YMCA World Service
Did you know there are YMCA movements in more than 120 countries around the world? These YMCAs are not owned or operated by the YMCA of the USA. They are independent, autonomous YMCAs that serve the needs of their communities in cities and towns, rural areas and vast metropolises, major western nations and new developing countries. YMCAs abroad may not look anything like what we know as the YMCA in the USA. In fact many YMCA’s overseas do not have buildings! That’s why it is always important to remember it is the people who make the YMCA such a powerful and influential organization here and around the world.
The West Cook YMCA is proud to be a part of our global family, and International programming is an important part of our identity in our local community.
The West Cook YMCA supports YMCA World Service (www.ymca.net/worldservice)
through special in-house activities and fundraisers throughout the year.
In the summer of 2008, the West Cook YMCA Summer Camp hosted 10 international speakers who shared with the campers about their experiences living in another country. The young people donated more than $600 to World Service through a penny drive which lasted all summer, and through the efforts of the Teens in Motion who held sno-cone sales during the hot weather at the Y.
One of the YMCAs employees, Lekia Savage, volunteered at the YMCA Youth Event sponsored by YMCA Europe which was held in Prague in August. More than 7,000 young people from YMCAs around the world attended the week long event.
The West Cook YMCA also hosted its first Annual Prayer Breakfast in conjunction with the World YWCA-YMCA World Week of Prayer in November. Leaders of the Faith communities in Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park, and Maywood were invited along with Board members, staff, and friends of the YMCA. The speaker was Mr. Sam Evans, former National Board Chair of the YMCA of the USA and former Director of the International Group, Y/USA.
To learn more about the global scope of the YMCA movement, you can visit www.ymca.int. This is the website of the World Alliance of YMCAs which is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
To learn more about International programming and opportunities at the West Cook YMCA, contact Jan Pate, Vice President Development/Operations at 434-0203 or jpate@westcookymca.org.
