YMCA organizations across the country are building strong kids, strong families and strong communities.  In metro Denver, the YMCA is strongly supported by Mile High United Way’s Youth Success initiative.  This life-changing initiative empowers at-risk youth to overcome obstacles and graduate from high school.  Mile High United Way is proud to partner with the YMCA of Metropolitan Denver in providing after-school programs to thousands of children in metro Denver. 

A majority of the population served by YMCA of Metropolitan Denver are single parent, low-income families.  Mom or dad might be working a few different jobs to make ends meet, and their children need a safe place to go, especially after school.  Studies show that young people are more likely to become involved in crime, substance abuse and teenage pregnancy during unsupervised after-school hours, especially between 3 and 4 p.m. (National Center for Juvenile Justice, 1999).

YMCA’s hallmark programs center on youth development - their camps and after-school programs are well-regarded throughout the U.S.  Children aren’t just given a safe place to go after school; they are enriched with programs in core values such as caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.  Youth are also given strong role models to help foster positive relationships among students, peers, and adults in addition to having access to organized activities like sports, homework help, health and fitness.  Over 60,000 youth were served in YMCA of Metropolitan Denver last year. 

Jim Hiner, president and CEO, started his YMCA career as a camp counselor and has been with various YMCA organizations for 28 years. 

“Our youth programs are helping children in our community progress in school and in life,” Hiner said.  “It’s truly amazing – even if a child is enrolled in our Homework Help program for a half-hour every day during the week, we see tremendous improvement in grades. We know we are making a difference.”

Only one-third of metro Denver youth who would like to participate regularly in after-school programs are able to do so.  Click here to donate online to Mile High United Way’s Youth Success initiative and create a better future for more youth than you can imagine.  Or, dial United Way’s 2-1-1 to give or get help.