I am raising funds to support the “Be the Change” 2022 Annual Campaign for the Weekley YMCA.  The Campaign is crucial to the ongoing success of the Y’s charitable mission of providing access to YMCA programs to all, regardless of ability to pay.  That means swim lessons for disadvantaged kids to avoid drowning, summer camps and youth sports scholarships, apartment outreach centers to provide a place for kids after school, and special programs for Pershing teens.

The Y outreach programs that are closest to my heart are the outreach centers the Weekley Y staffs and operates at local apartment complexes.  These outreach centers provide food distribution to the poor, a safe space for kids to go to after school to receive help with homework from YMCA staff and volunteers, a place for parents to learn English, and a place for teens to meet to receive help with their college readiness and college applications.  Many of these kids have been involved with the Y all of their lives.  They will be the first in their family to graduate from high school, and with the help of the Weekley YMCA outreach staff they will
be doing even more – taking the first steps to go to college and get the degree that will lift their families out of poverty. 

The YMCA does it all, from child care, to teen leadership programs, to active older adult programs.  But to  continue to provide these resources we need to raise more than $300,000 this year.  It is a big goal, but we have reached that goal year after year with help from you and your neighbors.

Please call me or reply if you would like to learn more about the YMCA’s outreach centers or volunteer opportunities.

Brennan Reilly, Weekley YMCA Board Chair 2020-2022