Get Involved as a YMCA Volunteer

The backbone of every YMCA is it's volunteers. These volunteers make a difference by giving caring attention to our children and teens, helping families to become successful and strong, and supporting people of all ages to strive for healthier lives.

YMCAs are first and foremost volunteer organizations. To put it in perspective, not every YMCA has a building, but every YMCA has volunteers. All 2,617 YMCAs around the world are volunteer-founded, volunteer-based, and volunteer-led. Local volunteers establish YMCAs-not the YMCA of the USA -and local volunteers run YMCAs, continually ensuring that YMCAs are meeting the unique needs of their communities. Volunteers are at the heart of every YMCA and that is why YMCAs are at the heart of community life in more than 10,000 communities nationwide. From helping Civil War troops more than a century ago to international disaster relief efforts today, YMCAs are one of the nation's leading volunteer organizations.

As a YMCA volunteer, you can read to a preschool class, coach a youth sports team, cook for a bake sale, greet people at the front desk, solicit donations for our annual support drive, serve as a role model for young people, help out in the office or at a special event, or be part of a group or committee. No matter how you help, you'll make a big difference as you work with others to create a feeling of connectedness in your community.

The basic definition of a YMCA volunteer is "anyone who willingly gives time to help the YMCA accomplish its mission without getting paid by the YMCA." In the Y movement, we have five categories of volunteers:

1. Program volunteers help lead programs or assist in delivering programs (e.g., a program instructor, coach, aide or member of a program advisory council). This category also includes those who offer community service as participants in a YMCA program.

2. Support volunteers serve in the office, at the front desk, in the locker room or on the grounds.

3. Fundraising volunteers raise money by working in annual, sustaining, capital or other special campaigns; working on endowment development; or by working at or running special events.

4. Policy volunteers serve on the Y's board of directors, on a committee or task force.

5. Managerial volunteers help manage and administer YMCA operations and programs (e.g., a pro-bono accountant or PR specialist).

Please note that young people can serve in all of the above capacities as long as, like adults, they have the proper skills, training and supervision.

To solve the problems closest to home-or better yet-prevent them-the YMCA needs more people like you. Do something good. Volunteer at the YMCA.

To find out more about the volunteer opportunities at the Mt. Sterling Community Center YMCA, please contact Suzanne Woodward at 217/773-2230.