THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY BOSCOLA, DINNIMAN, ALLOWAY, BAKER, BLAKE, BREWSTER, BROWNE, COSTA, EARLL, ERICKSON, FERLO, FONTANA, GORDNER, GREENLEAF, HUGHES, KASUNIC, KITCHEN, MENSCH, WAUGH, ORIE, PILEGGI, PIPPY, RAFFERTY, SCHWANK, SOLOBAY, STACK, TARTAGLIONE, WASHINGTON, D. WHITE, M. WHITE AND WILLIAMS, MAY 10, 2011

INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, MAY 10, 2011  

A RESOLUTION

Commending the 178 local YMCAs for providing outstanding

community services and recognizing the month of May 2011 as

"YMCA Appreciation Month" in Pennsylvania.

WHEREAS, YMCAs are collectively the largest nonprofit

organization in this Commonwealth, with more YMCAs having been

founded than in any other state; and

WHEREAS, YMCAs are volunteer-founded, volunteer-based and

volunteer-led, with more than 30,000 Commonwealth residents

volunteering as coaches, mentors, program leaders, instructors

and board members; and

WHEREAS, YMCAs are charitable nonprofit organizations

providing access to everyone regardless of their ability to pay,

so that all have the opportunity to be a part of the YMCA family

and benefit from a wide variety of programs and services; and

WHEREAS, YMCAs in this Commonwealth collectively serve more

than 1 million people of all ages, races, gender, creeds,

religions, backgrounds and economic levels; and

WHEREAS, YMCAs in this Commonwealth collectively raise more

than $50 million for scholarships, subsidies and other community

services each year; and

WHEREAS, YMCAs are collectively the largest provider of child

care services, with 128 YMCAs serving more than 19,000 children

every day; and

WHEREAS, YMCAs are leading the fight against childhood

obesity through health and wellness programs, such as Activate

America, and partnering with the Centers for Disease Control,

foundations and hospitals to increase the fitness levels of

adults and families in this Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania YMCAs operate nine resident camps and

nearly 130 day camps, serving nearly 48,000 children, youths and

families; and

WHEREAS, YMCAs are battling homelessness by providing long-

term and short-term housing; and

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania YMCAs collaborate with community health

and wellness coalitions, juvenile courts, schools, churches,

local and county governments and civic organizations to provide

gang prevention, environmental education, international

programs, water safety, mentoring and tutoring programs, anti-

drug and alcohol education, teen leadership and civic

engagement, character development, structured family activities

and a variety of other programs for children, youths, adults and

seniors; and

WHEREAS, YMCAs recognize the public trust placed in them as a

charity, they meet the highest standards of governance, ethics

and accountability, and they have established themselves as a

leader in the nonprofit community by improving their own

measures of accountability, transparency and community benefit;

and

WHEREAS, All YMCA activities incorporate the YMCA's core

values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility, and the

YMCA seeks to put Christian values into practice through

programs that build a healthy spirit, mind and body for all;

therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate commend the volunteers and staff of

the YMCA for their service to the people of this Commonwealth

and their communities and recognize May 2011 as "YMCA

Appreciation Month" in Pennsylvania.