The YMCA of the Chesapeake announces the start of the community phase of fundraising for the Queen Anne’s County Family YMCA/Senior Center. The Queen Anne’s County Senior Center will operate five days a week, leading senior-based programming and services.  The Queen Anne’s County Family YMCA will support the Senior Center in providing health and enrichment programs, working with the community’s aging population to develop and/or maintain healthy habits and lifestyles and improve their quality of life.  Once constructed, this will be the only facility in the community that will have an advance fitness component for seniors.

“This is a moment sixteen years in the making,” said Robbie Gill, YMCA of the Chesapeake CEO. “To date we have raised $18.6 million dollars which equals 79% of our $23.6 million dollar project cost. We need our community’s help to reach our goal so the new YMCA/Senior Center is debt free and has the resources to make sure everyone can participate regardless of the ability to pay for programs and services.  The opening of a full-facility YMCA/Senior Center in Queen Anne’s County will be a transformative moment for the community.”

The YMCA of the Chesapeake announces the start of the community phase of fundraising for the Queen Anne’s County Family YMCA/Senior Center.

A full facility Y will allow the Y to increase the number of programs and resources that connect people through a common need or cause, building a supportive network throughout their lifetime.  A new Queen Anne’s County Y will allow for:

• Learn to Swim programming to teach key lifesaving skills
• Support before and after school programs – providing a safe place for children to go in the community; and specialized programs focused on closing the learning gap for children in our community – early learning readiness and summer learning
• Provide the space to replicate our shared use, senior center model in St. Michaels to run regular senior programs to combat issues of senior isolationism in partnership with Queen Anne’s County.
• Expand Chronic Disease Programs (LiveStrong, Rock Steady, Enhanced Fitness, Diabetes Prevention)
• Year round pickleball opportunities
• Supporting high school swim teams
• Working closely with community partners to strengthen community through programs and services.

All these programs are currently running successfully at other branches but are not easily accessible to the members at the existing Queen Anne’s County Y due to space limitations.

Unique to the new Queen Anne’s County Family YMCA/Senior Center will be a Career Development and Resource Center (CDRC). The CDRC will provide professional resources and support to job skills training and development and support local business in Queen Anne’s County and the Upper Shore region.

“Not only is the facility itself exciting, but it’s dual purpose as a Y and senior center, combined with its central location near the high school and county services creates unique and exciting programming opportunities to strengthen our community,” continued Gill. “While working to secure land for this new facility, we conducted a study to determine how many people a new YMCA could serve.  The study showed that a new YMCA could serve over 10,000 community members on a weekly basis, meaning this location has the potential to be one of the largest YMCAs on the Eastern Shore. Best of all, the YMCA turns no one away due to the inability to pay. Everyone is welcome. The new Y/Senior Center will serve as the front porch of our community.”

The YMCA of the Chesapeake’s shared-use, Senior Center/YMCA model, first developed for the Perkins Family YMCA and Bay Hundred Senior Center, is the first of its kind in the YMCA movement. By creating this shared-use model with Queen Anne’s County, the Y will reach a level of resource and programmatic support that they would not otherwise be able to provide.

According to Cathy Willis, QAC Director of Community Services, “We have been fortunate to have three senior centers located in Grasonville, Kent Island and Sudlersville, however the Centreville Senior Center closed in 2011 following the county reorganization. For ten years now, participants from the central area of the county have had to travel or be transported to one of the other three locations. To say we are thrilled is an understatement to bring this service back to the central area of the county and offer so much more county-wide in this shared-use facility. State of the art fitness equipment, Chronic Disease Self-Management programs, Aquatics programs and Pickle Ball courts are just a few of the most exciting highlights for our participants!  It has been a pleasure to work with the YMCA team on this collaboration.”

The Y’s involvement in Queen Anne’s County began in 2009. At the time, Chesapeake College announced plans to close the only indoor community pool in the county. Residents voiced concerns to the Queen Anne’s County Commissioners and pleaded for the pool to stay open to provide crucial aquatics programs. The County reached out to the Y for expertise and assistance.  The Y, the College, and the County signed a memorandum of understanding that kept the pool open through 2012. This collaborative effort highlighted the need and opportunity to build a YMCA in Queen Anne’s County.

