Helping our YMCA to help you

Most of us are well aware of the New Plymouth YMCA.

That’s not surprising; it’s been around for nearly 90 years and been an integral part of our community all that time.

Most of us would probably admit we’re not too sure just what it does these days, but go to their website and you’ll see a sentence that neatly sums up just what Taranaki’s “Y”, as it’s colloquially known, really does.

“We will be New Zealand’s most respected and successful provider of programmes that build strong kids, strong families and strong communities. We are in effect, helping to build strong New Zealanders.’’

That’s a rather broad mission statement, but Taranaki YMCA chief executive Joanne Dusterholft is only too happy to fill in the detail.

Here for all the community

“My most important message is that we are here for the community,’’ she says. “We help in multiple ways, from childcare for children 0-5 years, through to school age, and we provide care after school with our Oscar programmes.

“We also work with disadvantaged youth in education, as well as a crosssection of the community in sport and recreation, climbing, the Fitness Centre and well-being, across all age groups through to those who are retired.’’

It’s an exhaustive, but by no means complete list, which gives an insight into the diversity of programmes delivered to so many sectors of the community. When they say online ‘the New Plymouth YMCA is a communityfocused, non-profit established in 1844 with recreational programmes and services for all ages’, that is more than a marketing slogan. From babies through to one member in his 90s who regularly attends their fitness centre, the Y caters for everyone.

Did you know . . . ?

Joanne is determined to ensure the Y tells its story better. One example is their work with youth living with challenges, which has long been a real success story. The YMCA also runs Rangi tea, a composite school for youth, in South Rd New Plymouth.

Joanne says they expanded their youth development services almost five years ago. “Simply because of the high need in New Plymouth. We work on referrals from Oranga Tamariki (the Ministry for Children) - which recently led us to a relationship with Powerco.’’

Joanne says the support from the New Plymouth lines company could be a blueprint for other Taranaki firms to show their support for the Y.

“They were wonderful, a good company, with good people and a social conscience. They donated laptops and then the staff came and worked in our community garden for a day.

“It’s not always about money. Powerco provided plants as well and their staff volunteered to provide labour for the day. Our young people got to experience working alongside another part of the community they don’t always get to see. They did the whole garden in one day between them.

“It was great to see. They were chatting to each other and it normalised the relationships between the two groups. It showed the corporate sector in the community cares, and they saw the faces of those people there on the day.’’

The donation of the laptops meant a lot to the youth at the YMCA, said Joanne. “We don’t have the resources to give everyone a computer to work with and there is a lot of ‘tech-poverty’ in our society. To see their faces when they could each have their own computer was great.’’

By helping our youth get better educated and become contributing members of society, the companies helping them may also just be helping themselves in the future by increasing our work pool.

Can your company help?

Your business could help our YMCA achieve one of their main aims: “Strong families, strong communities, through investing in the next generation.’’

If you can help or want to know more, contact Alston Gondipon, their sponsorship and relationship manager at alton.gondipon@ymcataranaki.org.nz