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YMCA Funds & Memberships

            The YMCA is a world-wide, community building movement that was founded in London in 1844. It was established to promote community health and has continued spreading wellbeing from one side of the globe to the other still to this day. However, without community support, fundraising and volunteers, the YMCA could not have survived for the past 16 decades.
            As of 2006, our nation’s YMCAs have served over 20 million people. This number includes senior citizens, middle aged men and women, teenagers and young children. There are over 550,000 volunteers that share their time and energy to help our Y’s continue to stay efficient and available for use. “All 2,663 YMCAs are volunteer-founded, volunteer-based, and volunteer-led” (YMCA Volunteers).
            As a YMCA volunteer, you join a group of diverse people ranging from teenagers to adults. Volunteers may council those in need, run programs, fundraise or be board members. Everyone involved in running the YMCA is a volunteer of some kind.
            In order to keep a YMCA running fundraising is a necessity. Fundraisers and membership costs are the primary ways YMCAs profit and continue to run. A fundraiser that is often used is called the Scratch and Help fundraiser. This is a fundraiser that each Y member can take part in; everyone gets one booklet that can raise up to one hundred dollars alone. This fundraiser has about 90% profit rate and that is why many YMCAs use this plan.
            YMCA’s always include their members when fundraising. Members help decide what fundraiser to use, and when and where to use it. Since YMCA’s are so community oriented they rarely do things without consulting members first. Many members become volunteers because they trust and grew up as part of the Y.
           “As the nation's second leading fundraising organization, raising more than $650 million annually, the YMCA movement attracts top financial development professionals” (YMCA Careers & Fundraising). These professionals manage the Y’s finances and make sure that families and individuals are never denied membership, even if they can not afford it.
            Membership costs nationally and globally may vary. At Bloomsburg Y there is a joining fee that changes for different ages, prices varying from twelve dollars to sixty eight dollars. These prices change whether you are joining as a family, a teen, an adult, a senior or a youth. The joining fee is only paid once, unless you do not constantly renew your membership. You will then pay either monthly or annually depending on your financial situation and payment plan that you decide to use. Families and individuals will never be denied membership to a Y. Financial assistance is always available to families in need, because of the Y’s community atmosphere families help families and no one is left behind.
            The Bloomsburg YMCA also offers a college membership that changes seasonally. Winter break, summer break, fall semester and spring semester all offer different prices and deals that are flexible to your needs as a student or faculty member. These deals were incorporated into Bloomsburg Y’s system because of the ever changing population and steady flow of people through this town.
            Every YMCA in every city and state has its own unique budget. Budgets vary due to the number of members, how much they fundraise and the involvement of other organizations. Sometimes other organizations link themselves to community Y’s to help them raise money and to have a larger impact on any single community. YMCAs use their budgets to help resurface gym floors, remodel locker rooms and bathrooms, make improvements of facilities and parking lots, furnishings, and equipment. Again, fundraising is one of the ultimate ways that YMCA’s pay for their upkeep and growth. This is why community membership and devotion is so important to a YMCA’s preservation.

Written by Katie Taylor

BU Student Rec Center

The newly renovated student rec center at Bloomsburg has a variety of facilities to accommodate its large community of students and faculty members.

With a fully equipped fitness room and weight room, multi-purpose room, main arena and climbing wall, there is enough to keep anyone busy. The student rec also includes four glass-backed racquetball courts, table tennis and a one-eighth mile jogging track.

At the center you can check out equipment such as a basketball, racquetball rackets, a volleyball, and so on. There are also locker rooms that have showers and lockers that can be reserved for anyone that has valuables they want to keep safe.

One of the most generous services you can receive at the student rec is a free personal training session. There are also advantages such as guest passes and membership for alumni of Bloomsburg University.

Written by Katie Taylor

Getting Fit For Summer

With the summer months finally in sight and the bitter cold days behind us, we are all starting to realize that a little exercise might be necessary. It is now that time to break out the bikinis and board shorts, drop the extra layers of clothing and maybe even a couple of pounds.

It is no secret that everyone tips the scale a little bit throughout the winter months, especially as college students. With winter comes many holidays that focus on plenty of special dinners and party after party. Along with the shorter days come cold miserable weather, increased sleep and lack of exercise. Campus dining also offers a variety of delicious burgers, cheese-steaks, French fries, bagels, and many more carb filled treats. These are all essential ingredients for weight gain.

So now that its time to expose some skin, you’re probably thinking ‘What should I do to look good for the summer’?

There are a lot of ways to work on your figure, especially as a member of a community like Bloomsburg. The student recreation center is open everyday until 11pm Monday through Thursday at 10pm on weekends, making it easy to find time during the day to make a trip. The rec is full of cardio machines and weights and offers many aerobics classes to fit anyone’s needs. The rec also offers a free personal training session to show you how to tackle your problem areas. It could be a big help if you grab a friend and take them with you or join a class to help build up some motivation.

The pool in Nelson Field House is also available to all students for certain hours throughout each day. Everyone loves to jump in a pool, and a refreshing swim also offers you a great amount of exercise without even realizing it. The pool is open until April 25th and its hours can be found on the bloom website.

An even better way to get some exercise without really knowing it is to get outside. Now that the weather is warming up you can go for a walk through town or down to the park with a friend. At the park you can play tennis, pick up a game of soccer, hang out at the skate park, or walk down to the river. Take a Frisbee or a baseball up to the quad and throw it around with your buddies; as long as you are outside moving around, you’re making progress and getting exercise!

Personally, I think the best motivation to shape up is planning a summer vacation. Plan a trip with friends to the beach or to a lake; this will not only give you a deadline but also some incentive to drop the pounds and firm up. Spring is the prime time for bathing suit shopping and when we look in the mirror we want to love what we see, not be afraid of what we are looking at.

To top it off, one of the best things you can do for yourself is keep track of what you eat. Keep a journal or a notebook and write down everything you eat in a day and every type of exercise you do. When it is written on paper you can see how much you have consumed and how much exercise you have gotten. Also, when the food is headed toward your mouth, you think ‘Do I really want to write that down and look at it again later?’ and you may change your mind.

Now that it’s nice out, barbeques are taking place again and we all know how hard it is to stay away from the mouth-watering burgers and greasy chips. It is also hard to avoid the grill at the Commons; but instead of heading straight for the pile of French fries, think about the other choices you have available to you on campus. Stick to healthy sandwiches that you can make yourself at the Commons, or have one made for you at the Husky Lounge. You could also try out the new “make your own salad” at the Union. And don’t forget, skip the sugar-filled soda and drink a lot of water! Water keeps your energy up and helps you maintain a healthy weight.

When it comes down to it, losing a little bit of weight only takes a few easy changes in your daily routine. If you follow some of these easy tips you will be fit for summer in no time. So get outside and get moving!

Fitness