Young man, there’s no need to feel down
I said young man, pick yourself off the ground
I said young man, ‘cause you’re in a new town
There’s no need to be unhappy…
There really is no need to be unhappy because in 10,000 neighborhoods across the nation, the YMCA has the presence and partnerships to deliver lasting personal and social change. And it’s been doing it for nearly 160 years. And this year, the Culver-Palms Family YMCA recreation facility and childcare programs were both voted “Best of Culver City” by readers of the News (it’s something to sing about).
The facility is approximately 50,000 square feet in size and is equipped with the latest cardiovascular and strength-training equipment. A healthy lifestyles center, 25-yard indoor heated pool, aerobics and cycling studios, and multi-purpose family room are just some of the features available. Strength equipment was replaced with new Precor equipment in June of this year and new cardio equipment will be arriving in December.
The Culver-Palms Family YMCA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is a branch of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, an association of 25 YMCAs serving the various communities in Los Angeles. As a nonprofit, it works closely with local businesses to fund its programs. Among other establishments, Rush Street has provided financial support by donating the proceeds from anniversary celebrations of the local YMCA at the restaurant.
“I’ve been aware of the Culver-Palms YMCA facility for nearly 28 years while employed in Culver City. It was not until a recent tour of the facility, and variety of programs offered, that I realized what a special place the Culver-Palms Y is, and the value it brings to our community,” said Fire Chief Chris Sellers of the Culver City Fire Department. “As a new board member, I am proud to be involved with an award-winning organization.”
“The Y is the nation’s leading nonprofit committed to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility,” said Executive Director Karen Bradley Follette, who oversees both the Culver-Palms Family YMCA and the nearby Westchester Family YMCA. “There’s something for everybody here,” she added.
A variety of programs are offered at the branch, including parent and child programs, swim lessons, preschool, camping programs, afterschool child care, Active Older Adults programming and special lectures and events.
“A family can walk into the branch together and all be involved in activities that build spirit, mind and body,” said Bradley Follette, who joined the local YMCA staff in May, after relocating from the San Francisco YMCA. She and her staff are enthusiastic about reaching out to the Culver City community. They are quick to point out that everyone is accepted regardless of race or religion.
“The Y brings people together. We connect people of all ages and backgrounds to bridge the gaps in community needs,” said Christy Lundy,administration director at the Culver City branch. She added that they strive to nurture potential, saying, “We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive.”
One of those programs is the Youth & Government program, meetings of which have recently begun and will run through February.
“The Youth & Government program teaches the next generation of leaders the skills and gives them the practice they need to pave the way for the generation that will follow theirs,” said program President Skylar Kim, a Culver City High School Senior and third-year participant.
Culver-Palms selects 105 delegates, mostly from CCHS (if you’ve seen a purple sweatshirt with gold lettering that reads “CPY” around town, you now know what they mean).
The lead advisor of the program, a former Youth & Government participant herself, is the Culver-Palm’s Youth & Family programs director, Katie Laase. She explained a little bit about how the program works. “There are there statewide conferences in which 2,600 teens from over 80 YMCAs in California gather to create a model legislature and court,” Laase said.
The final conference is in Sacramento, where students work in the State Capitol (including the Governor’s Press Office, Senate and Assembly Chambers and committee hearing rooms), Supreme Court Chambers and the District Court Chambers.
Students, called delegates, choose from a variety of roles: senator, assemblyperson, print or broadcast media, lobbyist, legislative analyst or court, among others. There are also a number of elected positions, including governor, secretary of state, lt. governor and state superintendent of public instruction.
“What makes the Youth and Government program so powerful is its ability to draw out the latent potential of its members for public speaking, and give them the chance to test their mettle in a large-scale arena, an opportunity they would not likely find elsewhere,” Kim said.
She continued, “It is difficult to define the Youth & Government program, and its ‘indefinability’ is indicative of the truly unique package of potentially life-changing opportunities it provides. Not only does it enable young people to gain the skills and experiences of a leader, but it gives them a forum to voice their opinions and a Mecca of debate, forcing them to learn to analyze current issues from every perspective. Simply put: The program forms more confident, knowledgeable, poised, determined minds than any program I’ve seen.”
For more information about the Youth & Government program, go to calymca.org.
The Culver-Palms Family YMCA is located at 4500 Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City. The phone number is (310) 390-3604 and can be found online at ymcala.org/cp, as well as on Facebook and Twitter.