| Home | Raising money for the Reach Out For Youth and Families foundation at the YMCA
For my project, I am raising money for the Reach Out For Youth and Families foundation at the Hockomock Area YMCA. Reach Out For Youth and Families, or ROFY, is the YMCA's scholarship program that provides local families with financial assistance so that they have access to Y programs, like memberships and summer camp, that they otherwise would not be able to afford.
I was inspired to pursue this project mainly due to my own involvement in the YMCA. As I spend so much of my time at the Y, both working and volunteering, I hear all about ROFY and am often urged to donate to the campaign. After seeing the impact ROFY makes on people's lives, and the importance of having the accessibility to programs that encourage youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility, I was driven to make an impact.
"While walking along a beach, an elderly gentleman saw someone in the distance leaning down, picking something up and throwing it into the ocean. As he got closer, he noticed it was a young man, picking up starfish one by one and tossing each one gently back into the water. He came closer and called out, “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?” The young man paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean.” The old man smiled, and said, “I must ask, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?” To this, the young man replied, “The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.” “But, young man," he said, "Do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can’t possibly make a difference!” The young man listened politely. Then he bent down, picked up another starfish, threw it into the back into the ocean and said, “It made a difference for that one.”
Like in this story, I was inspired to make a difference, even if it was for just one person.