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YMCA programs are proven to have a positive impact on low income children, youth and families, dramatically enhancing their health and overall wellbeing, both today and well into the future.
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Success Stories
The YMCA impacts the lives of thousands of children every year through programs and support. On this web page you can read about a few of the people whose lives have been changed by your YMCA and the generous donors of the Strong Kids Campaign.
Asya and Arielle's Story
Twins Asya and Arielle were good students, but they had no idea how they were going to pay for a college education.
Their parents didn’t know how to advise them, and their family faced overwhelming financial difficulties, including a devastating house fire. Luckily for them, early in their high school career, friends encouraged them to enroll in the YMCA Minority Achievers, a program supported by the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign.
YMCA staff and volunteers focused the twins’ attention on choosing appropriate careers, based on their interests and abilities. YMCA mentors helped the girls research potential colleges, including tuition fees, entrance requirements, and the availability of all forms of financial aid. The twins attended monthly Minority Achiever seminars and workshops on college campuses across southeast Michigan, and participated in a week-long college tour. Y staff and volunteers helped the girls through the college application process, including applying for all types of financial aid.
“The YMCA made college real for me. Y staff helped me understand that I could do this,” said Asya.
The twins’ hard work paid off. In the spring of 2007, Asya was admitted to Grand Valley State College and Arielle was accepted into Wayne State University. Together, the girls earned a total of $39,000 in scholarships. In total, 22 Minority Achievers participants earned more than $400,000 in college scholarships and financial aid in 2007.
Asya and Arielle will begin their sophomore year in September of 2008. The girls are proof positive that funding from the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign helps empower individuals to transform their lives.
Eric's Story
When 12 year old Eric slouched into the principal’s office, it was obvious he was a troubled young man. Defiant, disrespectful, disobedient, Eric was taking the first steps down a path that could have a serious negative impact on his life.
Luckily for Eric, the YMCA had recently contacted the school and invited the principal to select several children to go to YMCA resident camp on a scholarship provided by the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign. After a brief interview with Eric and a phone call to his parents, paperwork was signed. Eric promised to make the most of his opportunity, and within a month, Eric was off to camp.
At YMCA Camp Nissokone, Eric learned more than the difference between a maple leaf and an oak leaf, or how to tell a frog from a toad. He learned that the kid who talks the loudest doesn’t always have the best ideas. He learned that by working together, a team of eight boys can accomplish what no one of them could ever accomplish alone. And he learned that giving respect is a critical step toward deserving respect.
Eric’s parents could barely believe the difference in their son on his return home. “It’s amazing,” his mom said. “Eric seems so much more responsible now. He picks up his room. He doesn’t’ have to be told everything twice. He’s more willing to talk to us, and I think he’s actually listening.”
Eric is just one of hundreds of kids who learn important, affirming life lessons participating in YMCA resident camps each summer. Thanks to the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign, even kids whose families can’t afford camp fees have opportunities to discover their strengths and grow in positive ways that often surprise their parents.
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