1725 Locust Street, Chillicothe, MO 64601

   Phone:  660-646-6677    FAX:  660-646-5668

YMCA Christian Outreach & Y-Pals Schedule

Click here to view our Y-PALS photo gallery!

Annual Y-PALS Celebrity Waiter Dinner 2013:
"Back to the 80's" - April 12, 2013, Chillicothe Elks Lodge... Photos and Results

Y-PALS Celebrity Waiters Dinner 2012... "An Enchanted Evening" photos.

NEEDED: Men and women with a positive attitude willing to mentor boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 14. We have a waiting list anxiously awaiting a Y-Pal.
Call Sally Peterson at 646-6677 today!

Y-Pal Events

	Y-Pal Miranda Wilson and her family enjoy another round of pancakes at the Annual Y-Pals Back to School Breakfast at the YMCA Saturday, August 27, 2011. Over 40 people attended including Y-Pals, mentors, and their families.
	Kiwanis member Joe Hardie serves more sausage and pancakes that he and Alice Swartz cooked for the Y-Pals at their back-to-school breakfast. Also pictured is Sally Peterson, Y-Pals Director, and Y-Pals mentor Gary Miller.

For more information, contact Sally Peterson, Y-PALS Coordinator, at 660-646-6677.

Y-Club for Youth Y-Pals
Kids ages 6-14 that have applied for a Y-Pal or are currently a Y-Pal are welcome to attend Y-Club which meets on the 1st & 3rd Tuesdays of each month from 3:30-4:30 pm. Diane Kerns is the leader and has fun-filled learning activities for the kids. The sessions are free and refreshments are served.

LuckY-Clover 4-H CLUB meets at the YMCA on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Building Strong Families

Call Sally for reservations as classes are limited to 10.

Mentor Training for Newly Enlisted Mentors
All prospective mentors (Adult Y-Pals) are required to participate in Mentor Training before they are assigned a youth. Sessions are held the 1st Thursday of every month. We meet in the Multipurpose room at the “Y” from 6:00-7:00 pm.

We also need adults to transport children on Tuesdays to the YMCA for Y Club and 4H Club. They will have a ride home.

Youth Building Strong Families meets every Tuesday from 3:30 to 4:40 pm.

Dinner Theater Raises Over $7,000
Published: Tuesday, April 21, 2009, C-T

CAPTION: Close to 120 people attended a mystery dinner theater Friday night which was held in the Family Life Center at the Chillicothe United Methodist Church. The event was held as a fund-raiser for the Grand River Area Family YMCA’s Y-Pals program — a program designed to offer mentors for children that may be in need of positive adult role models. Submitted Photo/C-T

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C-T Photo/Megan Neis 06 01 06

CAPTION: YMCA Summer Buddy Program members and several members of the public enjoyed fishing at the Litton Agri-Science Learning Center. The fishing event was sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation which gave a 30-minute instruction to children before they fished.

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MISSION STATEMENT
The Y-PALS program provides children in need with an adult role model and regularly scheduled activities so that these children, through one-on-one interaction with the adult volunteer, will receive guidance, a wider variety of appropriate life experiences, and opportunities for friendship and companionship.

What is Y-PALS?
"Young People Actively Learning Success" is a program for children who need a positive role model, more self-esteem, and self-confidence. The program is for children in single-parent or dual-parent families. Y-PALS helps kids build social skills, develop a friendship, and provides them with someone who will listen. Y-PAL volunteers share their free time with a youth about four hours per month. Y-PALS can do ordinary things like talking on the phone, playing board games, going bowling, making dinner, walking the dog, going to the library, and reading to each other. Through these activities, the child develops a positive self-image which will help him or her imagine a brighter future.

Who May Participate?
Youth: Any boy or girl ages 6-14 who is referred to the YMCA with a need.
Adult : Any man or woman, 18 years or older, who is willing to share time with a youth on a weekly basis.

How Do I Apply to be a Volunteer?

1. Submit the form to receive an application. Fill out the application and return it to the YMCA.

2. Complete an interview and undergo background screening.

3. Review materials on potential matches and discuss with Y-PALS staff. Sign the volunteer contract and meet your Y-PAL.

4. Keep monthly phone appointments with Y-PALS staff to report on your activities and your relationship with your pal.

We currently have a Y-PAL Waiting List!
Please join our program to help these kids.

Volunteer Qualifications

• You will enjoy being a part of Y-PALS.
  Provides a one-on-one relationship between an adult volunteer and a child of the same gender for the purpose of friendship, positive role-modeling, support and enhancing the child's emotional growth

• You will be a great mentor.
  If you have 4 hours a month to spend with a child, you can make a world of difference. You don't have to be a rocket scientist, wealthy or even perfect to be a mentor. You just have to be yourself - a responsible adult willing to commit to a child for at least one year of regular contact.

