Getting to Know the YMCA of Central and Northern Westchester
The YMCA …so much more from A – Z is the message new President and CEO Cynthia Rubino wants to get out to the Westchester community.
Based at 250 Mamaroneck Avenue in White Plains, the YMCA of Central and Northern Westchester is going through some major changes. “As a charitable, not for profit organization, the Y is committed to youth development, healthy living and social responsibility,” Rubino said in a recent interview. “We don’t want people to just drive by, remembering good times they had here. We want them to come in and find out what we are about today.”
Rubino took over as CEO on January 2, 2014. In the eight months since she started, the activity and interest levels in the local Y have accelerated significantly. Much of that is due to networking, making new connections and bringing in new board members Rubino believes. Not only is she determined to make the Y a larger and more engaged part of the local community, she has taken on the task to make interaction between the Y’s three locations, the White Plains YMCA, Community YMCA of Northern Westchester in Somers and Camp Combe YMCA in Putnam Valley more seamless, enabling a broader range of services and programs to a broader range of clients.
The work to be done in Westchester is part of a national initiative on the part of the larger YMCA community, Rubino explained. “We are working to bridge the gap in community needs beginning with youth development through senior programs. Much of what we do today is about the relationship between the body and the mind. To some extent we are stepping up to do the work that church and other community groups did 25 to 30 years ago.”
One example is a recent program held at the White Plains Y about underage drinking, which was sponsored by White Plains Hospital and Heineken. “Not only do such programs teach about health and well-being, they also teach social responsibility,” Rubino said.
A new program, started just this month highlights how joining the Y can become a family affair. A Group Exercise Schedule geared toward kids ages 8 to 12 is scheduled to give moms a timeout, while providing healthy and fun exercise for their children.
Also fostering social responsibility, while being educational is the ongoing Youth and Government Program, which is promoted through local schools and guidance counselors and allows teens to become actively involved in the intricate mechanisms of local and regional government.
For the future, Rubino has plans to initiate the YMCA School of Social Responsibility. “We are calling it ‘YU’ meaning Y University or Why You? It can have many meanings. The focus will be on young adults to help them learn what it means to be a responsible young person.”
Rubino is seeking corporate sponsors to work with her and the Y to build the program. She is also seeking new members for the umbrella board that governs all three of the local YMCAs.
At the Mamaroneck Avenue location there is a separate Executive Director, Tom Hay, and a separate advisory board. Hay also is seeking new board members.
Hay is responsible for the White Plains infrastructure including building maintenance and programs delivered on site, which means much of the focus has been turned to building renovation and raising funds for a new roof.
Director of Fund Development and Communications Anne Ring calls what’s going on at the White Plains location an “extreme makeover.”
“We’re not only revamping and adding to the programming, we have big plans to spruce the place up,” Ring said.
Hay, who has worked for the YMCA about 30 years, has returned to the White Plains facility where he initially began his career. He’s been back in White Plains about three months.
In White Plains there are 167 rooms rented on a monthly basis at affordable housing rates. “About 25 of these rooms are offline right now because we need a new roof,” Hay explained, adding that in the old building, constructed in 1927, men must share bathroom and shower facilities. The rent in that section is $595 a month. In the newer section, added in 1972, the set up is more like a dorm setting with bathrooms inside each room. The rooms here go for $760 a month and include housekeeping services and a gym membership.
With over 75 different group exercise classes on the schedule, Hay says he sees both people who work in White Plains as well as those who live in the city taking advantage of the broad spectrum of opportunities offered. “We open at 5:15 a.m. for early workouts and close at 10 p.m. That gives everyone a chance to come by,” Hay explained.
Hay is also excited about a new aqua cycling class set to begin in October. “We had someone donate the bikes,” he said. “Aqua cycling is all the rage right now and we are the first to have it in the area.”
This month a new basketball program has begun with instruction for children ages 6 to 12. The program runs for 8 weeks and offers the fundamentals of basketball for beginners.
For information about any of the programs mentioned in this article and for a listing of the many other services and programs offered by the YMCA of Central and Northern Westchester visit www.ymca-cnw.org.