In November 2015, Queen Anne’s County donated 17 acres of land to the YMCA in Centreville, Maryland.  The location is ideal for a community YMCA, as it sits directly across from Queen Anne’s County High School, which serves approximately 1,100 students.  Additionally, Kennard Elementary School (513 students grades 3 – 5) and Centreville Middle School (535 students grades 6 – 8) are both within a half of a mile and will have walking access to the YMCA.

The YMCA of the Chesapeake has consistently been on the forefront of the YMCA movement, pushing other YMCAs to be innovative in their service to the community.  They were the first to develop a shared-use model to better serve the senior population and have provided consistent staffing and resource capacity to meet various community needs; providing leadership and support. The Y’s work and experience to this point allows them to innovate with a career development and resource center model.  By implementing this model at the Queen Anne’s County Family YMCA there will be an opportunity to actively support the local, rural economy.  If you are interested in learning more about supporting the Queen Anne’s County Family YMCA/Senior Center Capital Campaign, please contact Tony Sigmon at [email protected].

About the YMCA of the Chesapeake

The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits and the largest Human Service organization on the Eastern Shore; strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Across the Shore, Ys engage 40,000 members and their families, regardless of age, income or background, to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the Shore’s health and wellbeing, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. The YMCA of the Chesapeake operates facilities in Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Talbot, Queen Anne’s and Wicomico Counties in Maryland and on Chincoteague Island in Virginia. Last year, the YMCA of the Chesapeake provided over $1,750,000 in assistance to over 16,000 community members, turning no one away due to inability to pay. Additionally, the Y spent $200,000 on outreach efforts and programming in the communities it serves.

Beginning June 7^th, the YMCA in Cambridge, MD will play host to the J Noah Skills Academy, a unique mentorship program for high school student athletes.

The J Noah Skills Academy is a nonprofit organization founded by Jordan Pearlstein, a college basketball player and longtime mentor who received his Certified Associate in Project Management designation from the Project Management Institute.  Pearlstein combined all of these experiences to develop an innovative approach to mentorship.

The Academy provides student athletes with a free, fun way to learn practical project management skills that are highly desired by employers.  The project management concepts are taught through the lens of basketball to help these students better relate to and understand the material.  Exposing high schoolers to the principles of project management provides them with knowledge, self-awareness, and self-assessment to enable them to start and finish projects in all aspects of their lives.  Possessing post-college level skills before they even graduate high school increases a J Noah student’s likelihood of both personal and professional success.

The curriculum is based on frameworks provided by the Project Management Institute.  Each student enrolled at the J Noah Skills Academy works with their mentor to create a personalized Mentee Action Plan.  The student uses project management skills to identify and achieve academic, athletic, and personal goals, and the action plan establishes processes for requesting any help and resources they need.

While Pearlstein started his program nearly a year ago, he had difficulty identifying a steady location that had basketball courts, study space, and the technological capabilities that would enable him to teach the full curriculum.  After meeting with Pearlstein about this unique program, Executive Director Shania Gregory offered him space at the Pauline F. and W. David Robbins Family YMCA.

“I am very excited,” Pearlstein says.  “The YMCA has everything we need for our students to get the most impact from our program.  I am so grateful to Shania for giving us this opportunity to change young lives for the better.”

As a nonprofit organization, the J Noah Skills Academy is a free service for student-athletes.  Once enrolled in the Academy, students will participate in three sessions per week throughout the summer – Tuesday and Thursday from 6:00 – 8:30 pm, and Saturday from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.  To learn more, enroll your child, volunteer, or make a donation, visit jnoahskills.org or contact Jordan Pearlstein at [email protected] or 608-208-3919.

Throughout the remaining weeks of December, the YMCA of the Chesapeake will collect bottled water at all 11 of its locations across the Eastern Shore to support those affected by the devastating and deadly tornadoes in Kentucky. The YMCA is partnering with 50K Souls, a network of Churches/Organizations committed to bringing deliverance, restoration, inspiration, victory and encouragement to communities locally, nationally and globally.

“This partnership with 50K Souls is one of many ways our mission work continues throughout the year,” said Robbie Gill, YMCA of the Chesapeake CEO. “We’re working directly with YMCAs across Kentucky to ensure water is distributed to communities impacted by the storms. I hope our friends and neighbors will consider purchasing cases of water and dropping them off at Y locations across the Eastern Shore between December 17th – 31st.”

