By Jenna Faude
Since its founding 10 years ago, the Rockbridge Area YMCA has served residents of all ages. However, like many other nonprofit organizations in small communities, the Y’s limited resources can be discouraging.
Leaders at the Rockbridge Area YMCA are hoping that will change in July when it will merge with the Roanoke Valley branch to become part of a larger YMCA association.
Alysan Raymond, executive director and CEO of the Rockbridge Area YMCA, said the merger will allow the branch to offer its members many things it previously could not. As a part of a bigger association, it will be able to tap human resources, marketing, IT, grant writing, legal and development expertise, and do more marketing.
“There is only one person here now to wear all those hats, and it’s me,” said Raymond, who has held her position since November 2010. Although the local YMCA employs around 45 paid staff members, most work part time. Its main facility is at College Square shopping center on North Lee Highway.
Raymond, who had worked with other YMCAs before joining the Rockbridge branch, plans to retire in June, when the change takes place.
Having access to more resources will be a huge benefit to being part of a YMCA association, she said. In 2014, the Rockbridge Area YMCA brought in $721,448 in revenue while the YMCA of Roanoke Valley brought in $6,835,369.
After many exploratory conversations with the resource director for the Virginia YMCA, both the Roanoke and Rockbridge YMCA boards voted to blend the two organizations.
Raymond said she is particularly excited about the opportunity to expand the branch’s marketing efforts. YMCA launched its first national campaign this year, which aims at expanding a sometimes one-dimensional view of what the organization has to offer communities.
“We have equipment in here but we are not a gym,” Raymond said. “We are all about health and wellness,” said Raymond.
“We are a nonprofit organization. We try to address needs in the community that are not otherwise being met.”
Raymond is passionate about the need for these services, specifically for older adults who may be experiencing loneliness, declining physical health, chronic illness or nutritional insecurities. Many of these adults also have financial needs and could not pay for these services without help.
“I don’t think there is any other community organization in Lexington where older adults can go and hang out,” she said, speaking about the socialization opportunities the YMCA offers through lifestyle classes. “They have some very specific [physical needs]: flexibility, agility, balance to to help them prevent falls in their older years. There’s a right way and a wrong way of getting into a car or organizing your kitchen cupboards so you’re not reaching for things that are above your reach, stairs, all kinds of things. A lot of our classes address these issues.”
She also praised the educational services the organization provides for elementary students in the Lexington community through after school care and a 10-week summer camp. The curriculum is focused on literacy and homework success. All students who have participated in the summer program have returned to school in the fall reading at grade level.
“Over the 12 months of care and camp, the children that are in our care are more confident in the classroom,” Raymond said. “They make a more successful student, which is ultimately going to help the overall health of the community, when the students are doing better in school.”