YMCA Of The USA Leads The Nation In Pioneering Community-Based Approaches To National Public Health Crisis

WASHINGTON, DC, July 15, 2004 - During congressional testimony before the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee on Labor, Health and Human Services, the YMCA of the USA, the national resource office for the country's 2,575 YMCAs, today unveiled a multi-year plan for leading the development of community-based solutions that addresses the nation's declining health and rise in obesity and chronic diseases. The announcement of the YMCA "Activate America" initiative was made with the help of Senators Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) whose national leadership and support will help ensure that YMCA- designated communities can begin the process of mobilizing the nation in replicating proven strategies that break the cycle of unhealthy living.

"Obesity and unhealthy living seriously threaten the wellness of this nation," said Senator Specter, Chairman of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee. "Encouraging communities to promote active lifestyles and make health-conscious decisions is the most effective way to combat this disease. I am pleased to be a part of the introduction of the YMCA Activate America initiative that will further advance healthy living throughout our nation."

"I commend the YMCA for its leadership in building healthier communities. Many Americans look to the YMCA to provide a place for physical activity and support healthier lifestyles in their communities," said Senator Harkin. "The YMCA is taking one of the many steps needed to prevent chronic diseases and reduce health care costs for a healthier America."

At the U.S. Senate hearing, the YMCA of the USA named key communities nationwide that will actively test new approaches to tackle local health issues via the YMCA "Activate America: Pioneering Healthier Communities" Project. The Project is the first milestone of the multi-year YMCA "Activate America" initiative. It involves 14 projects -- 12 major cities and 2 statewide efforts led by their YMCA local associations who will focus on transforming their communities into healthier environments. Delegations of civic leaders from these regions will participate in the YMCA "Activate America: Pioneering Healthier Communities" National Conference on September 8th, 9th and 10th, 2004 in Washington, DC where experts will share proven strategies and models for mobilizing change. Equipped with the knowledge and needed tools, attendees will return to their hometowns and states to carry out action agendas that meet the specific needs and interests of their diverse communities. Their experiences will be instrumental in replicating these approaches in other communities and will be the subject of a report being issued in September 2005 outlining lessons-learned.

"America has unwittingly created an unhealthy society for our children. Lasting change that truly addresses the declining health of our nation needs to be led on the community level. YMCAs have the ability and reach to ignite the development of meaningful solutions that can alter the cycle of physical inactivity, obesity and chronic disease in our nation," said Kenneth L. Gladish, Ph.D., national executive director, YMCA of the USA.

The YMCA "Activate America" initiative is a ten-year effort uniting the public and private sectors in strengthening the health of America's kids, families and communities as well as YMCAs' capacity to serve new populations. The four key components of "Activate America" are:

• Activate America Pioneering Healthy Communities Project - The first milestone in Activate America is a year-long project designed to fuel the local adoption of community-based strategies for healthy living among all sectors of society. 
   
• Partnerships With Corporate and Public Leaders -- YMCAs are teaming up with third parties who can facilitate the adoption and penetration of these healthy living strategies. This will build on existing relationships with partners including corporations and local hospitals and schools. 
   
• Increasing YMCAs Capacity To Serve A New Population -- To better achieve the mission of advancing Americas health and wellness, YMCAs are focusing on helping individuals who have tried and failed in their quest to incorporate smart eating and regular physical activity into their lives. In this multi-year effort, 21 YMCAs are serving as a "living laboratories" for testing new approaches to wellness that will activate hard-to-motivate youth and adults. 
   
• Strengthening Grassroots Programs to drive deeper engagement and emphasize fun forms of physical activity and education.

Local Delegations Step Up For Healthy Communities

The "Pioneering Healthier Communities Project" includes: Dallas, TX; Des Moines, IA; Pittsburgh, PA; Boulder, CO; Tampa, FL; Jackson, MS; St. Louis, MO; Bellevue, WA; State of West Virginia; Boise, ID; State of Delaware; Palo Alto, CA; Milwaukee, WI and Rochester, NY.

Over the course of the year, the local teams will attempt to implement strategies that could measure the following:

• Effectiveness of the local YMCAs as leaders in mobilizing community activation projects;
• Key lessons learned from successful national frameworks promoting healthier community living;
• Ability to replicate a coalition-building process for other communities;
• Success in finding cost-effective ways to engage other communities using the lessons learned; and
• Achievements in developing practical solutions and tools that other communities can replicate and implement to influence healthy living and informed decision making.

Corporate Supporters

Joining Y-USA in mounting YMCA "Activate America" is Kimberly-Clark Corporation, a global company dedicated to health, hygiene and well-being of people everyday, everywhere and JCPenney Afterschool, the philanthropic arm of JCPenney Corporation, which is working to help youth and their families enjoy healthy lifestyles through fun and engaging afterschool programs. Collectively, YMCAs are the largest providers of child care and afterschool programs nationwide and serve more than 9 million youth from infancy to age 17 in a variety of programs and activities such as camping, youth sports and afterschool programs.

About YMCA "Activate America: Pioneering Healthier Communities"

YMCA "Activate America: Pioneering Healthier Communities" is developed with expert advice and assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Their input is helping to build an infrastructure for replicating model programs and approaches in developing healthy communities nationwide. In addition, the Association of State and Territorial Chronic Disease Program Directors (CDD) and the American Public Health Association are also working with Y-USA in this effort. Health and wellness has been an integral part of YMCAs charitable mission for more than 150 years. YMCA "Activate America" builds upon the YMCA's track record of pioneering programs that respond to timely societal needs.

YMCA Leadership -- Long-Standing Commitment to Spirit, Mind, Body

Serving more than 10,000 communities and neighborhoods, no institution is better positioned to act as a unifying force in this effort than YMCA of the USA, the national resource office for 2,575 YMCAs. Offering a broad range of programs including youth leadership and volunteerism, YMCAs are collectively the nation's largest providers of child care, afterschool, and youth sports programs and are working to incorporate physical activity into all aspects of youth, family and community programming. Visit www.ymca.net for more information.

About JCPenney Afterschool

JCPenney Afterschool is committed to helping provide children with high-quality, affordable afterschool programs to help them reach their full potential. The JCPenney Afterschool Fund is a non-profit, 501©(3) organization contributing financial support to five of America's leading Afterschool child care providers and advocates - YMCA of the USA, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Afterschool Alliance, 4-H and Junior Achievement. JCPenney Afterschool's support helps provide safe, fun and educational afterschool programs and raise awareness of the need for more such programs across the country.

About Kimberly-Clark Corporation

Kimberly-Clark and its well-known brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 250 countries. Everyday, 1.3 billion people - nearly a quarter of the world's population - trust their brands to enhance their health, hygiene and well-being - brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend.