Why the Y? Case StudyStrengthening2009-12-11 Giving the Gift of the Y, Forever In May of this year, Bob Moriarty received the Shuart Reed Award for his 14 years of service to the Y. In his remarks that evening, excerpted below, Bob explained how he came to be involved with the Y in the first place, what he respects about the organization, and why giving to the Y Endowment is the best way to preserve and strengthens the foundations of our community. My parents were the primary example setters and they did so by faithfully living out—through actions more than words—the very simple, timeless, and powerful ethic of reciprocity, which, colloquially, requires that we do for others as we would do for ourselves. It strikes me that this virtue’s overlap with the Y’s core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility is not a coincidence. Later on, at college, that message was fortified by the Jesuits whose mission, first a foremost, was to educate “Men and Women for Others” and to equip us to help fashion—through all endeavors—a more just, humane, and sustainable world. This had a profound impact on me and inspired me to enter the Jesuit Volunteer Corps after college when, for two years, I lived and worked among society’s poor and marginalized. Full disclosure, it was not absolute volunteerism—I did receive a $57-a-month stipend and a free YMCA membership. In Jesuit-speak, this experience rendered me “Ruined for Life” which simply means that my commitment to justice and my responsibility to act did not end with my volunteer term. These experiences illustrate the reality that core values, if imparted early and broadly, can ultimately be woven back into the fabric of our communities, paying considerable dividends along the way. The Y in our Community Advancing and perpetuating this “virtuous circle” is precisely what the Y staff and volunteers do on a daily basis.Today, more than ever before, this cycle is being set in motion outside the nuclear family and outside of the home. It is also happening as state and municipal governments pull back—and in some cases off-load altogether—youth and family services. As a result, our kids, our families, and our communities have become more reliant on our institutions and charitable organizations to fill the void. While Summit is fortunate to have an abundance of organizations and volunteer groups that pitch in, none can match the breadth, scope, scale, reach, and quality of the programs and services offered by the Y. Viscerally, it is easy to see how the Summit Y distinguishes itself: • Its impressive longevity—124 years and counting. • Its unparalleled size—15,000 members—representing 29% of Summit residents and 17% of the overall service area. • Its geographic coverage—it’s not just Summit! The service area includes Springfield and Berkeley Heights—both with facilities of their own—as well as Millburn, New Providence, Sterling and Gillette. • Its diverse demographic—the Y serves people of all races, all religions, and all ages—from six week-olds to seniors and everyone in between. Open Door Policy Beyond all this—and less visible to all—the Y’s most distinguishable characteristic remains its unwavering commitment to an open door policy which mandates that all Y programs and services be made available to anyone, regardless of the ability to pay. Impressively, in an environment where many local not-for-profits are either pulling back or closing their doors, the Y has stepped up its financial assistance. In 2009 alone, the Y awarded more than $600,000 to more than 525 individuals primarily in the form of Learning Circle and summer camp scholarships as well as day care, membership, and program subsidies. In addition, the Y spends another $150,000 to $200,000 annually to fund community development and outreach programs such as the Summit Youth Center; the Achievers Program; the Latino Leadership Institute; the Youth and Government Program; the 7th Grade Initiative; ESL classes; and a variety of free community health events and services. Combined, the Y returns between $750,000 and $800,000 to the community and, by 2014, the Board of Trustees anticipates this number to rise to over $1 million annually. Endowment In 2006, understanding the annual campaign might be stretched to keep pace with the steep financial assistance demand curve, the Board of Trustees launched a $6 million endowment campaign to help preserve the Y’s open door policy for present and future generations. Today we are 79% of the way to $6 million. And, because we intend to reach our goal this September, I encourage each of you to consider making a pledge to the Y’s endowment. I also ask that you help spread the word by taking the time to share what you know about the Y with at least one family member, friend, or colleague. And when you do so, I ask that you view an endowment gift in the context of tonight’s celebration and consider the following: An endowment dollar given today will help support the Achievers program and other programs like it in the future. That endowment dollar will also help advance and perpetuate the aforementioned “virtuous circle” whereby the Y’s core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility take hold. And that endowment dollar may, one day, inspire beneficiaries like the Achievers here tonight to return to their communities and give back as they were given to. Thank you for your attention; thank you for this honor; and thank you for supporting the Summit Area YMCA. |
Filter the information you'd like to see
|
