Social Responsibility

Will Rappold has been a part of the YMCA of Greater Rochester’s Youth and Government program going on three years. But this summer was his first time attending the YMCA’s Youth Conference on National Affairs (CONA).

You would be hard-pressed to find a person more committed to supporting the Northwest Family YMCA and the YMCA of Greater Rochester than Shannon Bielaska. Her love for the YMCA all started back in the early 1980s when she would bring her kids to play youth sports at the Northwest branch.

The YMCA of Greater Rochester’s Pride Employee Resource Group (ERG) has big plans for this year and beyond. Along with the African American and Women’s ERGs, the Pride ERG was relaunched in June 2022. The first year of the new-look Pride ERG has been fruitful but there are many more goals in mind for the group.  

The YMCA of Greater Rochester’s Women’s Employee Resource Group (ERG) is set to host an in-kind donation drive in support of Dress for Success Rochester. The ERG will be hosting the drive through a 20 Days of Success campaign throughout various YMCA branches, which will run from May 1-20.

Something really cool is happening in Rochester one year from now – a total solar eclipse! And this isn’t like the last solar eclipse in 2017; this time, we in Rochester are in the path of totality.

Women make up the majority of the workforce at the YMCA of Greater Rochester, playing a vital role in what happens every day across our Association. Recently, staff came together to create the Women’s Employee Resource Group (ERG) to advocate, mentor, and be a resource for one another.

YMCA students from Webster Thomas, Penfield, McQuaid Jesuit, Our Lady of Mercy, and Aquinas Institute attended the Alliance of New York State YMCAs’ Youth and Government (YAG) Summit this past weekend in Albany.

All athletes are welcome here at the YMCA of Greater Rochester. So, let’s take time to highlight one of our very own: Amanda Vito.

Our African American Employee Resource Group (AA ERG) kickoff event went off without a hitch as we celebrated Black History Month, with guest speakers Dr. Kiah Nyame and Ronnie Pollack, as well as a fireside chat with new President & CEO Ernie Lamour — the second African American to assume that role for our Association.