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 Mt. Vernon, NY - The Mount Vernon Family YMCA is always looking for financial donations as well as in-kind support for its programs that stimulate and invigorate the minds, bodies and spirits of its members and the larger community.
Now the YMCA is taking its mission to heart and is reaching out for help from area construction workers and contractors during two weeks starting Aug. 22 as it launches a “Rest & Renew” maintenance campaign in its building at 20 South Second Avenue. The YMCA will be closed for two weeks – the “rest” – while staff members and volunteers perform maintenance – the “renew.”
“There are lots of improvements, cleaning and repairs that need to be done,” said Karen Watts, the Mount Vernon Family YMCA’s executive director, explaining the need for the annual down time. “The YMCA’s staff and some of our members are going to be cleaning, painting and doing other maintenance, but we really could use some help from professional tradesmen and other people who can handle some of the tasks that require their expertise.”
Equipment and supplies such as paint are needed in addition to skilled labor, Watts said. Scaffolding might be required to paint the YMCA’s three-story-tall main stairwell, for instance, while a scissor-lift would let volunteers reach the ceiling roughly 30 feet above the gymnasium’s floor. Buffers and other equipment also are needed to help clean and refinish the building’s tile floors. Donations of materials, equipment and cash may be tax-deductible; contact the YMCA for details.
The "Rest & Renew" campaign will start Friday, Aug. 22, and will run for two weeks, with Sundays and Labor Day off. Work will start at 9 a.m. each day and end at 5 p.m. Parking is available at a public lot next door to the YMCA. The Mount Vernon Metro-North station is a short walk from the building.
“The Mount Vernon Family YMCA serves more than 4,000 people every year, and that takes a toll on the building,” said Watts. “The Rest & Renew work will let us clean up and make repairs throughout the building. We also want to introduce new, more attractive color schemes, particularly in the day-care rooms.”
The YMCA’s summertime round of maintenance has been a tradition for years, but Watts, who took her position in July, said she wants to attract more volunteers than in the past, particularly experienced construction tradesmen.
“We’re reaching out to the trade unions, Chamber of Commerce and local companies to ask for their support,” said Watts. “The YMCA is an important part of Mount Vernon and the business community’s skills and resources could make a big difference by letting us get more work done or by helping us saving money on supplies.”
Among the specific supplies needed are: 15 gallons of white paint (semi-gloss and flat), 10 gallons of colored paint (2 gallons per color), 5 gallons of metal paint , 25 gallons of stripper/cleaner, 15 gallons of wax/sealant for floors, floor stripper and buffer machines, paint brushes, rollers, pans, drop cloths, poles and painters’ caps.
People interested in volunteering to help the YMCA or wanting to donate materials should call Karen Watts or Henry Wilson at (914) 668-4041.
The Mount Vernon Family YMCA has a 20-yard indoor pool, a gymnasium with indoor track and locker rooms for men and women. Programs for adults include swimming, basketball, exercise classes such as Zumba, a vigorous workout set to lively music such as Gospel and Caribbean, and “Hinges and Twinges,” exercises that are custom-tailored for senior citizens and includes aerobic and swimming-pool sessions. The Mount Vernon YMCA also provides residences and support services for 38 single men, making it an important source of safe, affordable housing that is badly needed in Westchester County.
Programs for children include early-morning breakfast and supervision before school, day care for pre-schoolers and after-school activities for kids of all ages. Roughly 140 children benefit from the YMCA’s pre-school and day care programs. Vacation camps and summer camps serving more than 100 children are offered when school is not in session. Athletic programs for children include basketball leagues, martial-arts classes and soccer teams.
The Mount Vernon Family YMCA is a subsidiary of the YMCA of Central & Northern Westchester, which also operates the White Plains Family YMCA and Camp Combe, a summer camp for children in Putnam Valley.
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 State Better Business Bureau for meeting the BBB’s extremely rigorous Standards for Charitable Accountability. The YMCA provides $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 operates the Northern Westchester Community program, based in Somers, N.Y., and 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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