Strengthening Community

What makes a Strong Community?  Is it the achievements touted on the Chamber of Commerce website?  Or is it the number of new businesses opening on Main Street?  Or, could it be the improvement of our children’s test scores on the latest round of End of Grade testing?

      If we polled 100 citizens at the local mall, we might get 99 different answers. The answer to this question is as elusive as the children’s game of “Where’s Waldo?”  It may be elusive at first, but when you see it, you will recognize it.

     There is no standard definition of measuring the strength of any community.  There is no metric available today to effectively measure this highly subjective goal.  Everyone wants to make their home town stronger.  Everyone wants their home to be a 2013 version of the utopic “white picket fence.”

     So, in order to achieve this goal, every little community must work independently for its citizens and, meanwhile, work dependently within the greater community. Our children must be happy, healthy, nurtured, supported and growing.  Our adults must be employed, prosperous, healthy, giving, and challenged.  Our families must be supportive of one another, engaged with their children, caring for their elder members, and stable. Our infirmed must be properly cared for in times of need. Our streets must be safe and well kept.  Our neighborhoods must be free of crime and supportive of its fellow citizens. We must be focused like a laser beam in our schools on helping all children reach their full potential. Our churches must be inwardly focused on the spiritual growth of the individual, but in the meantime, focused externally on the needs of our fellow citizens.  Our social service organizations must be focused on identifying the gaps in care, and identifying citizens in those gaps, and using every tool possible to reach those citizens.

     These goals are complicated and intertwined. And, every concerned citizen has his/her own definition as to the methods and procedures of reaching these goals. So, how can we ever expect to reach our full potential when there are so many societal issues, pressures, and potential solutions pulling us in different directions. Not to mention the cultural differences between ethnic groups, political struggles, socio-economic issues, and more. 

     The scenario I have presented may cause you to throw your hands up and surrender. And, I wouldn’t blame you!

     At the Y, we don’t pretend to have all of the answers.  We only have two definitive solutions.  First, the Y will work tirelessly to take care of our little community within the greater community.  And, secondly, the Y will work within a coalition of willing partners to address the most pressing causes of our greater community.

     Through the resources within the Y, and the resources entrusted to us by our generous donors, we will love and care for your most prized possession…your children!  The Y will work with all children to help them grow.  We will create a fun atmosphere that will enable them to meet new friends, learn new skills, sharpen their developing and growing skills, and make a lifetime of memories.  The Y will hone the spirit, mind and body of every child in our care through Afterschool programs, Literacy programs, Summer Day Camps, Swimming, Sports, and Leadership Development. We will provide a safe environment when safety is a priority. We will feed children when they don’t have a support system that prioritizes their health or can’t afford to. The Y will be up to the task every day.

     The Y will assist anyone in need of developing a healthier life. Whether you need to prevent an illness that has affected your family members, or recover from a tragic accident or debilitating disease, the Y will provide support and encouragement.

     And, finally, the Y will support organizations and causes that affect the social fabric of our greater community. The Y will be a willing partner to address ongoing issues such as poverty, crime, literacy, education, hunger, etc.

     Join the Y in our internal quest for strengthening the individual. Or, join the Y in our fight for strengthening the community at large. There is always a place for you at the Y. Whether you may be seeking a self-serving need for improvement or seeking to help others reach their goals, the Y can be a solid contributor to reaching these goals.

     Our role may be just a small piece of Strengthening Community, but you can count on the Y to always be a stabilizing force for good!  The Y will be good for you and good for our community!