The Palisades YMCA provide a safe place for youth to work out at after school and on weekends.
Every year, the YMCA hosts an annual campaign to raise funds to help support individuals and programs that are not covered under money from Y memberships.
The Palisades Y is focused on doing good for children, teens, families and seniors.
Palisadians can make an annual donation of any amount (visit: ) and this year you can designate a gift to a program area, such as Teen Training or Youth in Government.
Palisadian Annie Barnes came up with the Teen Training program in the summer of 2017 and helped fund it with a donation.
“The program has grown and expanded to have many different facets over the years and now has multiple funders to help offset the costs of this impactful program,” Palisades Y Executive Director Jim Kirtley said, noting that St John’s, American Legion and the Slick Family Foundation are now the major donors for teen programming.
Kirtley said, “Through those donations Pali High and the Y are working in partnership to get a one hundred kids memberships.”
Many who rue that civics are no longer taught in school, might like to donate to Youth and Government. Annually, high school students go to Sacramento and held a convention-style gathering that included speeches, breakout sessions, conferences and lots of wrangling over state bills and their merits – just like legislators.
Students discuss policies, analyzed the fiscal impact of every idea they wished to bring to the state legislator for consideration, and worked on the language of the final bills they’d present to the Legislature. They then go into state chambers (Assembly and Senate) and present their bills.
Other areas Palisades can direct a donation to are youth sports and day camps.
Or just make a donation to the Y.
Kirtley said, the concept is simple, to make a bigger impact in the Palisades, the Y needs supporters help. “Together, we make a difference in thousands of Palisadian’s lives that your Palisades Y serves annually,” Kirtley said.
More than ever donations are needed to keep this Y active and thriving because it is the only gym in town. “Every dollar donated stays local, and is used to create a meaningful, enduring impact right in our own community,” Kitley said.