We Are the World - Wednesday

Happy Hump Day!  Since I am back to the wonderful world of blogging, you get exposed to do-gooding again!  Hooray!  

I am still getting my arse handed to me at work, but I am carving out time in my day to reach out to my wonderful readers.  I'm not, however, doing much else.  That "much else" includes working out.  As I wrote down the auto-draft for the YMCA when I balanced my checkbook, I got to thinking.  First, I thought about how I haven't seen the inside of the Y in something like 2 months, despite my good intentions.  Sigh.  Then, I immediately thought about how my pants are a little snug, as a direct result of said absence from the Y.  Double sigh.  Finally, I just thought about the Y.  It's a pretty cool organization, really.  Christian, non-profit, health conscious.  Good stuff.  But, I realized that I don't really know that much about it.  So, I did some research.  I will now use the handy dandy copy/paste function to impart my newfound wisdom upon you all. 

THE NATION’S 2,686 YMCAs respond to critical social needs by drawing on our collective strength as of one of the largest not-for-profit community service organizations in the United States.

Today’s YMCAs serve thousands of U.S. communities, uniting 21 million children and adults of all ages, races, faiths, backgrounds, abilities and income levels. Our reach and impact can be seen in the millions of lives we touch every year. Across the nation, YMCAs are committed to helping:

• Children and youth deepen positive values, their commitment to service and their motivation to learn

• Families build stronger bonds, spend time together and become more engaged with their communities

• Individuals strengthen their spiritual, mental and physical well-being

At every stage of life, YMCAs are there to help children, families and individuals reach their full potential.

Think that's cool?  Want to know more?  Read on at: http://www.ymca.net/about_the_ymca/.  There are some pretty impressive stats on there.  Including these: 

• Together, YMCAs are the nation’s largest provider of child care, with nearly 10,000 child care sites across the country that provide high-quality, affordable care to more than 500,000 children.
• YMCAs are collectively the nation’s largest providers of health and well-being programs.
• The YMCA is one of the largest volunteer organizations in the world, serving more than 45 million people in 124 countries. Learn more about YMCA World Service.
• 64 million households and 32 million children ages 14 and under live within three miles of a YMCA, while 1,518 YMCAs serve communities where the median family income is below the U.S. average.

Awesome.  It almost makes me want to get up early to hit a pilates class.  Almost.  More likely though - I'll oversleep and make it to work by the skin of my teeth.  

Hey - there's something to be said for good intentions though, right?  

Love ya!