• You are qualified.
  To be a mentor, you must be 18 and complete the application process. the confidential process involves filling out a questionnaire, meeting with a Y-PALS staff person, providing personal references and a criminal background screen. Not everyone who applies is accepted.

• It doesn't take much time to be a Y-PAL.
  We ask that you spend at least 4 hours per month with your Pal and that you meet on a regular basis. When you meet and what you do is up to you. Most matches get together one hour a week or two hours every couple of weeks.

• You'll have lots of guidance and support.
  The Y-PALS program wants you to succeed! We offer monthly activities for Y-PALS and their mentors - a Monday evening activity that includes dinner and an activity. Your own school-age children are always welcome to attend any and all Y-PALS events with you and your Pal.

• You and your spouse can both be Y-PALS.
  You and your spouse can mentor a child together, or you can each be matched with a different child. Some couples have chosen to mentor brothers and sisters from the same family. Of course, both spouses must apply and be accepted in the program.

• Include your Pal in normal activities.
  The more "ordinary" activities you do with your Pal, the better! Include your Pal in your every-day life. Attend football games together, go to church, wash your car, set the table, cook dinner, fold laundry, wash the dog, take a walk, watch a favorite weekly show, take a YMCA class, go to the library, garden...

Youth Candidates

• Parents, teachers, friends or a service agency may refer a child to the Y-PALS Coordinator. After the application form is submitted, the parent/guardian and child complete an interview with Y-PALS' staff.

• Y-PALS' staff will take additional steps to finalize the referral. The parent and child sign the Y-PALS' agreement. The time required to match a child with a volunteer depends upon the availability of volunteers.

The Y-PALS' coordinator, in consultation with the parent(s), volunteer, school personnel, and possibly others, gives special consideration to the interests and needs of each child before placing him or her with a volunteer. There is no guarantee that a child will be matched.

If you are interested, complete the online Y-PALS form
or contact Sally Peterson at the YMCA.

Contact Sally Peterson to come present a program for you regarding the Y-PALS.

Thanks to the following Y-PALS for making this program a success.
Updated 07 29 08

• Axtell, Valerie with Zoe

• Bachman, Sue with Aimmie

• Bryan, Mary with Tehya

• Colton, Debbie with Detril

• Cowherd, Lou with Cayla

• Earley, Patrick with Jimmy

• Ewing, Donna with Blake

• Foli, Jeff with CJ

• Gratton, Mark with Andrew

• Keith, Ronwith Garrett & Hayden

• Leopard, Marsha with Devan

• Merrill, Vicki with Britanie

• Miller, Gary with Braxton

• Miller, Judy with Bridgett

• Peetz. Pam with Jordan

• Riggle, Kayce with Kaylee

• Stephens, Becky with Ashley

• Supple, Amy with Brooke

• Timmons, Joe with Damon

• Venner, Chris with Amber

• Willis, Ellen with ZaKari

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LUNCH BUDDIES
If you want to make a difference in a child's life and have 30 minutes a week, this program is for you. A growing number of America's children are in need of a mentor and role model and Lunch Buddies seeks to fill that void.

Adult volunteers are matched with a student so they can eat lunch together once a week at that student's school. Adults have the option of buying a school lunch, bringing a sack lunch from home, or bringing lunch for himself and his buddy from a local fast-food restaurant. School lunches for adults are $1.50 at the public school and $1.40 at Bishop Hogan. The student's meal is paid for through the student's school lunch program. Neither volunteer or student need to be a YMCA member to participate.

What do volunteers like best about being a Lunch Buddy?

• "I enjoyed making him smile."

• "... strengthening and building a relationship with her."

• "... seeing her get excited to see me each week."

• "... he felt like he was accepted by his peers and 'popular' with his buddies because I was there."

What do the children like best?

• "... having a friend that will sit and listen."

• "... being able to talk to somebody different."

• "I wish he'd eat with me every day."

• "... just having someone to eat with."

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STUDY BUDDIES
Study Buddies is designed to match an adult volunteer with a student who needs extra help with his/her homework. The adult volunteer and student meet in the student's classroom once a week for 30 minutes to work with the student as instructed by the teacher. Study Buddies is offered from September through May of each year. If you are interested, please call Sally Peterson at 660 646 6677.

SUMMER BUDDIES
Wednesday, May 24, 2006

The Grand River Area Family YMCA Summer Buddies programs offers a variety of activities for students and volunteer opportunities for adults. According to Sally Peterson, Y-Pal coordinator, the Summer Buddy Program runs through the months of June, July and August and serves as an extension of the Y-Pal program which is held throughout the school year.

