President's Message
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Dear Friends,
I’m delighted to begin this letter by sharing that our Tampa Heights Redevelopment Project passed its second reading at the Tampa City Council this morning! We thank our elected officials for seeing the incredible value of this project. Our Tampa Heights community is very special to us and our local presence dates back to 1889. We are excited and committed to the new opportunities and resources this project will bring to Tampa Heights… and how we will leverage its future success to help us serve other important underserved communities in Tampa.
We have engaged our neighbors and small businesses and worked together to make certain when it comes to design, amenities and resources, this redevelopment meets the needs of our immediate neighborhood. We've listened carefully to what our stakeholders had to say through a purposeful process, and we will continue to genuinely gather feedback throughout the development process. The Tampa Y has been a responsible community steward for 135 years and we will continue to reflect our core values of respect and responsibility as this project continues to evolve.
As we celebrate our recent project approval, we are also grounded in our daily work to help ensure that our local children can reach their full potential with dignity. April is such an important time as it marks Child Abuse Prevention Month, during which the Tampa Y actively engages in Five Days of Action. This dedicated week seeks to heighten awareness and mobilize adults to safeguard children against sexual abuse. At the YMCA, safeguarding children stands as the very bedrock of our cause as we have an unwavering commitment to help our kids thrive. Through active participation in this crucial initiative and the ongoing implementation of abuse prevention strategies, the YMCA firmly pledges to uphold the safety and well-being of every child within our community.
April is also when we wrap up the community phase of our Annual Campaign. I am happy to report, as of April 11, we have attained 84.4% of our campaign goal. The generosity of our community allows for our life-changing work to happen. Additionally, April 22-26 is My Y Week – the last week for the campaign. Please stop by your YMCA to participate in the different activities during this special week. Here’s a story with more on My Y Week.
At the Y, we are extremely thankful to our donors that enable us to impact so many lives. Numerous families throughout our community struggle to afford the life-changing programs, lessons and activities we offer. So far this fiscal year (October through March) we have already awarded $1.2M in program/membership Open Door subsidies to assist those in need. This would not have been possible without the support of our community and donors like you. It is your choice to support the YMCA, which translates into ensuring no child is ever turned away due to the inability to pay. If you have not had the opportunity to give and would like to support the YMCA, please just click here.
As always, thank you for all you do to help us empower every individual in our community to reach their healthiest and most fulfilled life.
With Appreciation,
Matt Mitchell
President & CEO
813.224.9622