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Dwyer spoke on behalf of the more than 2,600 YMCAs, that -- for nearly 160years -- have been dedicated to the health of youth and families in America.Through Activate America -- the YMCA's response to the nation's health crisis-- YMCAs are changing the way they work inside their facilities so that theyare more supportive of people who need help adopting and maintaining ahealthier lifestyle. The YMCA is moving outside of their walls to act as acatalyst to improve community health.
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"At the YMCA, our goal is to make the healthy choice, the easy choice forindividuals and families by ensuring that our communities have adequateopportunities to engage in healthy behaviors where they live, work, learn andplay," said Dwyer. "Few organizations are in a better position than the YMCAto support change in children and their families. We have the knowledge,expertise, network and reach to succeed."
Dwyer noted the YMCA's long history of innovation in the area of healthand well-being and highlighted recent successes, from the YMCA's Centers forDisease Control and Prevention-funded "healthier communities" initiatives-- Pioneering Healthier Communities (PHC), ACHIEVE and Steps to a Healthier US-- that focus on collaborative engagement with community leaders, howenvironments influence health and well-being, and the role public policy playsin sustaining change. A total of 116 communities across the nation participatein these initiatives and 20 new communities will be launched later this month.
Each year since 2004, a group of YMCA's have been selected through PHC toconvene community teams comprised of leadership from YMCAs and other communitysectors such as schools, hospitals, businesses, health-focused foundations,faith communities, public health, health care purchasers, faith-based groups,government and academic institutions. These teams explore creative and provenstrategies to transform their communities into healthier ones by increasingopportunities for physical activity, healthy eating, preventing tobacco use,and other strategies to prevent chronic disease.
Communities currently participating in PHC initiatives have had success ininfluencing community walkability and pedestrian safety, access to freshfruits and vegetables, and physical education requirements in schools. Forexample: the Central Connecticut Coast PHC team instituted "Friday is FruitDay" in Milford, a No Child Left Inside Coalition, walking pathways and trailsand walking school buses; a program at five Pittsburgh-area YMCAs madehigh-quality fresh fruits and vegetables available to community members topurchase at 40 percent market price; and, in Attleboro, Mass., they were ableto get the right partners to the table to collaborate on the creation of anextensive city-wide trail system that would also connect to adjacentcommunities allowing commuters an opportunity to engage in physical activityand families an area for activity.
A recent study by the Trust for America's Health indicated thatinvestments in the types of interventions implemented at YMCAs and othercommunity-based organizations could ultimately save America $16 billion infive years in health care costs.
"I don't believe that the YMCA can single-handedly improve health inAmerica," said Dwyer. "But I don't think health in America can be improvedwithout the YMCA. Our charitable mission calls us to support the healthydevelopment of children and youth and to help find ways to combat thelifestyle health crisis."
