special needs Archives - YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit

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October 21, 2015

A real hero

By Lori Mabee, Senior Program Director, South Oakland Family YMCA I’m the sweeper for our Girls on the Run & STRIDE 5K, which means I’m the last person to finish the race, making sure everyone finishes safely. The program is about building character and confidence in young boys and girls over a period of 10…

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Meagan Scaringe

July 10, 2015

Press / Press Releases / Youth Development

Press release: Camp Blue Sky offers camp for kids with special needs

May 26, 2015 – Summertime can present challenges for families looking to give children with special needs the same summer camp experience that other children might have. Fortunately, a special camp serving Southeast Michigan has set out to change that. In partnership with the YMCA, Camp Blue Sky offers summer day camp for individuals with…

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Meagan Scaringe

May 26, 2015

Healthy Living / Social Responsibility / Youth Development

How this Y employee is changing the game for kids with special needs

At a recent Pistons game, Mark Ralko, a personal trainer at the Birmingham Family YMCA, was recognized as a Detroit Pistons Game Changer for the incredible work he is doing in the community. Game Changers are the everyday people making a difference within their communities through service, leadership and volunteerism, and only a handful of…

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Meagan Scaringe

February 28, 2015

Healthy Living / Social Responsibility / Youth Development

Boll Hosts Students With Autism

Every week, a group of special needs students from Detroit Public Schools comes to visit the Y. They splash in the pool, scale the climbing wall, and have an exercise class, but the learning they experience goes beyond fitness.

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Amy Kuras

February 15, 2014

Healthy Living / Lakeshore Family YMCA / Livonia Family YMCA / North Oakland Family YMCA / Social Responsibility / Youth Development

Top 10 (+1) Reasons To Join The Y

Lots of people are brimming with excitement over newly made New Year’s Resolutions to get fit, lose weight, or try a new activity. And your local Metro Detroit YMCA branch is perfect for that, for a whole host of reasons beyond simply its pristine pools and modern workout equipment. Here’s a by-no-means comprehensive list. 1)…

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Amy Kuras

January 3, 2014

Healthy Living

Y Member Goes Beyond Challenges

Tenacity and toughness are the best descriptors for Jodie Charbonneau, a member at the Macomb Y who has gone beyond what she ever thought she could do by working out with a trainer, despite some major physical challenges,

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Amy Kuras

October 4, 2013

Social Responsibility / Youth Development

Students Experience Work at the Y

The Y is the first job for lots of young people, whether it’s working as a day camp counselor, a lifeguard, or in child watch. At the Macomb YMCA, students from the Pankow Center in L’Anse Creuse Public Schools have been coming to the Y to get some of their first work experiences for nine…

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Amy Kuras

March 2, 2013

Social Responsibility

Social Club Brings Young People Together

Evey young person needs a group of friends to hang out with and to feel like they belong, no matter their difference or disability. So the Birmingham YMCA recently launched a Saturday night social club for young adults with autism so that they can make friends and have fun with their peers.

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Amy Kuras

February 16, 2013

Healthy Living / Social Responsibility

Y Is the Place for Mom and Daughters

Gloria Fauer and her daughters, Chamra and Corie, have gotten control of their health through their Y scholarship that allows them to swim and work out; both girls have lost a significant amount of weight. But even more than the health benefits, the caring and acceptance they have found at the Y had made a…

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Amy Kuras

November 10, 2012

Tag: special needs

News: How a law firm is helping Detroit kids learn to swim with the Y

A real hero

Y Member Goes Beyond Challenges