Greater Joliet Area YMCA

GREATER JOLIET AREA YMCA

C.W. Avery, Central City, Galowich, Morris

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Greater Joliet Area YMCA Hiring Before and After School Care Counselors

At the Y, we know that learning doesn’t end when the school bell rings. The way children spend time outside the classroom can make a big difference in their personal development and family-life balance. The Y’s Kid Zone and Kid Zone PLUS programs provide a safe place for children to keep their mind and body active while learning social skills and positive values.

Our before and after school team is dedicated to the Y’s mission and works tirelessly to meet the needs of the communities we serve. This group of talented and energetic staff is second to none and we are now currently looking to hire new part-time employees to expand our team.

Positions Available:
-Kid Zone Counselors
-Lead Site Coordinators

Part-Time Employees receive the following benefits:

  • A free YMCA Membership
  • Kid Zone staff may enroll their eligible children in Kid Zone at no cost
  • Save 25% off of Y programming
  • Have the opportunity to participate in the Y’s retirement plan (when eligibility requirements have been met)

All YMCA Kid Zone and Kid Zone PLUS staff must be 18 years of age or older. Program hours vary by location.

To learn more contact your local Y branch below or apply online today.

C.W. Avery Family YMCA 
(Serving Plainfield School District 202 and Valley View School District 365U)

Trisha Dust (Plainfield School District 202)
Before and After School Care Director
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (815) 267-8600, ext. 205

Sarah Porzel
Childcare Director (Valley View School District)
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (815) 267-8600, ext. 211

Galowich Family YMCA
(Serving Joliet, Minooka, Fairmont, Laraway, Rockdale, and Troy School Districts)

Brooke Hall
Child Care Director
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (815) 744-3939, ext. 316

Morris Community YMCA
(Serving Morris School District 54 and Saratoga School District 60C)

Jordan Overton
Youth and Family Director
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (815) 513-8080, ext. 513

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Say Hello to Summer: Summer Camp Gear Design Contest

Summer Camp season is almost here and we need your help designing a graphic that will appear on one of our special camper giveaway items this summer. Open to Y members, ages 9-14, this contest is the perfect opportunity for kids to let their artistic talents shine and celebrate the beginning of summer!

Here’s how to enter:

  1. Download an entry form and print it out. Entry forms are also available at the Membership Desk of your local branch.
  2. Grab some crayons, markers, and colored pencils and draw a picture that depicts your favorite things about summer and YMCA camp.
  3. Complete the entry form and drop it off at the Y.

One lucky winner will receive a $50 YMCA gift card and a YMCA sweatshirt.

The deadline to enter is Friday, April 23.

ENTRY FORM

Good luck!

OFFICIAL RULES:

  • Contestants must be members of the Greater Joliet Area YMCA.
  • All entries must be submitted by 8 p.m. on Friday, April 23.
  • Contest is open to members ages 9-14.
  • One entry per child, but multiple children per household are allowed.
  • Must be the child’s actual artwork.
  • Submitted artwork becomes the property of the Greater Joliet Area YMCA.
  • Must have valid contact information to participate.
  • Judges’ decision is final. Winning artwork will be displayed online and on one of our special camper giveaway items.
  • The Y reserves the right to modify submitted artwork as needed for production purposes.

 

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Support the Youth in Our Community and Help Send a Kid to Camp This Summer

Each summer, nearly half of the children who attend our summer camp program receive assistance through the YMCA’s financial assistance program. This is made possible thanks to precious funds donated to the YMCA by generous donors like you.

As a result of the pandemic, we expect the need for assistance to be even greater this summer. At the Y, we remain dedicated to providing a fun and safe summer camp experience for all children, but we can’t do it alone. To ensure that the Y’s mission can continue to thrive and help those children in our community who need it most, we need your support more than ever.

DONATE TODAY

We invite you to invest in our community’s youth by making a charitable contribution to the YMCA’s 2021 Send a Kid to Camp Campaign, which will run April 12-30. Your gift, in any amount, will help to ensure that every child has the opportunity to benefit from an engaging and impactful summer camp experience.


Donate today by visiting your local YMCA branch or making a tax-deductible donation online.

DONATE TODAY

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, all gifts to the YMCA are tax-deductible.

