The name YMCA doesn’t mean what it says. The letters may stand for Young Men’s Christian Association, but that’s not an accurate description.
“We translate the `Christian’ in our name to mean human care and concern and we have membership and board leadership and staff that reflect every denomination,” explains Joyce Scott, director of social services for the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago. “The name is still `Young Men,’ but in fact the Y is for men and women, for everybody.”
Activities for people of all ages have long been a part of the YMCA, but beginning Friday there will be a new variation on that theme. “We view ourselves as a provider of services for families, and parents could always bring their kids to a swim class and then go off down the hall to a fitness class for themselves, but we saw that we didn’t have a lot of programs where families could come together,” says Scott.
As a result of that realization and as an alternative to movies, malls and McDonald’s, the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago is launching a new Family Nights program with events for parents and children every Friday evening at the centers of 22 of its 30 city and suburban members.
The first one, symbolically, has been scheduled to nearly coincide with Valentine’s Day. “It’s a day when families very specifically . . . state that they care about their loved ones, so we thought it was an appropriate place to start our programs,” explains Scott.
At each center, families, who need not be members to attend, will find all sorts of materials including the basic red construction paper and white doilies to create valentine cards destined to send wishes to people in nearby retirement homes or hospitals.
Beyond this “Build a Heart” activity, each participating YMCA will plan some programs of its own. The Leaning Tower Family YMCA in Niles has organized a dinner followed by country line dancing complete with a caller; the Lincoln/Belmont YMCA has scheduled a sock hop/hip-hop dance; the South Chicago YMCA will host a splash party in its pool; the Elmhurst YMCA will offer a skating party on its ice rink.
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Family Nights, 6:30 p.m. Fridays at 22 YMCAs in the city and suburbs; families do not need to be members to attend; a small participation fee for the Valentine’s Party on Friday varies from center to center and ranges from $1 per individual to $15 per family, YMCA members are often free; call 312-280-3400 for the nearest location.