Children ages 6-14 may participate in the program and will have the opportunity to participate in several activities throughout the summer months. “I am in search of positive adults to serve as role models for our Summer Buddies,” Amen commented. “This is a perfect opportunity for you to make a new friend who needs you, have fun and serve the community in a positive way.” According to Amen, this program is similar to the Big Brother/Big Sister Program and volunteers are required to spend a least four hours a month with an assigned “buddy.”

In addition to the one-on-one time between the volunteers and the youth, additional activities are planned from June to August.

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BACKPACK BUDDIES
Hunger doesn't take the week off! Please consider making a donation to the Backpack Buddies Weekend Feeding Program. Your gift of $150 dollars will serve one child for the school year. Make checks payable to: YMCA Backpack Buddies

Contact Sally Peterson (660-646-6677) for more information.

CAPTION: Members of the Chillicothe R-2 Career Independence class prepare 75 back packs filled with food to go to the R-2 elementary and middle schools this (Friday) morning as part of the Grand River Area Family YMCA’s Backpack Buddies program. The program provides children in need with backpacks filled with enough food to feed them over the weekend and are sent out every Friday afternoon. Organizers say the program is in need of $3,500 in order to fill the backpacks through the entire school year. By Laura Schuler, C-T

Press Release July 17, 2008...

The purpose of Backpack Buddies is to provide food over the weekends to elementary students who qualify for free or reduced lunch.

The Missouri Department of Education reports 41%, or 768 children, in the Chillicothe School District qualify for free or reduced lunch. That number has risen significantly since 2001 when 34%, or 705 students in the district qualified for the same program.

The Grand River Area Family YMCA and Second Harvest of Greater St. Joseph have partnered for a fourth year to ensure Chillicothe children will take something special home in their backpacks for the weekend—kid-friendly, single serve food that is low in sugar and high in vitamin C and calcium.

Through Backpack Buddies, America's Second Harvest of Greater St. Joseph and the Grand River Area Family YMCA are working to develop an essential and effective partnership with the Chillicothe public school district to help children who are identified as at risk of going hungry over the weekend.

Donations to sponsor a child are needed. The cost is $125 (or about $3.70 per backpack of weekend food) per child for the entire school year. A goal has been set to raise $12,500 for 2009. Donation deadline is September 1st. Please contact Sally Peterson, Christian Outreach Director at the Y, for more information.

A new session of Building Strong Families classes will be coming soon. We would love to have your child as a Y-PAL. Children  6-14 are eligible. We are still interviewing adult mentors. Call Sally at 646-6677 for more information.

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CHRISTIAN OUTREACH
Beginning January 2, 2001, the Grand River Area Family YMCA became one of the nation's first YMCA's to expand in the direction of Christian Outreach by adding the duties of Christian Outreach director to the title of Mrs. Lisa Graves. Today's YMCA's are focusing more on what is called "lighting up the "C" in the YMCA." The introduction of this position is in line with the YMCA's national move toward integrating character development for staff and members within its programs. Key values include: honesty, caring, responsibility, and respect. This direction is a continued focus on the organization's founding principles.

Building Strong Families

Call Sally for reservations as classes are limited to 10.

Mentor Training for Newly Enlisted Mentors
All prospective mentors (Adult Y-Pals) are required to participate in Mentor Training before they are assigned a youth. Sessions are held the 1st Thursday of every month. We meet in the Multipurpose room at the “Y” from 6:00-7:00 pm.

Healthy ‘n Fit
A weight Management Program for Children and Teens. Now taking reservations for the April classes. Call Sally Peterson for Assessment Appointment.

NEEDED: Men with a positive attitude willing to mentor young men between the ages of 6 and 14. We have a waiting list of 10 boys anxiously awaiting a Y-Pal. Call Sally Peterson at 646-6677 today!

Youth Building Strong Families meets every Tuesday from 3:30 to 4:40 pm.

A Brief History...
When George Williams and 11 other young clerks first formed the Young Men's Christian Association in London in June, 1844, the premise was to give transplanted workers from the countryside a place in the newly industrialized city to gather and share God's comfort - a spiritual alternative to brothels and taverns. The men generally worked six days a week, 12 to 14 hours a day, and devoted their Sundays to Bible studies and peer support groups as a way to fight the temptations that come with big-city living.

The movement spread overseas seven years later, when retired sea captain and Baptist lay missionary, Thomas Valentine Sullivan, launched the first American branch of the YMCA in Boston. Its purpose mirrored its European counterpart - to provide for the spiritual and mental growth of young men.

For its first 50 years, the Y's focus was mainly evangelical, with an emphasis on the social gospel of reaching out to the needy. At the turn of the century, the organization's direction shifted toward fitness and wellness, as branches began building.