Cases of bottled water can be dropped off at any of the following locations across the Eastern Shore during operating hours:

Caroline County Family YMCA
46 Denton Plaza
Denton, MD 21629

Cecil County Family YMCA
25 YMCA Boulevard
Elkton, MD 21921

David Landsberger Family YMCA
6395 Maddox Blvd
Chincoteague, VA 23336

Easton Family YMCA
202 Peachblosson Road
Easton, MD 21601

Easton Family YMCA @ Washington St.
1180 S Washington Street
Easton, MD 21601

Kent County Family YMCA
800 High Street
Chestertown, MD 21620

Lower Shore Family YMCA
1900 Worcester Hwy
Pocomoke City, MD 21851

Pauline F. and W. David Robbins Family YMCA (Cambridge)
201 Talbot Ave
Cambridge, MD 21613

Perkins Family YMCA and Bay Hundred Senior Center (St. Michaels)
300 Seymour Ave
St. Michaels, MD 21663

Queen Anne’s Family YMCA
123 Coursevall Dr
Centreville, MD 21617

Richard A. Henson Family YMCA
715 S Schumaker Dr
Salisbury, MD 21804

About the YMCA of the Chesapeake

The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits and the largest Human Service organization on the Eastern Shore; strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Across the Shore, Ys engage 40,000 members and their families, regardless of age, income or background, to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the Shore’s health and wellbeing, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. The YMCA of the Chesapeake operates facilities in Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Talbot, Queen Anne’s and Wicomico Counties in Maryland and on Chincoteague Island in Virginia. Last year, the YMCA of the Chesapeake provided over $1,750,000 in assistance to over 16,000 community members, turning no one away due to inability to pay. Additionally, the Y spent $200,000 on outreach efforts and programming in the communities it serves.

Last month, the YMCA of the Chesapeake launched its 2021 Annual Campaign at all eleven of its locations across Delmarva. Funds raised through the Annual Campaign support the organization’s programs and operations and ensure that no one is turned away due to inability to pay.

The YMCA has set the ambitious goal of raising $777,525 through this year’s fundraising effort that continues through the end of the year. Donations may be made to support the initiatives of a specific branch or designated towards the YMCA’s greatest need.

“We cannot thank our donors enough for their continued support,” said Robbie Gill, CEO of the YMCA of the Chesapake. “Thanks to the generosity of our donors we have been able to provide more than 50,000 meals to children and families in our communities, provide child care for essential workers, launch virtual fitness classes, and create a safe space for children to learn while schools operated remotely. None of this would have been possible without a successful annual campaign.”

Over the past year, funds raised through the YMCA’s Annual Campaign supported:

• Local Food Drives
• Youth Sports
• Enhanced Fitness (an exercise program for seniors)
• Livestrong (a program for adult cancer survivors)
• Rock Steady (a program for those battling Parkinson’s disease)
• Child Care
• Swim Lessons
• Mentoring Programs
• Before and After Care
• The Open Doors Program that ensures that no one is turned away from a YMCA membership or YMCA programs and services due to inability to pay

Individuals are encouraged to donate online by visiting www.ymcachesapeake.org/give/giving.

About the YMCA of the Chesapeake
The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits and the largest Human Service organization on the Eastern Shore; strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Across the Shore, Ys engage 40,000 members and their families, regardless of age, income or background, to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the Shore’s health and wellbeing, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. The YMCA of the Chesapeake operates facilities in Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Talbot, Queen Anne’s and Wicomico Counties in Maryland and on Chincoteague Island in Virginia. Last year, the YMCA of the Chesapeake provided over $1,750,000 in assistance to over 16,000 community members, turning no one away due to inability to pay. Additionally, the Y spent $200,000 on outreach efforts and programming in the communities it serves.  

The YMCA of the Chesapeake will host a membership drive throughout the month of September and waive the $70 joining fee at all of its eleven locations on the Eastern Shore.

“With the start of a new school year, September is a great time to join, or rejoin, the Y and make a commitment to yourself, your family and your community,” said Jennifer Gill, YMCA of the Chespeake’s Chief Operating Officer. “The Y is more than a fitness center, more than a pool, and more than a meeting space. It is a supportive community inspiring people of all ages, abilities and incomes to live healthier in mind, body and spirit.”

YMCA memberships not only provide access to a facility, but also support programs that strengthen our communities, support the organization’s programs and operations and ensure that no one is turned away from due to inability to pay.

