After hearing much about YMCA of Great New York's strategic direction and approaches on day 1 today we heard some of the detail that added flesh to the strategic skeleton that is driving their work forward across the five boroughs that comprise NYC.
As you might imagine an entrepreneurial approach is needed to sustain a near $200m operation and there are services and products that have a far greater drive for income than we typically see in our own Federation at home. Yet this generation of cash is needed to ensure that services for social good can be delivered in branches situated in the poorer neighbourhoods of the city and indeed to ensure that YMCA retains a physical presence in these areas. In fact, I would say that there are many common challenges faced by YMCA here and at home. Government policy has the potential to have a very real impact on not only the work we deliver but the very existence of some of our programmes and concise communication of our broad offer remains difficult.
What has remained consistent over the first few days is the warmth and enthusiasm of the welcome across the branches that we have visited, shown again today as we saw what Vanderbilt YMCA branch had to offer. The enthusiasm and positivity is infectious!
After a tour of the UN we were fortunate enough to be invited to the Hispanic Achievers Award's held at the prestigious Carnegie Hall. Here, we were given a very visual reminder of why YMCA exists and the life changing impact it has on the young people we serve. All of sudden the strategy, the income generating work, the investment in business infrastructure was shown to be a necessary diversion to achieve what we are really about. In front of a packed room, we heard about three young achievers who had overcome adversity and, through support from YMCA of Greater New York, achieved incredible things. Joshen Ayukawa recounted a troubled early childhood that could easily have forced him down the wrong path and yet his strength of character and a guiding hand from YMCA has resulted in hugely impressive individual with a positive future ahead and who is also contributing to help his peers and community. Congratulations also to Giselle Gonzalez and Shayna Gonzalez, both participating in a programme to boost the high school graduation rates of Hispanics in New York
I love strategy and dashboards and data and process but ultimately it is only there to allow people like Joshen, Giselle and Shayna to flourish.
Finally, I can't leave this blog without saying a huge thank you to all the staff of YMCA of Greater New York who we have met so far and especially Natalie Norton and Rayda Marquez who have been host extraordinaires and who have provided much food for thought.
As you might imagine an entrepreneurial approach is needed to sustain a near $200m operation and there are services and products that have a far greater drive for income than we typically see in our own Federation at home. Yet this generation of cash is needed to ensure that services for social good can be delivered in branches situated in the poorer neighbourhoods of the city and indeed to ensure that YMCA retains a physical presence in these areas. In fact, I would say that there are many common challenges faced by YMCA here and at home. Government policy has the potential to have a very real impact on not only the work we deliver but the very existence of some of our programmes and concise communication of our broad offer remains difficult.
What has remained consistent over the first few days is the warmth and enthusiasm of the welcome across the branches that we have visited, shown again today as we saw what Vanderbilt YMCA branch had to offer. The enthusiasm and positivity is infectious!
After a tour of the UN we were fortunate enough to be invited to the Hispanic Achievers Award's held at the prestigious Carnegie Hall. Here, we were given a very visual reminder of why YMCA exists and the life changing impact it has on the young people we serve. All of sudden the strategy, the income generating work, the investment in business infrastructure was shown to be a necessary diversion to achieve what we are really about. In front of a packed room, we heard about three young achievers who had overcome adversity and, through support from YMCA of Greater New York, achieved incredible things. Joshen Ayukawa recounted a troubled early childhood that could easily have forced him down the wrong path and yet his strength of character and a guiding hand from YMCA has resulted in hugely impressive individual with a positive future ahead and who is also contributing to help his peers and community. Congratulations also to Giselle Gonzalez and Shayna Gonzalez, both participating in a programme to boost the high school graduation rates of Hispanics in New York
I love strategy and dashboards and data and process but ultimately it is only there to allow people like Joshen, Giselle and Shayna to flourish.
Finally, I can't leave this blog without saying a huge thank you to all the staff of YMCA of Greater New York who we have met so far and especially Natalie Norton and Rayda Marquez who have been host extraordinaires and who have provided much food for thought.
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