March 2008

Volume 2, Issue 3

OUR NEWS

Wilkes-Barre YMCA, 40 West Northampton Street
Phone: (570) 823-2191 www.wbymca.org

Refer a new member to the WB YMCA and receive a referral fee

Bring in a NEW annual membership of any type and receive a $50 referral fee for your efforts. For more information, contact Matt at 823-2191 ext. 125

Annual Fund 2008

Every year the Wilkes-Barre Family YMCA’s Annual Fund raises money to support many different programs including:
After school youth programs: swimming, wrestling, gymnastics, basketball
Child care services: state certified day care and preschool
Needy kids and families: financial assistance for membership & summer camp
Teen programs: daily activities, volunteerism and employment
Showers for the homeless
Last year, the Wilkes-Barrre Family YMCA distributed more than $250,000 in financial aid to thousands of area individual and families. Our goal for the Annual Fund Campaign this year is $200,000.
For more information contact Anne Lenahan 823-2191 ext. 148 or Matt DiBernardo 823-2191 ext.125

Night of the Races 2008

April 17, 2008, at the Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs Sun LIVE horse racing with refreshments served!! Horses can be purchased for $10 each which includes admission for one!! For more information call Gretchen 823-2191 ext. 127

YMCA is still the standard of fitness

Founded in the mid-19th century, the Young Men’s Christian Association has expanded far beyond its name in the United States. It welcomes all faiths, half the 20.2 million people it serves are female, and more than half are adults. With that diverse clientele in mind, the Y is again redefining itself. A new strategic plan envisions the organization as America’s paramount fitness and anti-obesity crusader, combating what it calls ”the nation’s ongoing lifestyle health crisis.”
While maintaining its varied youth programs and vast child-care network, the Y is aggressively expanding health-related initiatives, notably through a program called Activate America.
At hundreds of local Ys nationwide, officials are retraining staff, redesigning facilities and revising activities to better serve the millions of Americans who find it hard to stick with weight-loss and fitness regimens.
”Our history has been one of taking a lead on key issues facing our society,” said Neil Nicoll, who since May 2006 has been president of the YMCA of the USA.
Now, more than 370 of its associations already have joined Activate America, which Nicoll said is targeted at the 40 percent of Americans who crave a healthier lifestyle but waver in their pursuit of it.
”They’re looking for personal support, done in a more holistic way. We want programs geared to group activity so people can develop connections instead of just running in and out.”
One example: the YMCA of Greater New York in September began offering a 12-week, personalized exercise program.
”We have to retrain our staff so they will actively listen to what the needs are,” Leslie said. ”We want to move away from prescribing what we believe individuals need.”
In a related effort, Pioneering Healthier Communities, the Y is working with other civic groups in more than 110 cities and towns to combat obesity, poor nutrition and physical inactivity community-wide.
”When the YMCA looked at a changing America, what they saw was a lifestyle that was getting out of control,” said Wes Alles, a Stanford University School of Medicine researcher who has helped design the Y’s initiatives.
”The YMCA is an excellent case study of adaptation and survival,” he said. ”They have a history of openness to new ideas.”
That may help explain its steady growth. Its revenue of $5.7 billion in 2006 _ from donations, government support and user fees _ was topped only by the American Red Cross among U.S. nonprofits.
Many Y participants benefit from financial assistance, and even full membership fees usually are less than commercial health clubs Yet a survey of 10,000 gym users, just released by the independent watchdog group Consumer Reports, found that health facilities at Y’s and other nonprofit centers were generally better rated than big health-club chains.
Overall, the Y hopes to expand its clientele by 25 percent, to 25 million, within four years. Yet though its full, formal name no longer describes the YMCA’s mission or participants, there’s no serious thought of changing it.
”The name ‘YMCA’ is so widely recognized across the country _ it’s up there with Coca-Cola and IBM as a symbol and a name,” Nicoll said. ”But we continually need to work to help people understand how much broader we are than that name.”

Shannon Whitt practices yoga with her son Jonah Smith during the “Mom and Baby” yoga class at the Park Slope YMCA. The Y is once again redefining itself. A new strategic plan envisions the organization as America’s paramount fitness and anti-obesity crusader.

Focus on the Kids

Programs designed for your children and the children of the Y.
Easter Day Holiday Camp: 3/20 and/or 3/21, and/or 3/24, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. After and before care available. Ages 5-12, $20 per day for members and $25 per day for non members. For more details contact Nikki at 823-2191 Ext. 141
Kids Night out: 1st Sat of each month, Ages 5-12, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. $8 Family Member, $12 Member, $15 Program Member. For more details contact Katia at 823-2191 Ext. 152
KIDS S.A.Y. (No Class Saturday, March 22, 2008)
Kids Saturday afternoon at the Y is a program for boys and girls ages 6-10 years ONLY. Call Linda Ext.151 for more details
Scholastic Book Fair for our Child Care Department. March 10th –March 14th in the Teen Center

For Your Wellness

Programs designed for adults
Yoga Stretch: Tues and Thur, 2:30 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. For more info call Linda at ext. 222
Silver Sneaker Splash: Tues and Thur, 3:30 – 4:15 p.m. at the Clift Pool. For more info call Joan at ext.226
Flexibility Training: Thur 7:00 – 7:45 p.m., 2nd Floor, For more info call Linda at ext. 222

Wilkes-Barre YMCA’S Café Joins Eat Right, Right Here Campaign

YMCA members, staff and visitors can now enjoy a selection of healthy menu items at their new restaurant. The Café is the first local eating establishment to join the Eat Right, Right Here campaign, an effort to assist restaurants to offer and promote healthy eating away from home, that is being spearheaded by Steps To A Healthier Luzerne County and Penn State Cooperative Extension. The Café’s menu will feature Fruits & Veggies—More Matters™ menu items that will help people eat more fruits and vegetables. Developed by the Produce for Better Health Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control, this campaign encourages people to increase their consumption of these nutrient rich foods and provides resources such as recipes, expert cooking advice, nutrition information and shopping tips. Fruits & Veggies—More Matters™ recipes used by The Café meet the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans having the recommended fat and sodium content. The guidelines recommend that people, depending on their calorie needs, eat between 4 to 13 servings, or 2 to 6.5 cups, of fruit and vegetables daily. The PA Department of Health reports that 75% of Pennsylvanians do not eat these recommended daily amounts of fruit and vegetables.
“Many great changes are occurring at The Café” says Linda Reilly, the YMCA’s Wellness Director. “We now offer healthy meals and communicating the nutrition content information for each meal. Our members are very excited and sales are increasing. We are changing our facility to improve the lives of our members and visitors.” The YMCA worked with Steps To A Healthier PA and Penn State Cooperative Extension to gather input from Y members and staff about the changes, on developing the new menu and implementing the Eat Right, Right Here campaign.
“We want to make the healthy choice the easy choice for people when they are dining out” states Elizabeth Schaffer, Steps Community Health Coordinator. Studies have shown that people eat 30% more calories when they are confronted with larger portion sizes of food. The recipes used at the YMCA Café will provide portion sizes that are in-line with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.