In all of 2009, more than 20,000 families and 50,000 individuals visited YMCA branches more than 1.4 million times.  That represents a lot of healthy living, whether it’s the chance for a child to learn from a mentor in after-school care or an adult to learn from a trainer in a weight room.

The YMCA also plugs into the community through Toys for Tots, helping bring Christmas to more than 7,300 children in 2009; through Pioneering Healthier Communities, as one of 40 U.S. communities selected in 2008, and through the Health Action Partnership, where the YMCA is fostering walking groups together in underserved areas and building diabetes support groups in ethnic neighborhoods. 

The connections continue in 2010, as the new Pathways program brings all these YMCA programs together to make individuals and our whole community a healthier place to be, by connecting one person at a time.

“The vision of our association is to lead our community to become the healthiest in America,” said Jim Lombard, president/CEO of the Metropolitan Birmingham YMCA that includes 13 branches and facilities across Jefferson and Shelby County. “The Pathways initiative is a ground-breaking new approach to membership and engagement that will help us lead to healthier communities and to healthier individuals.”

Pathways Initiative uses a systemwide approach and focuses on the challenges that anyone finds in trying to live a healthier, more active life. And what better time to start than the first month of a new year?

“We hope to use all of the experience of the YMCA to help people create and really getting engaged in a pathway to success,” said Lisa Jones, Senior Vice President/Chief Strategic Officer. “We want people to feel comfortable and gain confidence as they take steps toward a healthier lifestyle.”

Five steps to finding your path
The Pathways approach includes lists five steps that anyone can follow as they join 50,000 individuals who already are connected with a YMCA in the Birmingham Metropolitan Association. Like all YMCA programs, Pathways incorporates components that touch mind, body and spirit as a way of achieving overall health.

1: SET A GOAL: Each YMCA branch has Pathway Guides trained to listen to you and your needs and tools like the Stanford Health and Lifestyle Assessment to help you set goals and choose activities to reach them.

2: BASIC KNOWLEDGE: Most people don’t really know where to begin, so the Y offers a number of options to help you know more about fitness or just fitting in.

3: ATTENDANCE: Coming to the Y and checking in is part of establishing a routine. It seems simple, but may not be easy to accomplish.

4: MAKE A CONNECTION: Joining your local Y links you to people who are moving in the same direction, toward a healthier, more active life.

5: LET US KNOW: Tracking your progress is important and allows Y staffers to offer a helping hand or a pat on the back!

More programs across community
In addition to the individual relationships and plans made possible through Pathways, the YMCA continues to touch lives through programs across the community.

The Northeast Branch has started walking groups in the eastern area of the city, as part of an initiative of the Health Action Partnership, supported by the Jefferson County Health Department and the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham. “Y Walk to I Walk” represents a commitment to a lifestyle that will get all our communities moving in a healthier direction.

“Got Sugar” Diabetes Support Group and Exercise Class, a 10-month program to support healthier living for diabetics, is open to the entire community. Groups meet at the Jefferson County Department of Health Eastern Health Center, 601 West Boulevard, in the Roebuck community.

Y5210, developed by the Alabama State Alliance of YMCAs, is a social marketing effort to fight childhood obesity.  Part of Activate America, the program uses the formula Y5210 to emphasize the importance of eating 5 fruits or vegetables a day; spending 2 hours or less in front of a TV or computer screen each day; taking 1 hour of physical activity daily and drinking no sugary beverages.

Today this is part of a curriculum for healthy living that area YMCAs incorporate into after school care programs across the association and is quickly becoming the unifying banner for many who share concerns about the health of all our children.

So, this new year, what path will you take toward mental, physical and spiritual health? Whether you follow a path to healthy living or lend a hand in supporting one of the many volunteer opportunities, the YMCA is one good place to start in 2010.

Click here to learn more about the history and mission of the Birmingham YMCA or to find a facility in your area. Click here to find out more about how to volunteer through the YMCA.