Summer Day Camp — Page 13 — Greater Joliet Area YMCA

Kicking Off Annual Camp Picnics with the Morris Community YMCA

July 31, 2018

Every year the Greater Joliet Area YMCA hosts commemorative picnics at each camp location to celebrate the camp season. The 2018 summer camp celebrations began with the Morris Y on Thursday, July 26 at Saratoga Elementary School. On a beautiful and sunny July afternoon, many of our campers and counselors celebrated alongside city officials, donors, volunteers and staff with lunch, fun and fellowship. The campers also had the opportunity to explore specialized farm equipment and emergency vehicles.

[doptg id=”24″]

YMCA summer camp is a great way for children to meet new friends, have fun and explore new activities all summer long. On behalf of our summer campers, we’d like to thank all those who joined us and made the summer camp picnic a memorable experience!

Morris Hospital (for donating lunch)
Representative David Welter
State Senator Sue Rezin
Mayor Dick Kopczick and the City of Morris
Grundy County Farm Bureau
Grundy Emergency Management
Morris Fire Department
Huntley Farms
University of Illinois Extension Office
Morris YMCA Advisory Council
YMCA Donors and Volunteers

Want to continue the fun during the school year? The Y’s Kid Zone is an excellent way for your child to have fun before and after school while giving you the peace of mind knowing they are safe!

SHARE THIS:

“Bear Down on Bullies”

August 7, 2014

In an effort to educate campers about bullying, Staley Da Bear, the official mascot of the Chicago Bears, paid a visit to the Galowich Family YMCA. Staley and an emcee led an anti-bullying demonstration known as “Bear Down on Bullies”—where campers engaged in hands-on activities to learn about the importance of respect and how to deal with and prevent bullying.

Staley had quite the sense of humor, so the kids had a blast learning about the five types of bullies: Big-mouth bully, hands-on bully, butt-out bully, cyber-bully, and all-around bully.

At the end of the presentation, the campers were presented with a player-autographed “Bear Down on Bullies” banner to display within the Y.

With the beginning of the school year just around the corner, parents are encouraged to talk with their children about bullying. For more information about bullying, including tips on how you can talk with your child, please visit www.stopbullying.gov.

SHARE THIS:

Campers Volunteer at Sunny Hill Nursing Home

July 30, 2014

10582907_693766350676965_6395060137579952404_o All summer long, a group of Galowich YMCA campers has been volunteering at Sunny Hill Nursing Home in Joliet. Twice per month, 25 campers (in grades 6-8) and four Y staffers have visited the facility to keep the residents company and have some fun along the way.

“After their first day there, they loved it,” Youth and Family Manager Lynette Soto said, with an emphasis on the word ‘loved’. “They wanted to keep going back. They were always asking me ‘Miss Lynette, when are we going back?’”

When they returned, Miss Lynette noticed the children’s social skills were thriving more than ever.

“They would go up to residents and introduce themselves,” she said. “Their confidence went through the roof. There was no coaching by the counselors or myself. They just recognized that this was serious and this was something big that they were doing.”

In late June, the campers crafted colorful banners to decorate the facility in preparation for Independence Day. Towards the end of July, they had an outdoor party that included a variety of games and some refreshments.

“Our last time there, in August, we are putting on a show for them,” Miss Lynette said. “The kids want to do a talent show. They want to do a dance. Some kids want to do some tricks they know how to do. Some kids want to sing.”

“I couldn’t be more proud of them,” she said.

View more photos here.

SHARE THIS:

All Smiles at Summer Day Camp

July 24, 2014

Smiles are wider—and shinier—than ever at YMCA summer day camp this week. Thanks to the folks with Will County Community Health Services, campers at the Smith and Central City YMCAs received free dental service on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The county’s dental van, which resembles that of a tour bus, took temporary real estate at our camps, providing teeth cleanings for 26 Smith campers and 16 Central City campers.

Inside the dental bus, it felt just like a normal dentist office—perhaps even less intimidating. When you walked through the door, there was a small waiting area with a TV on the wall. To the left, there were two dental chairs complete with all the usual tools and accessories needed to provide a thorough cleaning.

The dental staff was both patient and friendly. We are very grateful our campers were given such an excellent opportunity!

SHARE THIS:

Free Summer Food Program at the Y

July 14, 2014

Summer Day Camp just got a whole lot better.

Thanks to a multi-million dollar grant from the Walmart Foundation, campers at the Galowich and Smith Family YMCAs in Joliet will receive free lunch each day.

The free Summer Food Program, a nationwide initiative to combat childhood hunger, provides nutritious meals and snacks to keep kids healthy, active and well-nourished all summer long.

Supplied by the Northern Illinois Food Bank, menu items include everything from grilled chicken salad to “pizza stackers.”

Research shows that more than 30 million children in low-income communities receive free or reduced-cost meals during the school year, but only 2.3 million continued to have access to free meals during summer. Ys across the country are well-positioned to tackle this issue as part of their robust summer programming for youth. With more than 1,100 summer food program sites nationwide, the Y will serve 5 million healthy meals and snacks to 150,000 kids this summer.

“At the Y, we are dedicated to ensuring that kids don’t go hungry and they have access to daily nutrition all year round, especially during the summer months when hunger can have negative effects on youth development,” said Stacey McDaniel, spokesperson for the Year-Round Food Program at YMCA of the USA. “If kids are hungry, they can’t focus and if they’re not active and learning they are at risk of the ‘summer slide’. The Y and the Walmart Foundation are working to ensure that kids have the nutrition they need for positive physical, academic and character development.”

The Y is committed to nurturing the physical, mental and social-emotional development of youth and is working to ensure that all kids have access to nutritious meals, so they can continue to be healthy and thrive when out of school. The YMCA’s Summer Food Program, now in its fourth year, is part of a year-round effort to fight child hunger in partnership with the Walmart Foundation. In 2013, the Y provided a total of 7.5 million meals to children across the country through Afterschool and Summer Food Programs.

“The summer months can be a challenging time for families as they try to ensure their children have access to regular, healthy meals while they’re out of school,” said Julie Gehrki, senior director of the Walmart Foundation. “We are proud to continue partnering with the Y this year to help even more kids and teens across the United States benefit from meal programs in their hometowns, so they can enjoy healthy, happy summers.”

For more information, check out the US News coverage of this program.

SHARE THIS: