YMCA News Archive

Harold Mezile North Community YMCA Teaches Youth the Joy of Gardening and Eating Healthy Foods on June 1

jeffrey.needham — Tue, 31 May 2022 19:37:31 +0000

Harold Mezile North Community YMCA Teaches Youth the Joy of Gardening and Eating Healthy Foods on June 1 jeffrey.needham Tue, 05/31/2022 - 14:37

Minneapolis, MN – The Harold Mezile North Community YMCA, a leading nonprofit dedicated to youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, will bring together local preschoolers to enjoy planting and eating food from the Cargill Greenhouse on its rooftop on Wednesday, June 1.

Youth will have the opportunity to learn more about gardening and nutritious foods such as carrots, dill, parsley, watermelon, peppers, tomatoes, herbs and more that are grown in the Cargill Greenhouse. Partners supporting community education classes in the Cargill Greenhouse and Cargill Teaching Kitchen include: Cargill, Zinpro, Urban Agriculture, DIG Lab, All Nations Youth in Community Assistance Program, Soular Scenes and Rusty and the Crew. The Y also collaborates with local chefs to provide garden to table events and with the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota to have expert interns.

In addition, Cargill Aquaponics that is an alternative to traditional growing of plants will be shown and explained.

“The Y is focused on teaching healthy habits that last a lifetime,” said Deanna Perkins, executive director for the Harold Mezile North Community YMCA. “Our Y is committed to tackling food insecurity facing our community and country by providing fun hands-on experiences planting, harvesting and cooking nutritious food that fuel minds and bodies.”

WHO:
Harold Mezile North Community YMCA

WHAT:
YMCA Teaches Youth the Joy of Gardening and Eating Healthy Foods

WHERE:
YMCA Cargill Greenhouse on the Rooftop and Cargill Teaching Kitchen at the Harold Mezile North Community on 1711 West Broadway Avenue in Minneapolis, MN 55411

WHEN:
Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

About the YMCA of the North

The YMCA of the North is a leading nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Established 166 years ago, the Ys provide life-strengthening services across the greater Twin Cities metro region, southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin communities. The 29 Y locations and program sites, eight overnight camps, 10 day camps, and more than 90 child care sites engage more than 370,000 men, women and children of all ages, incomes and backgrounds. To learn more about the Y’s mission and work, visit www.ymcanorth.org.

YMCA Offers Free Summer Membership to Teens

jeffrey.needham — Tue, 31 May 2022 13:19:47 +0000

YMCA Offers Free Summer Membership to Teens jeffrey.needham Tue, 05/31/2022 - 08:19

Thousands of youth will have free access to the Y’s health and wellness and youth enrichment programs through the end of August

Minneapolis, MN – The YMCA of the North, a leading nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, will offer free memberships for thousands of teens and young adults across the Twin Cities. From May 31 to August 31, teens can access this free membership to 20 YMCA locations throughout the Twin Cities.

The YMCA is positioned to help ensure that youth of all backgrounds and incomes have access to learning opportunities outside of school. The Y’s locations cut across city, county and school district boundaries. More than 80 percent of Twin Cities teens live within 15 minutes of a YMCA location that offers opportunities for wellness, sports, leadership activities, STEM projects and more.

This year the YMCA will offer teens entering 9-12th grade an opportunity to be engaged in fitness and wellness programming at the Y. They will also have opportunities for in person and virtual programming including:

health and wellbeing classes
access to gymnasium, fitness floor and aquatics areas

"The YMCA has given me so many options since getting my membership. You can always find me with my friends playing basketball or lifting weights throughout the week. This structure to my routine is crucial to my mental, emotional and physical health,” said Jacob, 17 year old from Forest Lake area.

I'm so thankful my kids have the opportunity to access so many activities and programs at the YMCA. I feel grateful they have a safe and fun environment they can be a part of,” said DeAnn Mayer, parent from Forest Lake area.

The YMCA is thrilled to provide a safe environment for young people to engage in programs that promote healthy living, build character and leadership, and support success in school and in life,” said Glen Gunderson, president for the YMCA of the North. “The Y is committed to eliminating barriers to participation so all have the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive during out of school time.”

For more information, visit www.ymcanorth.org/locations.

About the YMCA of the North

YMCA Offers Tips For Safe Swimming For Memorial Day Holiday Weekend and Summer

jeffrey.needham — Tue, 17 May 2022 14:12:11 +0000

YMCA Offers Tips For Safe Swimming For Memorial Day Holiday Weekend and Summer jeffrey.needham Tue, 05/17/2022 - 09:12

Minneapolis, MN – The YMCA of the North, a leading nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, provides water safety tips to help kids, teens, adults and families enjoy lakes, rivers and pools during the Memorial Day holiday weekend and throughout the summer months.

As the community continues to manage the pandemic and staffing shortages, water safety is important with up to two years of missed swim lessons, fewer pools with lifeguards, limited access to swimming lessons, more families spending time outside around the water and pools in backyards.

