To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all.

YMCA Character Development

Caring: to love others, to be sensitive to the well-being of others, to help others.

Honesty: to tell the truth, to act in such a way that you are worthy of trust, to have integrity; making sure your choices match your values.

Respect: to treat others as you would have them treat you; to value the worth of every person, including yourself.

Responsibility: to do what is right, what you ought to do; to be accountable for your behavior and obligations.

Cornerstones of Character

The Y's commitment to character development makes it extraordinarily valuable to the communities and people it serves. Building on this commitment and making it part of everyday operations and programming can be challenging.

What are the three challenges that Y's must accept to enjoy all possible benefits in recommitment to character development?

1.  1. To embed character development and the Y's four core values—caring,

         honesty, respect and responsibility—into the Y's culture (who the staff and

         volunteers are and how they operate) so it will last.

2.  2. To become involved in a long-term process in which character development gives

         focus to everything they do in the Y, including programming, hiring, planning and

         budgeting.

3.  3. To ensure that everyone—staff and volunteers at all levels of the organization—is

         involved and committed to this process. Everybody must accept the role of a

         teacher of values as an integral part of his or her job. All staff and volunteers must

         accept the challenge to teach the Y's core values first and foremost by leading by

         example in their own attitude and behavior.