YMCA News Archive

YMCA of the North Announces New Members to Board of Directors

jeffrey.needham — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 14:42:58 +0000

YMCA of the North Announces New Members to Board of Directors jeffrey.needham Thu, 06/29/2023 - 09:42

The newly elected members serving a three-year term as board directors for the class of 2026 include:

Rich Dorn, senior vice president of Operational Risk at Wells Fargo
Eric Fotsch, director of field experiences, licensure officer and professor at Metropolitan State University in School of Urban Education
Greg Theis, president and chief executive officer at Liberty Diversified International
De’Mon Wiggins, executive vice president and president of Industrial and Flow Technologies at Pentair

The following Community Board Representatives are elected to the General Board for a one-year term:

Y Adventure - Kelly Hyman, Food and Bio 2030 program lead at Cargill
North Community YMCA - Clarence Jones, executive director at Hue-MAN Partnership
Hudson YMCA/Camp St. Croix - Scott Jones, vice president commercial lending at Royal Credit Union
Eagan YMCA - Rachael Reiling, director of strategy & market development at Taylor Corporation

“The appointment of these board members represents the best and brightest leaders in our community to help guide the YMCA to better serve the youth, adults, families and seniors in the greater Twin Cities metro region, southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin so all can thrive,” said Glen Gunderson, CEO and president of the YMCA. “Their knowledge, skills and expertise along with their commitment to our community will be invaluable to the Y as we continue to further strengthen our communities together by fostering wellbeing through transformative experiences.”

To learn more about the Y is supporting our community’s wellbeing, see this video: Supporting Wellbeing Across Our Community.

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 167 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, 8 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 Tips for Safe Swimming for Fourth of July Holiday and Summer

jeffrey.needham — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 14:15:41 +0000

YMCA Offers Tips for Safe Swimming for Fourth of July Holiday and Summer jeffrey.needham Mon, 06/26/2023 - 09:15

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 Fourth of July holiday and throughout the summer months.

As we continue 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 discounted 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 free paid 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

The YMCA of the North is a leading nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Established 167 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 of the North Partners with Amazon for Monthly Food Shelf

jeffrey.needham — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 14:13:19 +0000

YMCA of the North Partners with Amazon for Monthly Food Shelf jeffrey.needham Mon, 06/19/2023 - 09:13

Amazon Donated $50,000 to Support YMCA Neighborhood Centers and Child Care Programs

Minneapolis, MN – The YMCA of the North, a leading nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, is partnering with Amazon as host for one if its monthly food shelf nights for community members in need. Amazon employees will join YMCA of the North staff to help distribute pantry staples to families that visit the food shelf at the YMCA Neighborhood Center at Briarhill Apartments in Eden Prairie on Wednesday, June 21 at 3-5 p.m.

Earlier this year, Amazon donated $50,000 to YMCA of the North Neighborhood Centers that support families by providing access to healthy foods, sharing educational resources and enrichment activities, and assisting with basic necessities, technology access, job support, and childcare.

“The YMCA is committed with its volunteers and partners to serve hundreds of thousands of people a day who need a helping hand in our community,” said Glen Gunderson, president of the Y. “The Y is grateful for Amazon donating these funds so we can continue to help families with their wellbeing needs.”

“Working with organizations like the YMCA of the North is a pillar of Amazon’s dedication to the community that our employees live and work in,” said Mike Andrea, assistant general manager at MSP1 facility in Shakopee. “We’re proud to donate our time and resources to ensure YMCA of the North can continue these important efforts.”

WHO:
YMCA of the North and Amazon

WHAT:
Amazon is joining YMCA of the North for one of its monthly food shelf nights in Eden Prairie, MN. Earlier this year, Amazon donated $50,000 to support ongoing programming at YMCA Neighborhood Centers

WHERE AND WHEN:
One Distribution Event at YMCA Neighborhood Center at Briarhill Apartments
7025 Woodland Dr, Eden Prairie, MN 55346
Wednesday, June 21 at 3-5 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 167 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.

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, Earth’s best employer, and Earth’s safest place to work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon.

YMCA George Wellbeing Offers Community Nutrition Workshops in June and July

jeffrey.needham — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 13:59:16 +0000

YMCA George Wellbeing Offers Community Nutrition Workshops in June and July jeffrey.needham Thu, 06/01/2023 - 08:59

Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN –George Wellbeing, an initiative of the YMCA of the North which is a leading nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, will be offering nutrition workshops at various YMCA locations for Y members and the public.

The nutrition workshops are based on the Y’s nourish philosophy that food is foundational. Nutrition fuels an individual’s body, mind and spirit and satisfies senses, helps connect and celebrate with others, and supports sustainability. The workshop topics will include ways to be in touch with a person’s relationship with food through mindful eating; provide ways to support sustainability through practices such as seed starting, gardening and composting; and teach how nutrition impacts gut and brain health which supports overall health and wellbeing and reduce chronic disease.