Safety tips to practice in and around the water include below:

Never swim alone.
Lifeguarded beaches and pools provide another layer of safety besides parental supervision. They also ensure water chemistry/beach water has been tested and is safe.
Constantly and actively watch children by a responsible an adult.
Always keep young children or non-swimmers within arm’s reach of parent or guardian.
Remember inexperienced or non-swimmers should wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket.
Be wary of inflatables because a poke or blown valve can turn into a dangerous situation quickly for a child relying on it to float.
Don’t engage in breath holding activities.
Don’t jump in the water to save a friend who is struggling in any water rather use a long object to reach for them and pull them to safety.
Enroll children and non-swimmers in water safety or swim lessons.
Be mindful of the hazards of backyard pools with standing water around because kids can fall down or can’t get out and infants or preschoolers can climb or crawl in. To be safe:
- Install barriers around the pool like a fence.
- Know CPR.
- Guarantee that every child in the backyard pool who cannot swim wears a U.S. Coastguard approved lifejackets.
- Provide constant supervision.
- Make sure there is a way to climb out of the pool if it’s too tall to step out of.
Keep kids safe when adults are also engaged in fun is incredibly important. A simple tip for parents near any kind of water this summer is to take the Water Watcher pledge. As a Water Watcher, an adult agrees to:
- Maintain constant visual contact with the children in the group.
- Not drink alcohol, talk on the phone, socialize or read while watching children.
- Keep a phone near the water for emergency purposes only.
- Remain by the water until relieved by a new water watcher.

“The YMCA is committed to saving lives through water safety programs and education,” said Glen Gunderson, president for the Y. “Each year our Y reaches over 2,000 people through the Safety Around Water program alone. Thanks to partnerships with USA Swimming Foundation, YMCA of USA, Delta Air Lines and Hawkins Inc., we are able to offer this program free of charge so all can access life-saving lessons and skills.”

The YMCA Safety Around Water program and traditional swim lessons teaches youth what they need to do to stay safe in pools, lakes and rivers. In addition to learning what to do if a friend is in trouble, youth develop skills to help if they find themselves in the water unexpectedly:

Jump, Push, Turn and Grab – teaches a child to push off the bottom of the pool as they are submerging to get back up to the surface and turn to grab the side of the pool.
Swim, Float, Swim – teaches children to swim a short distance on their front, roll over on their back to rest, and then roll on their front to continue swimming to safety.

Gunderson added that parents are encouraged to take an active role in fostering a relationship between their children and swimming. The Y offers several programs promoting the benefits of swimming.

Water Skills and Safety at the Y

Y Swim Lessons June Through August: The Y’s swim lessons for infants, kids and teens are the most accessible community resource to prevent drowning and encourage a lifelong enjoyment of swimming. The Y serves all ages in the pool from six months to adults. The YMCA offers a limited amount of free swim lessons each year and people can apply online at www.ymcanorth.org/freelessons.
Competitive Swim: YMCA competitive swimming and diving teams are the natural progression from Safety Around Water and Y Swim Lessons by encouraging children and teens to continue their love of swimming while providing an ideal environment for cognitive, physical and social-emotional development.
Lifeguards and Swim Instructors: The YMCA offers training and job opportunities to help teach the community how to be safe in and around the water.

Because the Y is a leading nonprofit committed to helping all young people and their families thrive, financial assistance is available to those in need. To learn more about the Y’s programs, please visit www.ymcanorth.org.

About the YMCA of the North

YMCA ForeverWell Camp Brings Over 60 Adults 55+ Together to Enjoy Outdoor Adventures on May 23

jeffrey.needham — Mon, 16 May 2022 13:56:00 +0000

YMCA ForeverWell Camp Brings Over 60 Adults 55+ Together to Enjoy Outdoor Adventures on May 23 jeffrey.needham Mon, 05/16/2022 - 08:56

Minneapolis, MN – The YMCA of the North, a leading nonprofit dedicated to youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, will bring together more than 60 adults 55+ for a day of outdoor adventure at YMCA Camp ForeverWell at Y Camp St. Croix in Hudson, WI on Monday, May 23.

ForeverWell camp participants will customize their camp experience by selecting activities that best fit their interest level for three sessions. Camp activities include: archery, farm and garden, big swing, climbing tower, arts and crafts, hatchet throwing and campfire s’mores, horseback trail ride, meditation with sound bowls, Nordic walking, hiking, outdoor line dancing and Zumba.

“Our ForeverWell members are excited to gather outdoors at beautiful Camp St. Croix, and enjoy fun and challenging activities,” said Jennifer Menk, senior director of health and wellbeing for the YMCA of the North. “Camp offers young and old alike the opportunity to strengthen mind, body and spirit while enjoying nature and good friends.”

WHO:
YMCA of the North

WHAT:
YMCA ForeverWell Camp

WHERE:
YMCA Camp St. Croix North Entrance 345 Riverview Drive Hudson, WI 54016

WHEN:
Monday, May 23, 2022 at 9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Media Invited to Activity Sessions:
First Activity Session – 10-11 a.m.
Second Activity Session– 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Third Activity Session - 1:30-2:30 p.m.

About the YMCA of the North