Troy Family YMCA - Reach Out For Youth Scholarship Program

Each year the Troy Family YMCA embarks on a fund drive to support their Reach Out For Youth Scholarship program. This program is supported through the donations from members of the Troy community. The money that is collected allows the YMCA to provide scholarships to children and their families across the City of Troy who otherwise would not be able to afford YMCA programs and services. Each day you will find children from South Troy, Lansingburgh, North Central, and everywhere in between enjoying swim lessons, daycare services, after-school programs, or a visit to Camp Chingachgook on Lake George. This program assists in getting the kids off the streets and into a community center where can develop core values: caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility; values they will have forever.

I often hear from my neighbors, “We need more for the children to do.” A program like this provides that answer. Like all things it takes money. Last year the Troy YMCA collected over $150,000 which was then returned to the community in the form of scholarships for kids to enjoy the Y’s services. This is amazing stuff, but requires your help.

This is an on-going fund drive and, if you choose, you may pledge in one of several ways. The simplest is to make a one-time monetary donation of any amount. You can also sponsor the children by donating monthly. You can give a child the chance to make new friends, learn how to swim, and more with a YMCA membership for a year for just $9 a month. You can give 5 teenagers the chance to attend a three-day rally where they’ll learn leadership skills that will benefit them forever; this is just $21 a month. You can give 10 kids the chance to join a youth basketball program where they’ll develop team-building skills that will help them stay in school and be successful in life. This is just $42 a month. There are also several social fundraisers scheduled where you can donate to the program, as well.

For those of you who are still shopping for a special someone’s gift for Valentine’s Day, there will be a jewelry sale this Saturday, February 12th from 10am to 12pm at the Troy Family YMCA featuring Latebloomers Jewelry Design. All proceeds will benefit the Reach Out For Youth program. Then on Tuesday, February 22nd from 5pm to 10pm at the Recovery Room Sport Grill on Hoosick Street 15% of all customer bills will be donated to the Reach Out For Youth program. So, stop by with your family and friends to support the in YMCA in their mission.

To learn more or to donate contact Alecia Bilpuh, Membership Director, of the Troy Family YMCA at 272-5900 extension 2210 or email abilpuh@cdymca.org.

Locally, we have several great community centers that provide outstanding programming and services for our city’s youth. Those include the Lansingburgh and Troy Boys and Girls Clubs, the CYO, the Sunnyside Center, and the Ark. Each of these organizations, like the YMCA, serves a purpose in their specific communities. If you support their programming, great, please continue to do so. If you’d like to support the YMCA’s youth programming as well that’s even better. Either way, it’s the support of the youth in Troy that matters.