulting from the Strengthening the Heart of the City campaign.

Please be kind to the environment. When you are finished reading this newsletter, please remember to recycle.

TURNING POINTS | A newsletter for members and volunteers of the Y Summer 2014

160TH ANNIVERSARY WE LOVE POOL PARTIES!
Continued
Several Y’s across the city hosted
The Y celebrated its anniversary by asking summer pool parties for our members.
community members to share their Y stories in A special thanks to Nameless Catering
160 words or less. Many other commemorative for donating dinner for the parties at
activities brought awareness to the Y’s long- the Baxter and Fishers YMCA.
standing mission and presence in Indianapolis,
including a city-wide wellness challenge and a
“Throwback Thursday” photo contest!
A special celebratory promotion, Project 160,
encouraged Y members, staff and friends to give
up to $160 to help send more kids to camp this
summer. Each center in Indianapolis was
challenged to raise the most funds for this cause
in a friendly competition. Thank you to all our
members and friends who made a donation for
Project 160. Congratulations to the Jordan YMCA
for winning the contest and for raising nearly
$4,000 for Project 160!
The YMCA is grateful for the opportunity to
serve the Indianapolis community for 160 years
and we look forward to serving for many more
years to come. For more information about how
to support the Y, visit www.OurCauseIsYou.org.

RECENT GRANTS

The Arthur Jordan Foundation contributed to the Benjamin Harrison YMCA’s youth and teen programs.

The Indy Bike Hub YMCA received a grant from the CIBA Foundation to implement a new Bicylce Commuter Tracking System. The
CIBA Foundation provides resources to organizations that support its goal of promoting the benefits of cycling to the community.

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation awarded the Intercollegiate YMCA a Summer Reading Grant for its Day Camp program at
Laurelwood Apartments.

The Hendricks County Solid Waste Management District enabled the Hendricks Regional Health YMCA to improve their
community Recycling Program.

The Indiana Sports Corporation awarded Susan Williams CHAMPS Grants to the Pike and Avondale Meadows YMCAs to support
youth sports programs. The grants are made possible by the annual Youthlinks Indiana Charity Golf Tournament.

The Indy Food Fund assisted the Avondale Meadows YMCA’s collaborative effort to expand the area’s Community Garden program.

The Johnson County Community Foundation awarded a grant to the Baxter YMCA for its chronic disease and prevention
programs.

Before and After School Programs in Hamilton County received a grant from The Legacy Fund Community Foundation, a CICF
Affiliate; and Sheridan Fund, a fund of Legacy Fund Community Foundation, a CICF Affiliate.

The Witham Family YMCA received funding from the Subaru of Indiana (SIA) Foundation for its Outdoor Sports Field and from the
Community Foundation of Boone County for its teen programs.

The Summer Youth Program Fund awarded grants to support our Flat Rock River YMCA Camp and YMCA Day Camps.

The USA Swimming Foundation awarded a Make a Splash Grant to the Jordan YMCA for its SPLASH Water Safety Program.

TURNING POINTS

NOT YOUR TYPICAL AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM

Register Now for the 2014-15 School Year!

Do you think all afterschool programs are the same?
Consider the Y’s Before and Afterschool program and
you’ll soon discover that we offer so much more!
Over the past year, our Before and Afterschool
programs have expanded in several exciting ways. In
addition to our traditional services of helping with
homework, incorporating core values and physical
activity, the Y has an array of additional programs that
benefit the entire family. Below are just a few of the
additional offerings for our kids and families:

Lemonade Day: This unique program teaches kids how to start IUPUI Partnership: A few years
and operate their own business: a lemonade stand. Kids learn ago, we developed a partnership
about entrepreneurship, financial literacy, philanthropy and much with IUPUI, which allows us to hire
more. This year all participants received “official” Lemonade Day interns from the school to help with
aprons, which proved to be a great incentive and keepsake for the our youth. In the past, the interns
young entrepreneurs. were solely focused on youth
programs. This year, however, interns
NFL Play 60: Each year, the NFL invites kids from our Before and work and learn in family enrichment
Afterschool program to participate in this annual event. Healthy programs as well. One of the new
activities were modeled and the youth kept their hearts rates programs being offered as a result
up for an entire 60 minute session with some of their favorite of the expanded partnership is a
Indianapolis Colts football players. cooking course designed to show the
benefits preparing healthy meals at
Food Drive: The program allows families to donate to local food home. Various simple and wholesome
pantries during the off-season to help those in need. recipes were prepared with families
and children participated in a soup
demonstration and made it
themselves from scratch!

The YMCA Before and Afterschool programs create a positive impact in the lives of children. With the
help of our dedicated staff and ability to offer financial assistance we’ve helped to bring stability to
some families as they transition from unstable living conditions, even homelessness, to more stable
environment. Children in these programs are constantly supported and growing with academic and social
development each day in our youth-focused programs.

The mutual trust between families, YMCA staff, and the school systems continues to deepen with each
year. Communication and collaboration is key and benefits all those involved. The Before and After school
program made an exciting impact in the past year, and YMCA staff are excited about continuing their
work with youth and families in the years to follow.

To register for the Y’s Before and Afterschool program, call 317-266-9122 or visit

www.OurCauseIsYou.org. By Sarah Porterfield

FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT® NONPROFIT
FOR HEALTHY LIVING ORGANIZATION
FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY U.S. POSTAGE

YMCA OF GREATER PAID
INDIANAPOLIS
615 N. Alabama St., Suite 200 INDIANAPOLIS, IN
Indianapolis, IN 46204 PERMIT NO.3204

WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP TO?

OAwuresDoamyeC!ampers Are

Preschool campers at our Fishers
YMCA get ready to learn about the
Y’s four core values of caring,
honesty, respect, and responsibility.
So far, the Y has served more than
4,000 kids across Central Indiana in
our Day Camp program this summer!

A New Downtown Y!

A groundbreaking ceremony
was held on July 16 for the
new CityWay YMCA, which
will be located downtown.
The facility is expected to
open in December 2015.