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YMCA Invites Community to Participate in National Discussion on Mental Health

As part of our continued efforts to help families in our community navigate the mental health repercussions of COVID-19, we are proud to announce the Y’s partnership with Pop Culture Hero Coalition and Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital to present “Resilience, Empathy, Healthy Screen-time: An Honest Conversation” on Thursday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m.

The Facebook Live event will feature a conversation led by celebrity guests and acclaimed psychologists, experts and thought leaders, focusing on mental health, resilience, empathy building, healthy screen use and managing conflict as parents, teens and children navigate the repercussions of COVID-19.

We hope you will join us for this very important national conversation. And please spread the word to your friends and neighbors . All are welcome!

Learn More

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YMCA Looks To Expand Programming in Locations Throughout the Joliet Community

Smith Family YMCA to Close on March 26

For nearly 95 years, the Greater Joliet Area YMCA has worked to bring about meaningful change in the community. As a result of the ongoing global health crisis, the YMCA has been challenged to reimagine the ways it delivers services to the community.

After months of thoughtful consideration, the Greater Joliet Area YMCA announced today that its Board of Directors has made the difficult decision to permanently close the Smith Family YMCA, located at 1350 S. Briggs Street in Joliet. The last day of operations at the Smith Family YMCA will be Friday, March 26.

“The challenges of the past 12 months have provided our YMCA with an opportunity to take a long, hard look at the programs we offer in the Joliet community. The Smith Family YMCA has proudly served residents of Joliet since 1978, but in recent years, its most impactful programs have operated outside of our YMCA walls and in the community,” said Greater Joliet Area YMCA President and CEO Jim Watts.

In the coming weeks, existing Smith Family YMCA programming will be relocated to sites throughout the Joliet community. Two of the YMCA’s largest youth development programs, including its Before and After School Kid Zone and Summer Day Camp programs, will be moving to the Salvation Army Building in downtown Joliet. Additional YMCA programs will be relocated to other community locations in the months ahead.

“We are excited to partner with area churches, local school districts, and other like-minded community organizations, like the Salvation Army, to make YMCA programming more accessible for Joliet residents. By relocating our most impactful programs to neighborhood locations, we hope to remove the barriers that may have prevented residents of all ages, but especially area youths, from utilizing our facility on Briggs Street,” said Watts.

Beginning on March 27, Smith Family YMCA members will transition to the Galowich Family YMCA, located at 749 Houbolt Road in Joliet. All employees at the Smith Family YMCA will have the opportunity to continue employment with the Y by moving to a new community program site or one of the Greater Joliet Area YMCA’s facilities in Joliet, Morris, or Plainfield.

“Although we are very sad to be retiring the Smith Family YMCA building, we are excited to write the next chapter of the Y’s storied history in the Joliet community. At the YMCA, our mission lives within the hearts of our members, volunteers, and staff, and we know that the spirit of the Smith Family YMCA will live on in our programs for generations to come. We remain committed to providing a YMCA experience for all and serving the Joliet community,” added Watts.

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Creativity Happens Here: 2021 YMCA Easter Egg Design Contest

Let your creativity shine and plan to participate in the YMCA’s Easter Egg Coloring Contest! Open to children ages, 5-12, this contest is the perfect opportunity for kids to show off their artistic talents and help spread a little Easter cheer.

Here’s how to enter:

1. Download the blank Easter Egg template below and print it out. You may also create a template of your own, just be sure to include a Y logo in your design.

Download Easter Egg Template

2. Grab some crayons, markers, colored pencils or paint and create an Easter Egg design that you think will inspire the community. From pastel colors and bunnies, to chocolate candies and spring flowers, we can’t wait to see your original designs!

3. Design can be submitted in the drop-off box at the membership desk of your local Y branch. You can also submit your design through a message to your local Y’s Facebook page or send an e-mail to [email protected] Submit your design by Thursday, March 25. Please be sure to include a name and age in the submission. 

4. Designs will be posted on the Facebook pages of the three Greater Joliet Area YMCA branches from Monday, March 29 through Thursday, April 1. The designs with the most combined photo reactions from each of the following age groups will receive a $30 gift card to an area restaurant:

Ages 5-7
Ages 8-9
Ages 10-12

Three lucky winners be announced on Friday, April 2

Good luck!

Greater Joliet Area YMCA Facebook Pages:

C.W. Avery Family YMCA

Galowich Family YMCA

Morris Community YMCA

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