GREATER JOLIET AREA YMCA

Last week was a big one for Joliet Y Jets Swimmer Jonathon Yanello.

On the heels of being named Joliet West High School Male Athlete of the Year, Jonathon announced some exciting news about his future. Starting this fall, he will be attending Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, where he will join the swim team and study industrial engineering.

An accomplished swimmer, Jonathon set a pool record in the 50 free at the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Sectionals. This past spring, he took 6th place at the YMCA Short Course Nationals.

In addition to being a skilled swimmer, Jonathon is an excellent student. Because of his academic achievements, he received the Ron and Kathy Assaf Scholarship, which will fully cover his tuition and boarding at Nova Southeastern.

This summer, Jonathon will continue to train and compete with the JETS as he prepares for college. Nevertheless, we’d like to pass on our congratulations and wish him the best in the future!

Drowning is the second leading cause of death for children ages five to 14, with children from communities of color at greatest risk. With National Water Safety Month in May and summer around the corner, it’s a great time for parents to remember the importance of ensuring their children are equipped with essential water safety skills. YMCA swimming lessons help reduce the risk of childhood drowning, develop a lifelong love for swimming and provide children from underserved areas greater access to water safety programs.

Before letting your children hit the water this summer, remember these few tips to ensure it’s an enjoyable and safe experience.

1. Never swim alone. Teach your children that they should only swim in locations where a lifeguard is on duty.
2. Supervise your children whenever they’re in water. Whether it’s bath time or taking a dip in a pool or lake, make sure your children are within arm’s reach of you at all time.
3. Don’t engage in breath holding activities. Children shouldn’t hold their breath for a prolonged amount of time while swimming, as this can cause drowning and has several other severe physical side effects.
4. Wear a life jacket. Inexperienced or non-swimmers should wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket.
5. Don’t jump in the water to save a friend who is struggling in deep water. If a child finds their friend in deep water unexpectedly, their natural reaction may be to jump in the water to try to save them. Even if a child is a great swimmer, a panicked person will overpower them, pulling them underwater with them. The Y teaches the “reach, throw, don’t go” concept of using a long object to reach for them and pull them to safety. By using this technique, children can help their friend without compromising their own safety.
6. Enroll your children in water safety or swim lessons. Just like teaching your children to look both ways before they cross the street, having them participate in formal water safety lessons teaches them an important life skill. The Y’ swimming lesson program teaches children fundamental water safety skills and what to do if they find themselves in water unexpectedly.

Learning how to swim also has multiple benefits beyond the ability to enjoy water safely. It helps children strive for physical achievement, promotes healthy living and builds their confidence. Enroll in Y swimming lessons today!

Summer Day Camp Swimming Lessons

• Available weekly throughout Summer Day Camp, exclusively for Y campers.
• To ensure campers don’t miss any field trips, classes meet on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
• REGISTER>>

Standard Swimming Lessons

• Includes weekly swim instruction on the day of your choice.
• Morning and evening classes are available.
• Registration opens Saturday, May 6 for Facility Members.

One-Week Swimming Lessons

• Available during summer sessions only.
• Includes daily swim instruction during the week(s) of your choice.
• Registration opens Saturday, May 6 for Facility Members.

The Greater Joliet Area YMCA’s strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency have earned it a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator. This is the fifth consecutive year that the Y has earned this top distinction. According to Charity Navigator, only seven percent of the charities they evaluate have ever received five or more consecutive 4-star ratings.

As one of the area’s leading nonprofit charities, the Greater Joliet Area YMCA is committed to strengthening local communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. A mainstay in the Joliet community for more than 85 years, the Y brings families closer together, encourages good health, and fosters connections through fitness, sports, fun and shared interests. Through its financial assistance and scholarship program, the Y works to fulfill its mission of ensuring that its programs are available to everyone and no one is turned away due to the inability to pay.

“The Greater Joliet Area YMCA’s exceptional 4-star rating sets it apart from its peers and demonstrates its trustworthiness to the public,” according to Michael Thatcher, President & CEO of Charity Navigator. “Only a quarter of charities rated by Charity Navigator receive the distinction of our 4-star rating. This adds the Joliet Y to a preeminent group of charities working to overcome our world’s most pressing challenges. Based on its 4-star rating, people can trust that their donations are going to a financially responsible and ethical charity when they decide to support the Y.”

Since 2002, using objective analysis, Charity Navigator has awarded only the most fiscally responsible organizations a 4-star rating. In 2011, Charity Navigator added 17 metrics, focused on governance and ethical practices as well as measures of openness, to its ratings methodology. These Accountability & Transparency metrics, which account for 50 percent of a charity’s overall rating, reveal which charities operate in accordance with industry best practices and whether they are open with their donors and stakeholders. On June 1, 2016, they upgraded their methodology for rating each charity’s’ financial health with CN 2.1. These enhancements further substantiate the financial health of each four star charity.