Dear Y Family and Friends,

The past year was a challenging year for our Y, and it required a collective effort to deliver on the escalating needs of our community. Diversity and inclusion have played a major role and will continue to do so in our ability to deliver equitable outcomes to the populations we serve. At the Y,  we are committed to strengthening our community by uniting our local partners, staff, and donors like you, towards addressing adaptable problems plaguing our society. Our passion lies deeply with serving our youth and providing them with onramps to opportunities. Whether it is helping our youth develop workforce skills or emotional well-being, our focus starts with the future leaders of tomorrow.

We write asking for you to support our annual Partners with Youth campaign.  Contributions from this annual campaign play a significant role in funding the operations of our Youth Programs. Your continued support is what enables our Y to provide quality programs and services at an affordable rate. Contributions from Partners with Youth can help provide scholarships to underprivileged children of Somerville and the surrounding communities.

Our Y continues to meet the changing needs of our community. The need for Out-of-School Time (OST) became a glaring one after several meetings with our city and local partners, along with feedback from families in the community.  As a result, we launched a new Pre-K/Kindergarten Out-of-School Time Program. The launch of this program was done in coordination with the city of Somerville and local partners. The Y  provides transportation for children coming from Somerville Public Schools and the Prospect Hill Academy Charter School. Our Pre-K/K OST Program is geared at fostering self-esteem, addressing each child’s individual needs, and promoting their physical, intellectual, and social/emotional well-being.

During the pandemic, we saw a significant rise in food insecurity among households, especially those with children. School closures left many children in our community vulnerable to food insecurity because a lot of children in our community rely on school lunch & breakfast programs. Our Y found a way to help by collaborating with Food for Free to provide weekly grocery boxes to our families and the community. In addition, weekend backpacks—full of snacks and fresh fruit—are available on Fridays for children in our childcare programs.

The Somerville Y is proud of its commitment to providing FREE swimming lessons to our youth members.  We also offer affordable youth sports programs such as Karate, Basketball, and Soccer to our members and the community.

For over 150 years, the Somerville Y has been a vital support system for children, families, and adults. Your contributions to our Partners with Youth Campaign will go towards shaping opportunities provided to youth in our community. Contributions can be made in person, online, or by mailing the enclosed pledge card. Online contributions can be made by visiting www.somervilleymca.org/give. Our impact is only possible through your partnership and support.

Sincerely,

Vladimir Benoit                                   Denise Forcellese

President & CEO                                   Director of Membership/Programming