Washington Alliance of YMCAs

“The Y has helped it become easier.” Meet Dell, who found friendship and community at the YMCA after his wife tragically passed away in 2023. Dell had never done yoga in his life before coming to the Y but now attends classes almost every day and wants to become a yoga instructor. “You can make friendships. They’ve always got somebody that can help you out.”

Child & Adult Care Food Program sponsors in Washington feed youth healthy meals and snacks while teaching good eating habits. 2025 CACFP Excellence Award recipient in Nutrition Education is YMCA of the Inland Northwest Hunger initiatives coordinator, Angela Hanni. She was nominated by OSPI's Katie McConaughy, Nutrition specialist. Angela's nomination focused on her spearheading the development of an onsite, culturally relevant garden which she incorporated into education activities for her CACFP participants. She is currently working to incorporate new crops, including saffron, and provide opportunities for youth to experience foods and flavors from other cultures. Most recently, Angela became certified to lead a Junior Master Gardner program and will be implementing the curriculum this year. Here's to nourishing minds and bodies, one harvest at a time. 🌿🌎🍴 #YMCA #NutritionEducation #HealthyLiving #FindYourY

The verdict is in – another inspiring season of Mock Trial is in the books! ⚖️ Hundreds of youths across Washington stepped into the courtroom, gaining critical thinking, public speaking, and leadership skills while building confidence and community. Under the guidance of 123 volunteer coaches and the leadership of Nolan Martin, students tackled complex legal cases, showcased their advocacy skills, and learned what it means to create change through civic engagement. This season in numbers: 54 schools and organizations, 700+ attorneys & judges engaged, 9 district tournaments, 70 high school teams & 10 middle school teams, 26 teams at the state competition Mock Trial is youth development in action – a space where students of all backgrounds find their voices and step into leadership. This year’s participants reflected the rich diversity of our community, with over 40% youth of color and a welcoming environment for all gender identities. A special thank you to Nolan Martin for leading this season with passion and dedication, and to all the legal professionals, educators, and families who made this possible. Learn more about Mock Trial https://bit.ly/4kEr59x

Last week, our CEO and President, Suzanne McCormick joined YMCA youth advocates at the Y’s National Advocacy Days in D.C. to put civic learning into action! This week, Suzanne and Y advocates are building on that momentum to emphasize the importance of community bridge-building! 🌍✨ Check out Suzanne's latest blog post to learn more! 📢💙 #CivicLearningWeek https://lnkd.in/eYKE42S2

This afternoon I’ll have the privilege of representing our country’s 2,600 YMCAs while testifying in front of members of the Senate Select Committee on Aging.   The Y engages nearly 4 million adults over the age of 55 each year, and during my testimony I’ll share how YMCAs across the country help seniors make connections, build community and prevent or delay chronic disease.   The epidemic of loneliness in our country is acutely felt by seniors, and loneliness is known to have a negative effect on our health and well-being. Research has shown that seniors who engage with the Y experience a decrease in loneliness and increase in their overall well-being and social connectedness. I’ll be sharing this and more during my testimony today.   I invite you to watch the hearing live here at 3:30 p.m. Eastern: https://lnkd.in/dFK57B2g    #YMCA #YAdvocate  

Maybe you walk into the community center focused on your 20 minutes of cardio. Others members walk in to fight Parkinson's, hang with friends on Friday night, take free swim lessons or build community with other cancer survivors.