United Way: Success Stories - YMCA of Greater Dayton

Thanks to You:

3,371 people were housed in emergency facilities when they found themselves without a home.

7,132 area youth showed an increased knowledge of healthy behaviors such as avoiding drugs, alcohol and early sexual activity.

11,037 people received crisis counseling in times of need.

"Be the change you want to see in the world."
-Mahatma Gandhi

YMCA of Greater Dayton

During the summer of 2008, children ages 5-12 from YMCA of Greater Dayton urban summer day camps participated in the YMCA Regional Youth Training Facility at United Theological Seminary in Trot wood. This pilot project focused on increasing physical fitness standards through fitness testing and assessments, intensive swim instruction, and active participation of camp leaders. Part of raising standards included collection of physical fitness data on more than 300 day camp children, including the Body Mass Index. Children participated in biking, running, tennis, strength training, and swim lessons twice a week. Additional activities, events and resources were provided through partnerships with local schools and organizations.

In 2009, the YMCA urban summer day camp became the testing ground for expansion of the YMCA Regional Youth Training Facility into the YMCA Regional Youth Fitness and Nutrition Initiative. This initiative has brought Dayton Children’s Lipid Clinic and Dayton-Montgomery County Public Health together with the YMCA to conduct health and fitness screenings. Families of children who test as high risk for type II diabetes are given this information and advised to seek the help of the child’s primary care physician.

The YMCA of Dayton is receiving $127,068 through the United Way this year to support year-round childcare in Dayton, Fairborn, and Xenia and the Young Leaders program in Preble County.