INVESTING IN THE FUTURE: CELEBRATING YOUTH PROGRAMS AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

On Monday, October 16, the Y held a press conference with community partners, ExxonMobil and the Huey and Angelina Wilson Foundation. The Y announced the summer enrichment program success made possible by ExxonMobil’s support which led to a 57 percent increase in summer camp participation at the ExxonMobil YMCA. Quality summer programs can help prevent learning loss and improve academic outcomes from children, especially those from families with financial barriers. The Y also announced the investment in a capital project to launch an Early Childhood Education Center at the ExxonMobil YMCA thanks to support from the Huey and Angelina Wilson Foundation. We’re grateful for our community partners working to improve accessibility for out-of-school time programming and the future early care and education center coming to North Baton Rouge.

MY BROTHER'S KEEPER CERTIFICATION

We are excited to announce that The Y and MBK Baton Rouge have received the Entry Level certification from the My Brother's Keeper Alliance! This certification is one of the first certified communities in the MBK Leadership Network! The Y will be representing MBK Baton Rouge at the National Convention this month in Chicago, IL.

This certification will take a consistent and collected effort from all community partners to ensure the safety, well-being and success of boys and young men of color across Baton Rouge. If you would like to participate in an upcoming planning discussion for ways to engage with our community and strengthen our efforts, please contact us at mbkbr@ymcabr.org.

The YMCA of the Capital Area hosted its 13th Annual Beyond the Green Golf Tournament on Friday, October 13, 2023. This event was a success thanks to our sponsors, committee members, volunteers, participants and staff who helped to raise funds to support the mission of the Y. The tournament was a sold out event with 36 sponsors! The Y raised $76,817.11, which will be used to help strengthen our community through programs that positively impact youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Please visit ymcabr.org to view all gold, silver and bronze level sponsors.

HOLIDAY CAMP

The Y offers a fun and safe place for children to spend their day during school closures. The next holiday camp will take place during Thanksgiving break. Holiday camp is available for children ages 4-13 from 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. at the following locations:

A. C. Lewis YMCA

Americana YMCA

C. B. Pennington Jr. YMCA

Paula G. Manship YMCA

Dow Westside YMCA

ExxonMobil YMCA

24-HOURS NOW AVAILABLE AT 2 LOCATIONS

The Charles W. Lamar Jr. YMCA is now open 24-hours!

Current Y Members can become 24-hour members for an additional $5 a month. Click below to add 24-hour access to your membership. This is the second YMCA location to add 24-hour access. The Dow Westside YMCA also offers 24-hour access.

COSTUME DRIVE DONATIONS

The Y would like to thank everyone who donated costumes to our 12th Annual Halloween Costume Drive! We collected 105 costumes that will be distributed to children in need through a partnership with 10/31 Consortium.

ANGEL TREE CHRISTMAS GIFT OUTREACH

Each year, the YMCA of the Capital Area provides Christmas gifts to children in need. The gifts are collected through community members who choose an angel (child) and purchase a gift for that child. 

All YMCA locations will have angels available in November if you would like to sponsor a child this Christmas. 

Please purchase a gift between $15 - $30 and return it, unwrapped, along with the angel to any of the YMCA of the Capital Area locations. Gifts are due back to the Y by Dec. 7. 

Would your company or organization like to help?

We have already received 307 applications for assistance this year so the need is greater than ever! If your company would like to help in hosting a collection drive please email khogan@ymcabr.org.

Thank you for your continued support of our Angel Tree program!

RUN THE RUNWAY 5K and 1 MILE

Join us as we Run the Runway! Our 5K and 1 Mile run and walk on Saturday, November 18 at the Baton Rouge Airport is for adults and kids!

Registration is now open, $35.

A big THANK YOU to all of our sponsors for this event:

BRYC PARTNERSHIP

Dow Louisiana (Dow), the Iberville Parish School Board (IPSB), the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition (BRYC) and the YMCA have teamed up to launch BRYC's first satellite campus in Addis, La. with the shared goal of expanding access to equitable educational opportunities in our region.

The pilot program began on Thursday, September 14, and operates weekly at the Dow Westside YMCA for 8th- and 9th-grade students attending Iberville schools. The after-school program runs from 4:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. and includes skill development, tutoring, and academic mentorship from Dow employees. Read more HERE!

THANKSGIVING HOURS

MONTHLY SPOTLIGHTS

This month’s Member Spotlight is Mr. Gerard!

Mr. Gerard is 96 years old and has been coming to the Y for over 50 years! He likes that the Y offers a variety of workout equipment and that it is convenient for him to get to. Mr. Gerard expresses that the Y is a necessary part of his life.

To all new members Mr. Gerard says "Please come regularly. Form the habit to workout and you will feel a lot healthier"!

This month, our Employee Spotlight is Mike Keyser!

Mike began working at the Y in January of 2022 and currently works at the front desk. He has also worked as a fitness attendant and in the maintenance department. Mike's favorite part of working at the Y is the members. He says, " It feels like I’m with my second family when I’m at work because everyone here is so friendly, and I enjoy interacting with all our members."

Mike is an amazing asset to the Y. He is reliable, dedicated, considerate, hard-working and has an amazing compassion for our members. We are grateful to have him as a part of our team.

PROGRAMS

Job Opportunities

Holiday Camp

Nutritional Services

Group Exercise

Tennis Program

Youth Boot Camp

Y360 Virtual Workouts

UPCOMING

EVENTS

November 5: Daylight Savings ends

November 6: Last day of sports registration

November 7: T-Shirt Tuesday

November 17: Friend Friday, Y members can bring a friend for free today!

November 18: Run the Runway

November 22: Member Appreciation Day

November 23: Happy Thanksgiving

November 28: Giving Tuesday

For the latest Y news, visit ymcabr.org