Stew Leonard III Children’s Charity
and the Middletown Health Department have teamed with the YMCA to save
children’s lives by teaching low income, minority children how to swim. The YMCA and these great organizations recognize
that learning to swim is a life saving skill.
We also understand barriers such as poverty and a family history of fear
for the water significantly increases the risk of accidental drowning. Grant funding from Stew Leonard III
Children’s Charity and the Middletown Health Department will assure that 80 children
at greatest risk for accidental drowning will have access to YMCA swim
instruction.
The grant funding has thus far provided
33 children with swim instruction.
Additional children will be selected and scholarships will be offered
during winter, spring and summer swim sessions.
The Y plans to work in
collaboration with NEAT, Green Street, elementary schools, and other community
partners to reach children who meet the scholarship qualifications and currently
do not have a relationship with the YMCA.
The Middlesex Y is committed to
teaching both children and adults how to swim and we believe strongly in the
life saving and life enhancing benefits of the water. Our hope is to expand our reach from serving
80 children to 150 children through grants and a successful Community Support
Campaign that identifies swim instruction as a community need and benefit.
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