We don’t just operate inside our YMCA walls – we are engaged in our communities. The Y is an influential association of men, women, and children joined together by a shared commitment to nurturing the potential of kids, promoting healthy living, and fostering a sense of social responsibility. We believe that lasting personal and social change can only come when we all work together to invest in our kids, our health, and our neighbors.
Learn more about each of the following programs by reading on.
Support Our Impact Programs
If you are interested in supporting one of our impact programs please click here to donate or contact Susan Maida-Church, Director of Philanthropy at Smaida@family-ymca.org.
Our Impact Programs
YMCA Bright Beginnings is a community outreach program that provides children in need with new clothes and school supplies to start the school year with confidence and excitement. The Y organizes planned shopping days and volunteers to shop one-on-one with a child.
After a fun bus ride – in typical Y-fashion, singing and cheering are a must – the kids meet their volunteer shopper, eat a healthy breakfast, and then head out to find shirts, pants, shoes, socks, underwear, and coat. And at the end of the day, the kids receive a backpack filled with school supplies!
Volunteers for this program often come back year after year because they see first-hand the difference they are making!
The Rappahannock Area YMCA supports over 300 children annually through Bright Beginnings.
The Jon Fried Tennis & Education Academy is a stand-alone program under the auspices of the Massad Family YMCA and is affiliated with the United States Association – National Junior Tennis & Learning (USTA/NJTL and Net Generation. Keeping with the YMCA Open Doors Policy, the Academy focuses on children aged 4 to 16 regardless of the ability to pay. All children that participate are equipped with racquets, shoes, and apparel at no charge to their families.
The Tennis Academy isn’t just about tennis! The Academy also focuses on a healthy lifestyle and well-being by educating our students on the importance of nutrition and diet. We also serve balanced meals to our students.
We encourage character development in our students and work on confidence building by encouraging regular attendance and contribution to teamwork. We also believe in the power of education and incorporate STEM activities as a part of the experience of the JFTEA.
Open Doors serves as the heartbeat of our organization. At its core, the Open Doors program allows people to participate at the Y, regardless of the ability to pay. Serving as our financial scholarship program, the Open Doors assistance scale is graduated based on the number of members in a household and household income. Each year, The Rappahannock Area YMCA distributes over $750,000 in support to our members and participants. Open Doors discounts can be applied to membership, programming, such as basketball lessons, wellness/healthcare classes, and our School Aged Child Care (SACC) program.
Did you know one in six children who are not reading proficiently in third grade do not graduate from high school on time, a rate four times greater than that for proficient readers? At the Y, we realize that proficiency in reading and math unlocks many doors in a child’s future. Our YMCA Power Scholars Academy is a 5-week summer learning program that was designed to combat summer learning loss, or, the loss of knowledge between school years. We work with certified teachers and Y staff to bring research-based curriculum, books, and math manipulatives to the students. We work with the school systems to identify children in Title 1 schools that are identified as at-risk for summer learning loss. The results say it all! Our Power Scholars students gain an average of 2 months of reading and math skills and have a 95% attendance rate!
In Virginia, drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death among children. The Rappahannock Area YMCA is committed to protecting children by offering second-grade students swim lessons free of charge for 6-weeks during the school year. Our program, Safety Around Water, will equip each child with the skills they need to be confident in and around water. With this confidence, they can develop self-esteem, discover new ways to stay fit, and build lifelong relationships.
We appreciate the support from the local school boards to make this life-saving program happen.
The Rappahannock Area YMCA welcomes over 425 adults and 250 children with special needs each year. Our program has special activities designed to focus on physical, mental, and health benefits. We offer several annual events, including an adult Easter Egg Hunt, a Special Needs Dance, and tending to our beloved Giving Garden. Our Giving Garden is an opportunity to welcome adults with special needs a chance to give back by working in the garden on various gardening tasks throughout the year!
