BUILDING OUR FUTURE
Maybe it’s the smell of chlorine or the flapping of pool shoes on wet tile. Perhaps it is the dull thudding of a basketball being dribbled just before the swoosh of a shot that’s nothing but net. It could be the unmistakable aroma of craft glue and crayons. Many people have memories of the YMCA—a smell, a sound, a feeling that transports them back to childhood afternoons spent in the safe embrace of their community Y. That’s because the Y is here for everyone and has been for more than 125 years. The YMCA of the Virginia Peninsulas is the “third place” outside of work and home where people can gather and know they will be welcomed and embraced. The Y is a leveling place of safety and acceptance for all people regardless of race, persuasion, faith, and economic status. Today, many societal challenges to unity, inclusion, and equity threaten to divide us. Consequently, the Y must be prepared to sustain our communities and serve the common good. That’s why we plan to renovate and expand some of our facilities. The work of the Y is built on our purpose, our people, our places, and our programs. Our places are the tools that allow our people to provide our programs, which fulfill our purpose. We are in the planning process of a multi-year, multi-million-dollar renovation project that will allow us to make needed upgrades.
Our vision is bold. In six of our communities, we endeavor to uplift our spaces, the vehicles through which we create change. The $20 million campaign goal will impact these communities for generations through life-changing programs and services. And we need you to walk alongside us as we commit to a bold vision for the future.
It is together that we build our future.
“More than any other time, we need this ‘third place’ right now. We’re being bombarded with so many issues that are causing division. We really need a place that shows what our country is all about—unity, diversity—and a place of respect and love.”
LaMonte Williams
Volunteer Chair, YMCA of the Virginia Peninsulas
