YMCA Board of Directors Social

Tonight at our home, Ken and I hosted a board social for the YMCA of Greater Seattle Board of Directors and campaigners for the annual Partners with Youth Campaign.  Jane Lewis, YMCA of Greater Seattle Board Chairman and Matt Griffin, YMCA capital campaign leader extraordinaire attended along with other board and staff leaders.  Those in attendance heading up campaign teams included Doug Boyden, Molly Stearns, James Hereford and Jane Brenneman and heading up the entire Partners with Youth Campaign this year, Nancy Cho.  Co-chairs of the Association Board Campaign, Stewart Parker and I, are delighted with the enthusiasm and involvement of the board and staff.

Pictured above along with me and his wife, Delphine, is YMCA of Greater Seattle CEO and President, Bob Gilbertson.  After accepting the top job in Seattle, Bob and Delphine moved here from Tampa, Florida and have been in Seattle three years in January.

The YMCA views youth as resources to be developed, not problems to be fixed.  Each year, across greater Seattle, the YMCA helps more than 69,000 children and teens through the funding raised through the Partners with Youth Campaign.  In YMCA programs, caring adults work to help young people build a solid foundation based on developing lifetime skills, an ethic of service and the Y's core values of respect, responsibility, honesty, caring, faith and fun.  In 2009, the Partners with Youth Campaign raised more than $4.4 million.  Sharing a moving story about how she worked directly with a single mother with six children under the age of 12 years, and helped the autistic son attend and thrive at camp last summer was YMCA youth program director, Sara Biancofiori.  Her story made us all feel really good about being involved in this upcoming fundraising campaign.  We know that Sara is just one example of the many committed YMCA staff members who will spend dollars wisely in the best interests of the community and the people we serve.

If you are interested in investing your charitable dollars in programs that really work, please consider supporting the YMCA of Greater Seattle Partners with Youth Campaign.  I will be happy to get you connected if you will just let me know.