PRINTER'S NO. 2058
No. 334 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY DINNIMAN, BAKER, BOSCOLA, BRUBAKER, COSTA, FERLO,
FONTANA, GREENLEAF, KASUNIC, LAVALLE, O'PAKE, ORIE, PUNT,
REGOLA, RHOADES, STACK, STOUT, TARTAGLIONE, WASHINGTON,
WAUGH, A. WILLIAMS, C. WILLIAMS, WONDERLING, RAFFERTY, LOGAN,
FOLMER AND ERICKSON, MAY 14, 2008
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, MAY 14, 2008
A RESOLUTION
1 Commending the 156 local YMCAs for providing outstanding
2 community services and recognizing the month of May 2008 as
3 "YMCA Appreciation Month" in Pennsylvania.
4 WHEREAS, YMCAs are collectively the largest nonprofit
5 organization in this Commonwealth, with more YMCAs having been
6 founded than in any other state; and
7 WHEREAS, YMCAs are volunteer-founded, volunteer-based and
8 volunteer-led, with more than 32,000 Commonwealth residents
9 volunteering as coaches, mentors, program leaders, instructors
10 and board members; and
11 WHEREAS, YMCAs are charitable nonprofit organizations
12 providing access to everyone regardless of their ability to pay,
13 so that all have the opportunity to be a part of the YMCA family
14 and benefit from a wide variety of programs and services; and
15 WHEREAS, YMCAs in this Commonwealth collectively serve more
16 than 2 million people of all ages, races, gender, creeds,
17 religions, backgrounds and economic levels; and
1 WHEREAS, YMCAs in this Commonwealth collectively raise more
2 than $50 million for scholarships, subsidies and other community
3 services each year; and
4 WHEREAS, YMCAs are collectively the largest provider of child
5 care services, serving more than 19,000 children every day; and
6 WHEREAS, YMCAs are leading the fight against childhood
7 obesity through health and wellness programs, such as Activate
8 America, and partnering with the Centers for Disease Control,
9 foundations and hospitals to increase the fitness levels of
10 adults and families in this Commonwealth; and
11 WHEREAS, Pennsylvania YMCAs operate nine resident camps and
12 nearly 100 day camps, serving nearly 45,000 children, youths and
13 families; and
14 WHEREAS, YMCAs are battling homelessness by providing long-
15 term and short-term housing; and
16 WHEREAS, Pennsylvania YMCAs collaborate with community health
17 and wellness coalitions, juvenile courts, schools, churches,
18 local and county governments and civic organizations to provide
19 gang prevention, environmental education, international
20 programs, water safety, mentoring and tutoring programs, anti-
21 drug and alcohol education, teen leadership and civic
22 engagement, character development, structured family activities
23 and a variety of other programs for children, youths, adults and
24 seniors; and
25 WHEREAS, Nearly 45% of YMCA members and program participants
26 are under 18 years of age, and one in every ten members is over
27 55 years of age; and
28 WHEREAS, YMCAs are great contributors to this Commonwealth's
29 economy by collectively employing more than 17,000 people,
30 generating more than $130 million in payroll and benefits,
20080S0334R2058 - 2 -
1 adding $360 million to the economy through operating expenses
2 and generating $22 million in indirect and direct taxes to
3 support State and local government services; and
4 WHEREAS, YMCAs recognize the public trust placed in them as a
5 charity, they meet the highest standards of governance, ethics
6 and accountability, and they have established themselves as a
7 leader in the nonprofit community by improving their own
8 measures of accountability, transparency and community benefit;
9 and
10 WHEREAS, All YMCA activities incorporate the YMCA's core
11 values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility, and the
12 YMCA seeks to put Christian values into practice through
13 programs that build a healthy spirit, mind and body for all;
14 therefore be it
15 RESOLVED, That the Senate commend the volunteers and staff of
16 the YMCA for their service to the people of this Commonwealth
17 and their communities and recognize May 2008 as "YMCA
18 Appreciation Month" in Pennsylvania.
E8L82JS/20080S0334R2058 - 3 -