Organization: Aberdeen Family YMCA
Mission: The Aberdeen Family YMCA is a charitable, community service organization that includes men, women, and children of all ages, abilities, income, race and religion. We are dedicated to strengthening our community by putting Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body. Our core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility guide everything we do. All people are welcome at our YMCA, regardless of their ability to pay. Our YMCA is founded and led by volunteers from our community. Volunteers also serve as mentors, coaches, program leaders, instructors and more.
Activities: Helping people of all ages and abilities develop health in spirit, mind, and body is at the core of the Aberdeen Family YMCA. Our programs are designed to help people create realistic goals for self-improvement and emphasize disease prevention through regular exercise, proper nutrition, stress management, and health education. There are programs at our YMCA for all ages, abilities, and level of fitness. The YMCA has identified the growing national obesity rates in this country as a critical social issue that must be addressed and our health and well-being programs are designed to help people achieve wholeness in their life. YMCA programs promote interaction, teamwork, and development of moral and ethical behavior, social skills and self-esteem. We serve approximately 5,800 members as well as hundreds of additional people taking part in YMCA sponsored programs and activities and provided financial assistance for approximately $143,000.
The Aberdeen Family YMCA provides high quality child care activities for preschool and school age children from all segments of our community. We offer a variety of state licensed childcare programs, both full and part-time, which provide a safe and nurturing environment where youth can develop self-esteem, good values and an appreciation of charitable service. Woven into the fabric of the YMCA mission is a commitment to strengthening families. Our child care programs relieve the burden of balancing work and family and make it possible for parents of children in our care to remain gainfully employed, knowing that their children are thriving in a safe, developmentally sound environment.The Aberdeen Family YMCA provides tuition assistance for child care services and accepts eligible state assisted families. In addition, we provide aid to families who need help due to family violence, substance abuse, etc., by collaborating with other social service agencies. We provide activities and information helping parents to learn more about raising healthy, happy children with positive self-esteem. We serve approximately 350 children on a daily basis at our child care centers.
Our youth programs give kids good role models to help them develop personal attributes and focuses on our YMCA core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility. Each program emphasizes personal growth in the curriculum. Our youth sports programs encourage social interaction, skill development, and core values along with teamwork and working with others. After school play programs and summer day camps provide a lasting experience of personal enrichment. They provide challenges and promote mental development, physical well-being, social growth, and self-respect. They benefit by becoming aware of the value of cooperation and gain confidence in the programs. The aquatics program not only helps youth and toddlers develop their physical skills, but it also provides opportunities for the entire family to share time in the pool to appreciate one another and promote intergenerational relationships. Our special needs camp provides opportunities for kids to experience activities they otherwise would not be able to and allows them to just be themselves. About 3,000 kids benefit from these programs annually which are subsidized for over $250,000.
NTEE category: Recreation & Sports
Secondary category: Youth Development