Stories from the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago

May 2009

 

If you’re at the corner of 76th and Parnell, you’ll be in the Auburn Gresham community of Chicago, an area that for many years experienced residential flight and business disinvestment. But slowly, things have been looking up and the neighborhood is on the rebound.

 

On that corner, you’ll see a new child care facility with a vast expanse of glass, providing a wonderful view to SOS Children’s Village and the Jeanne Kenney YMCA Day Care Center, the Y’s most recent partnership.

 

This state-of-the-art center is a shining example of the Y’s commitment to provide quality human service programs for local residents, stepping up at a time when so many other organizations can’t afford to expand to meet growing needs.

 

As we see in the headlines everyday, and as we feel in our pocketbooks, we’re in the middle of the greatest economic crisis in the United States in recent history. Families are struggling to make ends meet. Some parents are searching for jobs. During this period of uncertainty, more people in the Chicagoland area are in need of the services provided by nonprofits like the YMCA.

 

By working together, we will serve 76 children with programs for ages six weeks to five years old and their families. The center features multiple activity rooms offering separated spaces for infants/toddlers, as well as for children up to five years old. The center offers upgraded playground equipment, healthy snacks and meals, and also provides care for children with disabilities.

Whether a parent is expected to work longer hours or is unemployed and needs support while searching for a new job, quality child care programs, such as those offered at Jeanne Kenney YMCA Day Care Center, give parents peace of mind and the assistance they need to succeed.