A week ago the La Porte County Family YMCA posed this question on facebook:
In two sentences or less, why do you love your Y?
One of the first responses was by a mother of a little boy whose father is in the military. She simply said:
Your support of military families.
This short sentence means a lot; it is the vision of the Y becoming a reality. The La Porte County Family YMCA participates in the Military Outreach Initiative which allows military families to participate in Y programs. This little boy's dad was injured while on active duty thus qualifying him for a grant from the Our Military Kids organization to attend the YMCA Summer Adventure Camp. This little boy was having a particularly hard time while his dad was deployed over seas this summer. Now, given this opportunity to attend summer camp he will be distracted by all of the fun, learning activities and finally get to enjoy the summer while his dad is away. Lives are changed every day at the Y. For many children, families and adults the Y community becomes family. It is a place to come where they can learn, grow and thrive. Without the help from donors and volunteers stories like this little boy's would never be told.
In the photo, he is all smiles as he attends his first day of camp.