YMCA

Adventure Guides

YMCA

Guidance

It all began at a YMCA in Spokane, Wash., with a young woman named Sonora Louise Smart. She was the daughter of a Civil War veteran who was raising his children alone after the death of their mother. On Mothers Day in 1909, Sonora heard a sermon honoring mothers and wondered why there was no holiday for fathers. During a meeting at the Spokane, Wash. YMCA, she shared her concern with ministers. The nations first Fathers Day celebration took place at the Spokane Y on June 19, 1910.

Sonora Smart had suggested that fathers be honored through religious services, special meals, small gifts and the wearing of red roses. In 1972, President Nixon signed Fathers Day into law. Today, fathers play an enormous role in the lives of their children, said Margo Byrne, Executive Director of the Ventura Family YMCA. We see them daily, acting as coaches, teachers, role models and confidants, and our Y, as a leading community service organization, is totally committed in supporting and reassuring them, Byrne said.

Two recent Building Strong Families studies by YMCA of the USA and the Search Institute of Minneapolis found that parents think theyre doing a good job raising their children but could always use more resources and occasional assistance — and reassurance, from trusted friends.

Sonora Louise Smart Dodd died at 96, but her legacy lives on. A monument to Sonora, her father and to all fathers stands outside the Spokane YMCA, where today thousands of members enjoy a wide range of family programs.

Current programs like YMCA Adventure Guides foster understanding and companionship between children and their Dads— and Moms. It features parent-and-child activities like camping, service-learning projects, arts and crafts, music, and storytelling, and emphasizes the role of parents as guides in their childs life. Currently, 473 YMCAs offer Adventure Guides programs, including the Ventura Family YMCA.

The Ventura YMCA also offers programs like: family fitness classes and youth sports leagues designed to strengthen families.

This Fathers Day, lets celebrate fathers and reach out to the fathers in your life with a pat on the back, said Byrne. When we support parents, we begin to build strong kids and families, strong communities and a strong nation.

To learn more about Adventure Guides and the numerous family programs held at the Ventura Family YMCA please call 805-642-2131 or visit www.venturaymca.org. The Ventura Family YMCA serves over 20,000 individuals annually through facility memberships, before & after school childcare, day & resident camps, youth sports, swim lessons, teen programs, and many more healthy lifestyles and community enriching programs throughout Ventura, Oxnard, Ojai, Santa Paula, and Saticoy. The Ventura Family YMCA is located at 3760 Telegraph Rd., Ventura, CA 93003.

Financial Assistance

The YMCA has also committed itself to never turning away an individual, child or family due to their inability to pay. For those individuals and families in need, the YMCA has created the Open Doors Program which allows families to apply for up to 75% off of youth program and membership fees. This gives children the opportunity to experience classes and sports that they otherwise would not be able to be a part of.