In 2010, there were many exciting — and even sometimes controversial — changes at the Family YMCA of Prince George.
Now, it is a brand new year. With a new year comes a sense of optimism, and of course, hope. Hope, however, is not enough to create change and without action the changes we want to see may never occur. Worse, without intervention, changes we don’t want to witness will still happen without us.
One area in which we made tremendous change was our messaging and how we are communicating with our community. The introduction of this blog is another way for us to interact with each person who has an interest in the YMCA. So this first week, I want to ask you a question:
"What is one change you would like to help the YMCA make in 2011?"
No, I don’t mean buying new carpets or a different front desk for our Massey Drive Facility. I mean a true, valuable change in our community. Our community is already changing. And while we are fortunate to live in a great place, we must not ignore that every day we are still faced with many issues and challenges.
This past year, across Northern BC, we heard about childhood obesity, children unprepared to enter school, economic challenges, unemployment, high crime rates, gang issues, homelessness, drug addiction, chronic disease, violence, and countless other problems.
We cannot sit back and say that these issues are the government’s concern. Every citizen has a responsibility to get involved and help in some way, big or small. Our community needs each one of us: whether business, charity, government, or private citizen. We can all play an important part in ensuring our community is as vibrant and healthy as we can make it.
That being said, we want to help when we can. In the months ahead, we will make every effort to update you on what we are working on at the Family YMCA and how you can get involved. We want to hear your thoughts on how we are doing and where we are needed. Feedback is welcome and encouraged, and I will try to answer questions as often as I can. See you next week, and Happy New Year!
- Mark Miller, CEO, Family YMCA of Prince George
