Stories from the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago

September 2008

 

Kenny's Story   Kenny Ruiz’s day starts when most of ours end. He hits the toughest streets in Chicago…and faces even tougher odds. His work isn’t a job; it’s a mission—to save lives. Sometimes, it takes him years to reach one youth and earn their trust. It’s well worth his effort and long nights that fade into daylight, if it means he can help that person leave a gang. He leads youth to understand that who they can become is far more important than who they are today. Our potential is infinite.

 

Sometimes it feels like we’re teetering on a precipice, balancing our lives between the uncertainty of change and the comfort of what we know. But, what gives us the strength to leap when we may not know what’s on the other side? Faith. Not necessarily in ourselves—somehow that’s never enough—but rather, the encouragement we get from others.

 

This year, the Y of Metro Chicago celebrates 150 years of service. The challenges our communities face today seemed unimaginable to us 20 years ago. Urban poverty is no longer just urban. Gangs are entrenched in the suburbs. The housing crisis has altered our landscape. The macro economy has filtered all the way to our pocketbooks and the rising cost of living is forcing our hand every day.

 

Yet the Y still stands ready to help. See… we’re not just a gym. We’re not just a class or a program or even a camp.

 

You belong to a social movement that began in England during the Industrial Revolution and then came to the United States, aspiring to give young men a safe haven from the temptations those times presented. Through the decades, the interpretation of our mission may have changed, but if you think about it, the core of our mission has not. What it means to build spirit, mind and body today is very different than what it used to mean in the early 20th century, but it’s just the stories and circumstances that have changed, not our commitment.

 

We offer pre- and post-natal care to young women who need to learn how to care for their child and for themselves. We have wellness centers that help people achieve lifestyle changes to help combat the increasing health risks associated with diabetes, heart disease and obesity. We provide job training and resources, from resume writing to interviewing skills, and if someone needs a suit for an interview, we’ll help with that too. We come into communities and offer our programs at schools, extending our Y’s reach beyond our own facilities. We’re mentors. We’re coaches. It’s about being there for people at the right times in their lives. That’s what the Y is about.

This social movement you belong to is not about a membership. It’s about self-discovery, challenging yourself to fulfill your potential and service to others. That’s what it means to belong to the Y of Metro Chicago.

 

Do you want to hear directly from the people you’ve helped through your donations? Click here to see our 150th anniversary video.

 

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