The Y’s Fall ‘Leaf’ campaign. Courtesy photo
YMCA News:
There is a movement being promoted across the country called Giving Tuesday that was created by the 92nd Street Y, a cultural center in New York City that since 1874 has been bringing people together around the values of service and giving. Its purpose is to celebrate and encourage giving.
“We have a day for giving thanks. We have two for getting deals,” says the Giving Tuesday website, “Now we have a global day dedicated to giving back.”
The idea is in its fourth year nationally, but this will be the first year The Family YMCA will participate. “We are very close to reaching our goal of raising $140,000 for financial assistance,” Y CEO Linda Daly said. “In fact we are just $3,000 short right now. At the end of October, we were $14,000 short, but numerous generous donors have stepped forward. We hope Giving Tuesday will push us over goal. I’d like to encourage Los Alamos families to support any number of charities or United Way.”
People can donate to the Y by coming in, mailing a check, or online at www.laymca.org, Daly said.
To date in 2015, Daly said, the Y has provided financial assistance to 267 people (last year it was 250) in 150 families (last year it was 135 families) so that they may participate in Y programs.
Financial assistance awards at the Y are based on a sliding scale with percentages tied to national poverty rankings, she said. Reasons cited on the applications for need indicated that 39 percent financially can’t afford to participate (college students, medical bills); 29 percent are from single parent families (recently divorced, widowed, etc.); 12 percent are a one-income family; 10 percent are on disability; and the remaining 10 percent are a mixture of unemployed, just moved to town, or homeless (1 person).
According to Daly, financial assistance has been awarded to people from Los Alamos County (87 percent); Rio Arriba County (8 percent); and to people from Santa Fe and Sandoval counties (5 percent).
She said the Y is holding a Fall Campaign, and all donors will be hailed on a “leaf” on the Y’s fall wall of honor.
