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YMCA of Youngstown

YMCA of Youngstown

YMCA OF YOUNGSTOWN

GIVINGTUESDAY 2022

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YMCA of Youngstown

YMCA OF YOUNGSTOWN

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Youngstown Lifeguard Academy Creates Environments for Underserved Youth to Thrive

With summer at its peak, keeping individuals safe while swimming can be a concern. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), each year, about 4,000 people die from drowning in the United States. When lifeguards are present at pools or beaches, that risk significantly reduces. Lifeguarding serves as an important career choice both to master swimming skills and to develop personally in leadership and community service, and the Youngstown Lifeguard Academy helps vulnerable youth and young adults fulfill that goal.

The Youngstown Lifeguard Academy was founded in 2019 by Hon. Kevin Tarpley in his hometown.  He noticed over the years that Youngstown had a high unemployment rate of underserved young adults 15-24 years old, and he believed the Academy could help address that issue by engaging local candidates in lifeguarding clinics. The program provides members with an opportunity to give back to their community, learn valuable skills, collaborate with their peers, and recruit new members.

As candidates complete their lifeguard training, they are promoted to cadet status and become swim instructors at the Central YMCA of Youngstown. This requires a deep commitment to physical conditioning, community service, and leadership development. Second-year members are required to take on additional training to increase hiring opportunities in the aquatic field. Members continue moving through the program until they turn 25 and become a member of the Alumni Council.

HealthPath’s support of the Youngstown Lifeguard Academy allowed them to partner with the Youngstown Parks and Recreation and Youngstown YMCA to provide membership to Academy members. The Academy uses Northside Pool facilities operated by the Youngstown Parks and Recreation Department to provide two community Learn to Swim programs hosted by Academy members employed as lifeguards or members partnered with a YMCA instructor. These programs allow members to utilize their skills and identify youth who can go on to pursue competitive swimming on the YMCA Neptune Swim Team. The funding also supports the purchase of safety equipment and promotional announcements.

The program includes 40 candidates from Mahoning County and Trumbull County and six officers from around the area. The three Learn to Swim programs serve 95 community members between the ages of 6 and over 21, which led to the recruitment of 10-15 members for the Neptune Swim Team.

Beyond the numbers, this program shows the value of having faith in young people’s leadership abilities. When provided the proper support and resources, they can do amazing things in their community. The Youngstown Lifeguard Academy proves that value through its members and involvement.

For more information, please visit the Youngstown Lifeguard Academy’s website.

This article was originally published by HealthPath in July 2021.

The problem
Demolition to the bump out on the north and west sides of the facility had a structural defect that rusted the steel support beams to the point where the brick was beginning to bow out. It was a hazard that could have had catastrophic consequences if it gave way. Downie Construction was called to address the situation and a plan was quickly put in place to block off the north and west sidewalk and handicap access for safety reasons.

What’s being done?
Brick by brick the bump out was removed, HVAC re-routed, structural steel removed and a water barrier put in place to get us through to the spring when the new steel and brick are scheduled to arrive. Handicapped access to the facility is officially open. This project is scheduled for completing this spring.

The Back Elevator

The problem
The back elevator has been in and out of service for awhile. Ideally, it needs to be replaced. Prior to COVID, that cost was about a half million. Currently, there is a sign posted to not use the elevator. However it CAN be used, but with caution as periodically, the car may stop a full 12” below the floor level and if you’re not looking, that first step can be a doozy.

What’s being done?
We are at the mercy of Otis Elevator, who currently has our maintenance agreement. Multiple trips to resolve the issue has not revealed any obvious issues, but we are awaiting some details from Otis on the cost for replacing the travel cords which should hopefully rectify the problem. In the meantime, the elevator technically works normally 99% of the time, but just make sure you look at where it parks itself before you blindly step in or out of it so you don’t trip or fall.

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