With six children, ranging in age from 1 to 12 years old, the Harris family is often on a tight budget.
That was the case this summer when mom Tawnie wanted to send her four oldest children to La Jolla’s YMCA summer camp, she said. She knew how important it was for her youngsters, three of whom are foster children, to be a part of the learning experience. Harris asked the Y for help.
“If the Y didn’t give me financial assistance, then no one would have gotten to go to camp at all,” Harris said. “The programs have enriched their lives. It gives them something to look forward to, it keeps their minds and bodies active and establishes relationships with instructors so they feel like part of a family.”
Generous contributions like the one the Harrises received are an everyday occurrence at La Jolla’s YMCA, which is located at 8355 Cliffridge Ave. During the month of February, Y staff and 240 community volunteers will attempt to raise $375,000 to fund program costs for economically disadvantaged families.
The month-long “Strong Kids” campaign, which has become a tradition for the organization over the last 43 years, will help benefit more than 28,000 youths who participate in La Jolla’s programs each year, according to Krista Bartlett, director of marketing and public relations for the La Jolla YMCA.
“Our entire campaign is based on personal connections,” Bartlett said. “The Y philosophy is based on building relationships. Our financial aid recipients get involved in the program and volunteer for us and then they reach out to their contacts, and then it builds in that way.”
The YMCA’s goal is to keep program fees low enough so that most families can afford to participate without financial aid, Bartlett said. Preparations for the campaign have been in the works since November.
Of the funds raised, about $100,000 is given to families who have applied for financial aid and are approved by the board of directors, Bartlett said. The funding is based on need and circumstance.
Last year the organization was able to generate $350,000, but has had to increase its goal for 2007 due to a growing need within the community for financial aid, Bartlett said.
Besides serving the La Jolla area, the organization also reaches out to families in University City, Clairemont and Sorrento Valley.
“We have lots of people who have fallen on hard times, are going through divorce and just have financial difficulties,” she said. “It’s nice to be able to provide a positive place for these kids and families.”
For more information about the La Jolla YMCA or its scholarship program, call (858) 453-3483 or visit www.ymca.org.