YMCA of the Chesapeake memberships include access to all eleven YMCA of the Chesapeake locations from Elkton to Chincoteague as well as all Ys in Maryland and participating Ys across the Country. Members also benefit from more than 300 land and water fitness classes, free “stay and play” childcare while they work out and discounts on youth sports, swim lessons, day camps and other enrichment programs.

Through the Y’s Open Doors Program, no individual or family is turned away due to financial hardship, and membership fees can be reduced for those who qualify. The Open Doors Program is made possible through the generosity of members, volunteers and community donors through the Annual Campaign.

“As we continue to navigate the latest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are dedicated to providing safe spaces for all members to reestablish a sense of connection, which we know is critical to the health and stability of individuals and our communities,” said Gill.

To learn more about joining the YMCA of the Chesapeake, visit www.ymcachesapeake.org/membership or stop by a local branch. Branch locations are available at www.ymcachesapeake.org/locations.

About the YMCA of the Chesapeake
The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits and the largest Human Service organization on the Eastern Shore; strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Across the Shore, Ys engage 40,000 members and their families, regardless of age, income or background, to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the Shore’s health and wellbeing, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. The YMCA of the Chesapeake operates facilities in Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Talbot, Queen Anne’s and Wicomico Counties in Maryland and on Chincoteague Island in Virginia. Last year, the YMCA of the Chesapeake provided over $1,750,000 in assistance to over 16,000 community members, turning no one away due to inability to pay. Additionally, the Y spent $200,000 on outreach efforts and programming in the communities it serves.

On Wednesday, June 30^th, the YMCA of the Chesapeake joined with local leaders and community stakeholders to break ground on the new Queen Anne’s County YMCA/Senior Center in Centreville.

“This is a moment sixteen years in the making,” said Robbie Gill, YMCA of the Chesapeake CEO. “The opening of a full-facility YMCA in Queen Anne’s County will be a transformative moment for the community; providing space and resources that will meet critical needs for years to come.”

Photo: State and local representatives joined the YMCA of the Chesapeake for the ground breaking of the new Queen Anne’s County Family YMCA in Centreville on June 30th. From left: Robbie Gill, Queen Anne’s County Commissioner Steven Wilson, Delegate Jay Jacobs, Delegate Steven Arentz, Senator Addie Eckardt, Queen Anne’s County Commissioner Christopher Corchiarino, Centreville Town Council Member Jeffrey Kiel, Centreville Town Council President Tim McClusky, Queen Anne’s County Commissioner Jack Wilson, Maryland Secretary of Aging Rona Krama and Queen Anne’s County Commissioner James Moran.

The new $15 million, 49,000 square foot facility will be located across Route 304 (Ruthsburg Road) from Queen Anne’s County High School and next to the new Queen Anne’s County Government complex. It is expected to serve more than 10,000 community members. It will include a six-lane indoor pool, wellness center, full-size gymnasium, multi-purpose spaces for programs and group-exercise classes, Stay and Play, kitchen, outdoor pool and pavilion, senior center offices, and a small business/community development center. The new facility is slated to open in 2023.

Photo: Members from Boy Scout Troup 464 and American Heritage Girls Troop 0414 joined the YMCA of the Chesapeake for the groundbreaking of the new Queen Anne’s County Family YMCA in Centreville. They are two of many youth and community organizations that will benefit from the new facility and its programming.

“Not only is the facility itself exciting, but it’s dual purpose as a Y and senior center, combined with its central location near the high school and county services creates unique and exciting programming opportunities to strengthen our community,” continued Gill.

The YMCA has worked in Queen Anne’s County for over two decades, initially providing summer aquatics programs at Chesapeake College, then working with Queen Anne’s County and Chesapeake College in 2011/2012 to keep the indoor pool open for community members.

Queen Anne’s County donated land in November 2015 for a future home for the YMCA, and in December 2016, the YMCA opened a store-front facility in Centreville, Maryland that currently serves 2,800 members and provides a variety of youth and adult programs.

While operating the existing location, the YMCA has been successfully raising funds for the new facility. In May 2020, the YMCA received a $5 million matching grant from the Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation and earlier this year received $565,000 in the State’s FY22 Capital Budget. To date, the YMCA has raised $10.826 million which is 72% of the $15 million goal.

The groundbreaking marks the beginning of the community phase of the Queen Anne’s County Family YMCA/Senior Center Capital Campaign. To contribute and learn more, please contact Heather Moore at [email protected].

