Dear Y Family and Friends,

2022 was a great year, marked by the impact and progress we made for our youth and families, especially relating to early education, child care, kindergarten readiness, and outdoor education. Our impact and process are critical to enabling parents to get back to work and to addressing education and health gaps exacerbated by the pandemic. We invested in opening two new Early Education Centers in 2022, with a third that just opened in March 2023 to support working families, serving infants through five years old. Early education is key to economic recovery and keeping caregivers, especially women, in the workplace. Our programs focus on creating choice-based activities centered in social-emotional-physical learning through evidence-informed curriculum and working with nurturing and caring adults.

We have also collaborated with numerous school districts to organize Kindergarten-Readiness Events, which have provided families with information about the diverse range of Y programs available, as well as information about school resources and services. Families have also been able to enroll their children in kindergarten and receive additional support and resources.

Additionally, nearly 11,000 youth attended outdoor experiences, including overnight camping at Camp Orkila and Camp Colman, week-long backpacking excursions, challenge and climbing activities, Earth Service Corp clubs at middle and high schools, and family camps. In 2022, the Y launched the Youth Support Program, designed to support youth and families who are struggling with behavioral challenges. This program is done in partnership with families, schools, and Y Social Impact Center.

Finally, we are delighted to share that because of your generosity, $8,482,760 was raised by 3,568 donors and invested back into the community. Your gifts have allowed us to serve 197,392 people across all programs and sites.

Thank you for your unwavering support and commitment to the Y. Seeing the smiles on kids’ faces in the swimming pool, in the play zones, and in numerous programs as families return to the Y makes it all worthwhile. We hope our progress in 2022 will inspire you to continue supporting our mission to empower youth, improve health, and strengthen communities.

In gratitude and community,

Loria Yeadon President & CEO, YMCA of Greater Seattle