Seven YMCA associations throughout southwest Florida – spanning Sarasota to Marco Island and including YMCA of the Palms in Naples and Bonita Springs – are joining together to launch a regional awareness campaign starting Monday, Sept. 20, aimed at highlighting the YMCA’s new brand strategy.
The campaign is the national organization’s first rebranding effort in more than four decades, and the purpose is to increase understanding of the impact that YMCAs make in communities across the country. Through extensive research and interviews about needs, concerns and opportunities, Y-USA determined that the organization and its reach in 10,000 neighborhoods across the country have the unique capacity to address many of the challenges facing the nation and our individual communities today.
Through its new brand strategy and framework, the Y will extend its reach to nurture the potential of youth and teens, improve the nation’s health and well-being and provide opportunities to support neighbors.
The seven YMCA associations in southwest Florida will open their doors to all visitors on Sept. 20 for guided tours and informative programs aimed at demonstrating the Y’s positive impact throughout the region. In addition to the YMCA of the Palms, the seven associations are:
This change comes at a critical time, because it is designed to increase understanding of the impact the Y is making in the community. Our nation and community face unprecedented challenges, and the Y wants to open its doors to more people who can benefit from what we have to offer.
At the Y, we’ve always known that positive change only comes about when we invest in our kids, our health and our neighbors. And that’s why we’re here. We have three areas of focus:
- Youth Development, because young people need caring adults to provide support, guidance and encouragement as they grow.
- Healthy Living, because wellness in spirit, mind and body strengthens our very being, and enhances our interactions with others.
- Social Responsibility, because we truly are in this together, and together we can harness our individual strengths and bring about positive change around us.
So while we’ve changed our appearance to better reflect the work we do and the positive impact we make, we’re still supporting this community in the same way we always have. We look forward to enriching more lives and more families, and to further strengthening this community for decades to come.
As always, we welcome your input. We invite you to share your thoughts with us. Please e-mail us at info@ymcapalms.org.