About the YMCA of the Chesapeake
The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits and the largest Human Service organization on the Eastern Shore; strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Across the Shore, Ys engage 40,000 members and their families, regardless of age, income or background, to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the Shore’s health and wellbeing, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. The YMCA of the Chesapeake operates facilities in Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Talbot, Queen Anne’s and Wicomico Counties in Maryland and on Chincoteague Island in Virginia. Last year, the YMCA of the Chesapeake provided over $1,750,000 in assistance to over 16,000 community members, turning no one away due to inability to pay. Additionally, the Y spent $200,000 on outreach efforts and programming in the communities it serves.  

The YMCA of the Chesapeake is proud to host Rock Steady Boxing at the Easton Family YMCA at Washington to support residents of the Mid-Shore with Parkinson’s disease.

“April is National Parkinson’s Awareness Month, and I encourage anyone in our community who is fighting back against this terrible disease to learn more about Rock Steady Boxing,” said Wendy Palmer, Associate Executive Director and Rock Steady Instructor. “We are a close community that is dedicated to helping each other knock out Parkinson’s and look forward to welcoming newcomers. This program is free of charge through donations to the YMCA’s annual campaign. Without the generosity of our donors, we wouldn’t be able to offer these life-changing programs to our members and communities.”

Rock Steady Boxing is a national, non-profit organization that gives people with Parkinson’s disease hope by improving their quality of life through a non-contact, boxing-based fitness curriculum. Over the past three years, the YMCA of the Chesapeake has partnered with Lyn Strzempka-Sutton, leader of Rock Steady Boxing-Mid Shore, to host classes twice a week at the Easton Family YMCA at Washington.

Since starting its first class three years, ago Rock Steady at the Y has grown from four boxers to more than fifteen per class. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rock Steady Boxing has continued virtually twice a week on Zoom.

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative movement disorder which can cause deterioration of motor skills, balance, speech and sensory function. The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation estimates there are more than 1 million people in the United States diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and more than 60,000 people are diagnosed each year.

Since the 1980s, research has supported the notion that rigorous exercise, emphasizing gross motor movement, balance, core strength and rhythm, may be “neuro-productive,” meaning that it can help slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease. The Rock Steady fitness curriculum puts this research into practice through adapted boxing drills that condition for optimal agility, speed, muscular endurance, accuracy, hand-eye coordination, footwork and overall strength. Rock Steady is designed fit the needs of men and women of all ages and at all stages of the disease, from those first diagnosed to those who are living with more advanced symptoms.

Roger Eareckson of Trappe, Md. is one of the original four YMCA Rock Steady Boxers and has found the program helpful in managing his progressing symptoms.

“Three years ago, ’The Fearless Foursome’ began the fight for our lives, trying to keep what we still had and surrender as little as possible to our collective foe – Parkinson’s,” said Eareckson. “My class now has some fifteen boxers and more keep coming, even with the pandemic limiting our class structure in the ZOOM boxing ring. We work hard to get the better of this disease, even if only for a short time in class.”

He offers the following advice to anyone who has recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s.

“As soon as your Neurologist/Movement Specialist diagnoses you with Parkinson’s, get enrolled in a prescriptive exercise program, targeted to address PD while your symptoms are less severe than they will become. Participating in a group program like Rock Steady provides camaraderie where we push each other to do our best under the trained, watchful eyes of an instructor dedicated to helping us improve what we can and maintain what we have. We never quit, stay focused and punch out Parkinson’s.”

To register for Rock Steady Boxing at the YMCA, email Wendy Palmer at [email protected].

For more information concerning Parkinson’s disease, contact the Parkinson’s Foundation at www.parkinson.org and 1-800-4PD-INFO, or the Maryland Association for Parkinson Support at www.marylandparkinsonsupport.org and 443-470-0279.

About the YMCA of the Chesapeake
The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits and the largest Human Service organization on the Eastern Shore; strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Across the Shore, Ys engage 40,000 members and their families, regardless of age, income or background, to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the Shore’s health and wellbeing, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. The YMCA of the Chesapeake operates facilities in Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Talbot, Queen Anne’s and Wicomico Counties in Maryland and on Chincoteague Island in Virginia. Last year, the YMCA of the Chesapeake provided over $1,290,000 in assistance to over 16,000 community members, turning no one away due to inability to pay. Additionally, the Y spent $200,000 on outreach efforts and programming in the communities it serves.