September 9, 2005

YMCA of Santa Clara Valley afterschool program
earns national recognition as ‘Best in Class’

East Valley Family YMCA branch awarded $20,000 grant

YMCA of Santa Clara Valley has been recognized by YMCA of the USA and the JCPenney Afterschool Fund as one of the 10 most innovative after school programs among YMCAs.

(From left) Mario Vargas, East Valley branch executive; Renee Parmelee, JCPenney Set Execution manager; Carol Seale, JCPenney store manager; Piero Ferracuti, JCPenney assistant store manager; Dave Thornton, President and CEO, YMCA of Santa Clara Valley; Mary Hoshiko, VP of Program and Community Development, YMCA of Santa Clara Valley; Gabriella Trujillo-Robnett, student afterschool participant.

In addition to the recognition, the JCPenney Afterschool Fund has awarded a $20,000 grant to the East Valley Family YMCA branch, part of the Fund’s $2.5 million in total support to YMCAs in 2005.

“We are honored to be recognized among such an exclusive group of excellent after-school programs from across the country,” said Mario Vargas, branch executive of the East Valley Family YMCA, alongside Gabriella Trujillo-Robnett, a sixth-grader from Ocala School who participates in the program.

“Our goal is to make the most of the hours that children like Gabriella and her brother, Fernando, spend at our after-school program, and that means helping them grow stronger in spirit, mind and body.”

The East Valley Family YMCA offers activities promoting nutrition and physical activity for both elementary and middle school children. Overall, YMCA of Santa Clara Valley after-school programs engage more than 3,000 youth daily throughout the county.

“The support provided by the JCPenney Afterschool Fund is helping our YMCA work to find real solutions for the national health crisis related to poor nutrition and lack of physical activity facing millions of Americans, especially children and young adults,” said David Thornton, CEO of the YMCA of Santa Clara Valley, in accepting the $20,000 check.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of overweight children and teens has more than doubled in the last 20 years. In California, 28.1 percent of fifth-, seventh- and ninth-graders are overweight.

“We are honored to have an opportunity to provide this grant to the East Valley Family YMCA. Helping our children get healthy and be active during hours when they’re not in school—and most vulnerable to negative influences—is vital,” said Carol Seale, JCPenney’s Vallco store manager.

“The JCPenney Afterschool Fund is firmly committed to helping YMCAs and other providers nationwide to deliver quality programs and services to help kids and their families learn how to lead healthy lifestyles in a fun and engaging way. I’m proud to support these organizations that are so committed to our kids’ safety and health, now and in the future,” she said.

Through its nationwide “Activate America” initiative, the YMCA is working to better incorporate physical activity into all aspects of youth, family and community programming.

Of its total 2005 award of $2.5 million, the JCPenney Afterschool Fund has designated $1.1 million to support “Activate America” and other YMCA programs focused on children’s health and wellness, including these 10 “best of class” grants.

“The search for the most progressive and innovative afterschool programs related to health and wellness has positive implications for the future,” said Ed Solczak, Executive Vice President, JCPenney Afterschool Fund.

“By recognizing and rewarding creative approaches to helping children live happier and healthier lives, we can help the YMCA make a greater impact on the lives of the millions of children they reach every day,“ he said.

Since establishing an alliance with the YMCA of the USA in 1999, the JCPenney Afterschool Program has helped provide affordable, high quality YMCA after school programs in safe environments for children nationwide, with nearly $19 million in total support from JCPenney and the JCPenney Afterschool Fund. This is the first year that the “best of class” grants have been awarded.

The JCPenney Afterschool Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports programs designed to keep kids safely and constructively engaged during out-of-school time. The fund’s contributions allow for the creation and continuance of afterschool programs aimed at the academic, physical and social development of children throughout the United States.

The JCPenney Afterschool Fund also works to raise awareness of the benefits of after-school programming and is committed to ensuring that every child has access to the world of opportunities that awaits them after school.