Mattoon Area Young Mens Christian Association

Healthy living - the y is a leading advocate for health and well-being in our community. We bring families together, promote healthy lifestyles, and foster connections through fitness, sports, and shared interests. This support is especially vital in a time when obesity, chronic illness, and the aftermath of the nationwide pandemic challenge individuals and families. Our healthy living programs are designed to be accessible, affordable, and open to everyone, regardless of faith, background, ability, or income. In the past year, we provided 232,976 in financial assistance to remove economic barriers to participation. With over 162,656 visits to our facility, individuals engaged in a variety of wellness programs, including cycling, bodypump, dance classes, tai chi, active older adult classes, swim lessons, lap swimming, and more. We serve all ages, from infants to seniors. Our ymca diabetes prevention program, which helps adults at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, has proven successful in reducing the risk by 58%, or 71% for those over 60, according to the national institutes of health. Additionally, we have continued to offer other health interventions with our blood pressure self-monitoring and healthy hearts programs.

Social responsibility - at the y, we believe in giving back to the community and responding to its most pressing needs. For over 30 years, we have developed programs, partnerships, and financial assistance initiatives to support our neighbors. Programs like membership for all empower individuals to create change, bridge gaps, and overcome obstacles. Last year, we reached 6,686 members and saw 409 volunteers contribute more than 3,970 hours to strengthen our community. Our community collaborations have flourished, from partnerships with local businesses to participating in community events. Our youth programs work with the community garden, nursing homes, and send cards to active military members. Our senior staff is active in local service organizations like rotary club, church youth groups, one stop community christmas, and peace meals. Additionally, we partner with the local hospital to provide members access to both the hospital's healthy living center and our ymca facility for their fitness needs. We also offer the use of our facility for community groups to host meetings, classes, and seminars. Every ymca staff member is cpr certified, and we offer this important service to the wider community as well. Through all of these efforts, we remain committed to helping our community thrive and supporting the next generation's success.