GT Bay YMCA

Adult Sports
Camp
Child Care
Family
Health & Fitness
Teens
Tennis
Youth Sports
Facility Rentals
Programs by Age

Who can I contact?

Community Benefit Report

"Invest in Youth" Annual Campaign

Information on Appeal - Click here

Click here for Appeal Kick-off News

Click here for Invest in Youth Story

A note from Tom Van Deinse, CEO of the Grand Traverse Bay YMCA

Dear YMCA friends,

Our financial assistance requests have risen 38% over 2008 already through August this year. It’s no surprise that this year has been a difficult one for many people, and we’re helping as much as we can.

Our Board of Directors Community Appeal for Invest in Youth has started. As you plan the rest of your year, we hope you will keep the needs of the “Y Kids” in mind, both with your time as we look for help fundraising this year, and with your continued generous support.

We know we are not the only non-profit that looks to you for help. You continue to make this community great, and we thank you for that!

Invest in Youth: Creating a better life for kids and families in need.

Active people are healthy people regardless the age. They’re confident. Fit. Healthy. And most importantly, happy.

Unfortunately, some people can’t afford to participate in the kinds of programs we offer without your financial support.

At our Grand Traverse Bay Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), we are committed to kids, families and our community. We offer memberships to everyone. With this economy we all know not everyone has the means to take advantage of all the Y has to offer.

Through the Grand Traverse Bay YMCA Invest in Youth Appeal, you make it possible for kids and families to participate in the over 65 programs we offer. This could include:

+ Helping a child attend our summer camp to experience the outdoors and learn about our values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility.

+ Making it possible for a single, working mother to afford the high quality day care we can provide for her infant and two year old at our Y Child Care Center on Woodmere in Traverse City.

+ Giving the teen ager the opportunity to learn leadership skills in our Y Youth in Government Program.

+ Providing the opportunity for the family whose father was just laid off from his job a supportive community feeding their body, mind, and spirit.

+ Allowing the senior to fully participate as a member of the Y knowing that her declining income will not hold her back for getting a healthy lifestyle at the Y.

People and companies who gave to the Invest in Youth Appeal help over 500 people and families to receive nearly in scholarship and program assistance last year. We are looking for the generosity of people who can give $200,000 this year to meet this ever expanding need.

Click here to download a form to fill out your donation information.

Contact for further information:

Dave Eitland
Director of Development and Gift Planning
231.933.9622
dave@gtbayymca.org

"It's really about helping ..."

“It’s really about helping,” says Tom Van Deinse, CEO of the Grand Traverse Bay YMCA. (Traverse City, MI) “Our annual appeal raises needed funds to underwrite scholarships so that no one is denied participation in any one of the 65 programs we offer here at the Y.”

The Invest in Youth Campaign helps to provide funds to people who might not be able to afford some of the broad programs of the Y. “Over 500 families benefited from this campaign last year,” according to Van Deinse.

In addition to scholarships, a portion of the Invest in Youth Campaign donation will help the YMCA defray costs in starting up new programs. “We are in the process of building a new day care center in our Woodmere facility which will provide services for up to 75 families,” said Van Deinse, adding, “A big part of the facility will be our infant care center, but we’ll have rooms for younger and older toddlers as well.”

The YMCA is one of the largest organizations in the country that provides day care. An independent study commissioned by the Y showed that working mothers are in drastic need of affordable, quality day care like the new Y Daycare Center. The program will use the values based teaching called Creative Curriculum. This program is anticipated to open in December. In addition to day care, the Y is building up its aquatics program. These program expansions are anticipating the expanded program that will be offered in the New YMCA facility on Silver Lake Road (Traverse City, Michigan).

“Our board of directors take an active role in this campaign, contacting friends and colleagues to participate in this giving opportunity during October and November,” stated Van Deinse. “In addition we sponsor our annual Corporate Advisory Committee Luncheon where we invite the business community to hear of the great programs of the YMCA and a featured speaker. Volunteers from the business community serve on the CAC committee to insure the event’s success.”

The ambitious goal for the Invest in Youth Campaign this year is $200,000.

“Last year we had over 11,000 participants in our 65 different programs who used our facilities 250,000 times. And thanks to our ‘No One Denied’ financial assistance policy, we’ve never turned anyone away from the Y for inability to pay. It is through the generosity of many people that makes this happen,” according to Van Deinse.

Donate Now! Click here for Invest in Youth Donation Form.

We wish to acknowledge our event sponsor, Schmuckal Oil Company, for their gift to our annual YMCA Corporate Advisory Committee Luncheon held on Wednesday, October 28, 2009.

We thank our table sponsors: Cass Street E.N.T. Associates, Chase Bank, Cherryland Electric Cooperative, EverywhereUGo, National City Bank, Plante Moran Financial Advisors, and Traverse City State Bank.

We thank the members of the CAC for their working in making the Luncheon our largest luncheon to date.

To make a donation to our Invest in Youth Community Appeal, click here for a downloadable form.

111309