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 Somers, NY - The Community YMCA of Northern Westchester announced the appointment of John Chrysogelos, a long-time YMCA member and former summer-camp counselor who now is a construction executive, to the board of directors of the charity based here.
“John has participated in YMCA activities since he attended a YMCA camp as a child and now his own children attend YMCA after-school programs, so he is well acquainted with our mission and role in the community,” said Robert Lapp, president and CEO of the YMCA of Central & Northern Westchester, parent organization of the Somers chapter. “He also has decades of experience in construction and many contacts in that industry, which will be helpful because we have a number of expansion and improvement projects planned that will benefit from his expertise.”
Chrysogelos was first exposed to the YMCA as a child growing up in Albany, N.Y. He spent a number of summers at a YMCA camp in nearby Lake George, N.Y., ultimately becoming a counselor. He now lives in Somers with his wife, Jeannine, daughter Casey, age 10, and son Johnny, 12.
“Three years ago I got my kids involved in the YMCA programs because they offered after-school activities and a safe haven for my kids, which is important to a working parent,” said Chrysogelos. “I know other parents who had children enrolled there and they spoke highly of the programs, we’ve been very pleased and the staff at these programs has been wonderful. The kids have a busy schedule with sports and all; in part this was a way to make sure they had some fun and get some of their homework done.”
Given his extensive history with the YMCA, Chrysogelos said he was eager to join its board of directors when he was invited to. “I work in the community with a lot of other organizations, so it was a natural, given my history for me to get involved with the YMCA – more so than I expected,” he said with a laugh. “I’m hoping to help with whatever they need for the children.”
Chrysogelos has worked for Yonkers Contracting Co., one of the region’s largest construction companies, for the past 22 years. He also has a background in insurance and civil engineering and is an expert in work-place safety. He said he hopes to use his experience in construction to benefit the YMCA, which is planning a number of maintenance and expansion projects at facilities in Mount Vernon, White Plains, northern Westchester and Camp Combe in Putnam Valley.
Chrysogelos, 52, also serves on a number of industry boards, including the Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley, the General Contractors Association of New York, and he is a former trustee of several building and construction trade union locals. He also is a lieutenant with the Somers Volunteer Fire Department, and a member of their executive board. An avid skier, Chrysogelos is a member of the National Ski Patrol, which helps keep ski mountains safe and assists lost and injured skiers.
The YMCA of Central & Northern Westchester, which is headquartered in White Plains, N.Y., has received the Better Business Bureau’s highest certification for charitable accountability. This is based on a thorough review of 20 criteria assessing the organization’s finances and spending. The YMCA of Central & Northern Westchester includes the White Plains Family YMCA, the Mount Vernon Family YMCA, the Community YMCA of Northern Westchester in Somers and Camp Combe YMCA in Putnam Valley.
The YMCA receives approximately $923,000 a year in donations from individuals, foundations and businesses, part of the charity’s $8 million annual budget. (Childcare fees, day-camp tuitions, residence fees, membership dues and other program fees account for the rest of the budget.) Roughly $300,000 of the budget is used to provide scholarships to people who otherwise are not able to afford the YMCA’s program fees.
The Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance Standards for Charity Accountability were developed to help donors make sound decisions and to foster public confidence in charitable organizations. “The standards seek to encourage fair and honest solicitation practices, to promote ethical conduct by charitable organizations and to advance support of philanthropy,” according to the BBB.
About The YMCA of Central & Northern Westchester
Headquartered in White Plains, N.Y., the YMCA of Central & Northern Westchester has a long history of being an important community resource. The YMCA is dedicated to improving the quality of life for everyone through programs and services that stress personal growth, self-improvement, self-reliance and service to others through mental, physical and spiritual development. The YMCA is one of Westchester’s largest childcare providers, serving 1,200 children who are able to build skills, values, self-esteem and a lifelong love of learning in a safe, nurturing, developmentally oriented environment. A similar number of children attend the YMCA’s summer camps. Health and wellness programs and well-equipped fitness centers and pools serve people of all ages.
The YMCA also provides safe, clean workforce housing for 200 men who otherwise might not be able to live and work in Westchester County. The YMCA has received the top charitable organizational standards rating from the New York Better Business Bureau for meeting the BBB’s extremely rigorous Standards for Charitable Accountability. The YMCA provides more than $300,000 in annual financial subsidies to ensure that all people can benefit from its services. In addition to its flagship center in White Plains, the YMCA of CNW also has facilities in Mount Vernon, N.Y., the Northern Westchester Community program, based in Somers, N.Y., as well as Camp Combe, a summer camp for children in Putnam Valley, N.Y.
More information about the YMCA of Central & Northern Westchester, including addresses, hours and activities listings, is available at its website www.ymca-cnw.org or by calling (914) 287-2021.
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