The Greater Joliet Area YMCA is proud to announce four winners for our 2022 Holiday Card Design Contest. These designs were selected from hundreds submitted to our branches and will be featured on the Y’s 2022 Holiday Cards. Thank you to all who participated! You can see the winning designs below.
Try New Things: Galowich Family YMCA Offering Special Winter Aquatics Programs
The Y is excited to offer new and exciting aquatics programs this winter! Learn more about these activities below.
SPECIALTY SWIM CAMP
January 3-5
Families are invited to get a head start on winter swim lessons with our specialty swim camp! Session times will be available for beginners and advanced level swimmers. All participants will also receive a premium pair of swim goggles!
Time:
Beginner Level – 4:45-5:15 p.m.
Advanced Level – 5:30-6 p.m.
Cost:
$45 for Facility Members, $90 for Community Members
HOME SCHOOL SWIM LESSONS
This is a special swim lesson opportunity for home school families! Sessions will be held on Tuesdays or Thursdays from 11 a.m.-Noon and will include a 30 minute swim lesson with 30 minutes of open swim.
Please note: Participants will be swim tested at the first lesson.
COST:
Winter 1* – $39 for Facility Members/$78 for Community Members
Winter 2 – $45 for Facility Members/$90 for Community Members
*Prorated rate. No lessons held the week of January 2.
Greater Joliet Area YMCA Offering Teen Achievers Workshop on January 28
The Greater Joliet Area YMCA’s Teen Achievers program is excited to host a free workshop for area students on Saturday, January 28.
Free and open to the community, the Y’s ‘I Have a Dream, What’s Next’ workshop will provide area participants with important resources they can use to prepare for life.
Guest speakers will include representatives from:
-Joliet Junior College
-Contractors Association of Will and Grundy Counties
-Will County Workforce Development
-Wilco Career Center
In addition to listening to engaging guest speakers, students will have the opportunity to learn more about union trade apprenticeship programs and tuition reimbursement programs.
Refreshments will also be served.
Location:
Joliet Junior College, Room U-1024
1215 Houbolt Road
Joliet, IL 60431
To learn more about the YMCA’s Teen Achievers program click here or contact:
Stephen Franklin
Teen REACH and Teen Achievers Director
[email protected]
(815) 726-3939, ext. 315
Clarius Partners LLC Donates $25,000 to Morris Community YMCA Capital Campaign
The Morris Community YMCA’s Capital Campaign, which is raising funds to develop a new 50,000-square-foot YMCA and healthcare center adjacent to Morris Grade School, is excited to announce a generous $25,000 gift from Clarius Partners LLC, which will be recognized in the future full facility.
For more than a decade, the Morris Community YMCA has been serving residents in Grundy County by offering programs in the areas of youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. To further grow its impact in the community, the Y announced plans in 2018 for the development of a new full-facility in partnership with Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers. While the YMCA hopes to open this new facility within the next several years, the size, scope, and timing will ultimately be determined by the generosity of the community in support of this project.
“We are honored to receive this generous donation from Clarius Partners and we continue to be inspired by our community,” Chief Operating Officer Missy Durkin said. “We look forward to making progress toward our goals throughout the year-end season of giving and beyond.”
To learn more about the Morris Community YMCA’s Capital Campaign, please contact Chief Operating Officer Missy Durkin at (815) 513-8080 or visit www.jolietymca.org.
Pictured above (left to right): Morris Capital Campaign Leadership Cabinet Member and Corporate Committee Co-Chair John Sparrow, Clarius Partners Managing Principal Kevin Matzke, Greater Joliet Area YMCA Chief Operating Officer Missy Durkin, Clarius Partners Senior Vice President Taivo Tammaru, Clarius Partners Senior Vice President Craig Dannegger, and Morris Capital Campaign Leadership Cabinet Member and Corporate Committee Co-Chair Steve Barr.
Helping Kids Thrive: Bobby, Emory and Theo’s Story
At the Y, we know that learning doesn’t end when the school bell rings. The way children spend time outside the classroom can make a big difference in their personal development. By providing a safe place for children to keep their mind and body active while learning social skills and positive values, YMCA Kid Zone offers an enriching experience for the students and families we serve. These efforts are designed to support parents like Gina at Wood View Elementary School in Valley View School District 365U.
Gina and her husband Joseph have three kids in the YMCA’s Kid Zone program at Wood View Elementary: Bobby (11 years old), Emory (7 years old) and Theo (6 years old), each with their own unique and impactful experiences.
For Bobby, Gina noted that the Y has been particularly responsive to his special emotional needs.
“If the Y hadn’t been able to accommodate Bobby that would have been difficult to navigate. From the get-go, (Childcare Director) Sarah Porzel and the Y staff have been amazing. They have worked very hard to put any worries we had at ease,” Gina said.
Porzel credits the training YMCA Kid Zone staff have received for the high quality of childcare afforded to area families every day.
“We have worked with Valley View School District 365U to provide comprehensive training to our counselors and it has allowed them to be responsive to a wide range of situations with our students,” Porzel said.
Gina said that Kid Zone has also facilitated important social interaction for Theo, who began Kindergarten this fall.
“For him to be able to play together with other kids was very important. Kid Zone really gives kids another structured setting to interact with their peers and that has meant the most to us,” she said.
Providing students an opportunity to explore their personal interests is another important aspect of Kid Zone programming, something Gina has noticed with Emory.
“My daughter is very artsy and I know the Y offers regular craft time and projects, which has been great,” Gina said.
Overall, Gina said the YMCA Kid Zone experience has gone above and beyond to help her children thrive.
“From the moment the staff greet the kids, the level of engagement and structure is noticeable. We couldn’t be more grateful for YMCA Kid Zone,” Gina said.
If you are interested in registering for Kid Zone during the second semester of the 2022-23 school year, visit the program homepage by clicking here.
Support the YMCA on Giving Tuesday
Each day at our three YMCA facilities and at program sites throughout our community, the Y’s mission is making an impact. Kids are learning to swim and making new friends at summer camp and through our before and after school programs; seniors are experiencing community and connecting with neighbors once again; and teens are setting goals for their future while receiving college readiness and career training. None of this would be possible without the support of charitable giving.
This year, we invite our supporters to join the #GivingTuesday movement by making a tax-deductible donation to the Y’s Mission Strong Fund. A gift of any amount will help to change the lives of people living right here in our community – your friends and neighbors.
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