“To nourish means to feed the spirit, mind, and body intentionally so that we may improve our lives, better our communities and care for the environment,” said Robin Hedrick, senior director of integrative health and wellbeing partnerships at the YMCA of the North. “Growing, creating, eating, and sharing delicious foods nourishes the whole you and in turn benefits our community.”

“The YMCA is honored to be working in partnership with Bill and Penny George and The George Family Foundation to provide nutrition learning experiences to the community,” said Sally St. John, vice president of whole-person wellbeing at the YMCA of the North. “When individuals and communities are given the right to access healthy foods as a part of their whole-person wellbeing plan, people start believing their lives matter, their choices matter and their journey can be something to embrace rather than fear.”

For more information and to register, visit www.ymcanorth.org/wellbeing.

WHO:
YMCA of the North George Wellbeing

WHAT:
George Wellbeing Community Nutrition Workshops

WHERE AND WHEN:
Workshops run for 60 minutes

Grow Your Own Microgreens
Learn to grow microgreens in a way that works for your home
Monday, July 10 at 2:30 p.m.
Woodbury YMCA in the Thrivent Room
2175 Radio Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125

Composting Sustainably in Your Backyard
Identify steps to create an at-home composting plan
Tuesday, June 20 at 10:00 a.m.
North Community YMCA in the Cargill Teaching Kitchen
1711 West Broadway Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55411

Grocery Shopping 101
Learn key grocery shopping tips and develop meal ideas using health conscious ingredients
Wednesday, June 3 at 10:30 a.m.
St Paul Midway in the YMCA Teaching Kitchen
1761 University Ave W, St Paul, MN 55104

Introduction to Mindful Eating
Learn about the practice and benefits of mindful eating
Saturday, June 10 at 10:30 a.m.
Virtual via Zoom

Gut Health Basics
Identify how lifestyle choices impact gut health
Wednesday, June 7 and Saturday, July 22 at 10:00 a.m.
Blaisdell YMCA in the Youth Development Room
3335 Blaisdell Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55408

Saturday, June 17 at 10:00 a.m.
St Paul Midway in the YMCA Teaching Kitchen
1761 University Ave W, St Paul, MN 55104

Wednesday, July 12 at 6:00 p.m.
St Paul Midway in the YMCA Teaching Kitchen
1761 University Ave W, St Paul, MN 55104

Thursday, July 27 at 4:30 p.m.
Ridgedale YMCA in the HLC-MPR Room
12301 Ridgedale Drive, Minnetonka, MN 55305

Farm to Table Series: Spring/Early Summer
Learn how to harvest and use fresh produce while it’s in season
Saturday, June 17 at 10:00 a.m.
Camp Day Croix in The Big Red Barn
345 Riverview Dr, Hudson WI 54016

Saturday, June 24 at 10:00 a.m.
North Community YMCA in the Cargill Teaching Kitchen
1711 West Broadway Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55411

Farm to Table Series: Mid-summer
Learn how to harvest and use fresh produce while it’s in season
Saturday, July 29 at 10:00 a.m.
North Community YMCA in the Cargill Teaching Kitchen
1711 West Broadway Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55411

Food Preservation Series: Drying – Spring/Early Summer
Learn to take full advantage of the early summer harvest of herbs and greens using drying and infusion methods
Tuesday, June 27 at 10:00 a.m.
St Paul Midway in the YMCA Teaching Kitchen
1761 University Ave W, St Paul, MN 55104

Blending Herbs and Spices
Learn how to blend spices and herbs to boost flavor and nutritional value
Saturday, July 1 at 10:00 a.m.
North Community YMCA in the Cargill Teaching Kitchen
1711 West Broadway Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55411

Sustainable Gardening in Small Spaces
Learn about common mistakes and get personalized advice on how to start a garden in your small space
Saturday, July15 at 10:00 a.m.
St Paul Midway in the YMCA Teaching Kitchen
1761 University Ave W, St Paul, MN 55104

Food for Thought – Nutrition and Brain Health
Learn how to best nourish your brain and how various nutrients impact your brain
Tuesday, July 18 at 2:00 p.m.
Ridgedale YMCA in the HLC-MPR Room
12301 Ridgedale Drive, Minnetonka, MN 55305

Tuesday, July 25 at 6:00 p.m.
Ridgedale YMCA in the HLC-MPR Room
12301 Ridgedale Drive, Minnetonka, MN 55305

Price is $24 for YMCA members and $26 for non-members

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 167 years ago, the Ys provide life-strengthening services across 12 counties of the greater Twin Cities metro region, southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin communities. The 28 Y locations and program sites, seven 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.