1Commending the 175 local YMCAs for providing outstanding
2community services and recognizing the month of May 2013 as
3"YMCA Appreciation Month" in Pennsylvania.

4WHEREAS, YMCAs are collectively the largest nonprofit
5organization in this Commonwealth, with more YMCAs having been
6founded than in any other state; and

7WHEREAS, YMCAs are volunteer-founded, volunteer-based and
8volunteer-led, with more than 20,000 Commonwealth residents
9volunteering as coaches, mentors, program leaders, instructors
10and board members; and

11WHEREAS, YMCAs are charitable nonprofit organizations
12providing access to everyone regardless of their ability to pay,
13so that all have the opportunity to be a part of the YMCA family
14and benefit from a wide variety of programs and services; and

15WHEREAS, YMCAs in this Commonwealth collectively serve more
16than 1 million people of all ages, races, genders, creeds,
17religions, backgrounds and economic levels; and

1WHEREAS, YMCAs in this Commonwealth collectively raise more
2than $40 million for scholarships, subsidies and other community
3services each year; and

4WHEREAS, YMCAs are collectively the largest provider of child
5care services, with one in five children receiving subsidized
6child care valued in excess of $12.5 million; and

7WHEREAS, YMCAs are leading the fight against child sexual
8abuse through a partnership with Darkness to Light, and
9partnering with foundations and local organizations serving
10youth to help identify, prevent and react responsibly to
11suspected cases of child sexual abuse in this Commonwealth; and

12WHEREAS, YMCAs are battling homelessness by providing long-
13term and short-term housing in a number of their facilities; and

14WHEREAS, Pennsylvania YMCAs collaborate with community health
15and wellness coalitions, juvenile courts, schools, churches,
16local and county governments and civic organizations to provide
17gang prevention, environmental education, international
18programs, water safety, mentoring and tutoring programs, anti-
19drug and alcohol education, teen leadership and civic
20engagement, character development, structured family activities
21and a variety of other programs for children, youths, adults and
22seniors; and

23WHEREAS, YMCAs recognize the public trust placed in them as a
24charity, they meet the highest standards of governance, ethics
25and accountability, and they have established themselves as a
26leader in the nonprofit community by improving their own
27measures of accountability, transparency and community benefit;
28and

29WHEREAS, All YMCA activities incorporate the YMCA's core
30values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility, and the

1YMCA seeks to put Christian values into practice through
2programs that focus on Youth Development, Healthy Living and
3Social Responsibility; therefore be it

4RESOLVED, That the Senate commend the volunteers and staff of
5Pennsylvania's YMCAs for their service to the people of this
6Commonwealth and their communities and recognize May 2013 as
7"YMCA Appreciation Month" in Pennsylvania.