Youth program expansion is one of the YMCA’s top priorities, and financial support is the key to reaching its goal, said newly installed CEO Kevin Washington.
"We haven't gotten our full and proper support," Washington told The Associated Press in a recent interview. "You're going to see a much more aggressive YMCA in terms of telling our story, so we can have the resources to expand the programs."
Some of that messaging will target Millenials in their 20s and 30s.
"We have to communicate with our Millennials, to ensure they understand that they're part of a cause," Washington told The Associated Press. "It's our responsibility to help educate them about how they can be helpful."
Washington said more financial support could help the YMCA serve hundreds of thousands more people through youth development programs.
The AP reported that YMCA summer camp enrollment nationwide is at more than 900,000 each year, and the organization has plans to serve healthy meals to 150,000 children from low-income families this summer.
Washington's comments appeared in 'The Big Story' from The Associated Press, which can be read in full here.