Monty Ballard YMCA’s School-Business Partnership Supports Katy ISD Children
Katy, TX (November 11, 2016) Since opening its doors in 2001, the Monty Ballard YMCA at Cinco Ranch has been devoted to the healthy minds, bodies and spirits of our community. It serves not just as a place where folks can go to further their individual well-being but also as a place of outreach, kindness and compassion. And since opening those doors, our YMCA has also been a devoted Katy ISD Partner in Education, always on the lookout for ways to help children.
Much of what the Monty Ballard YMCA does for Katy ISD students often goes unnoticed except by the grateful beneficiaries of their generosity. They provided 243 pairs of jeans for homeless teens and 100 blankets for elementary children. Our YMCA supported 80 students in the KEYS “Katy Students Run” program, helped kids receive braces at no cost to their families and provided books to children attending Camp Cinco.
Through their campus partnership with Shafer Elementary, the YMCA collectively donated canned goods for Ballard House and Eternal Food Ministries along with 100 coats for children who needed them. Individually, employees serve as KEYS mentors and Sundown Elementary Carnival volunteers, while District Executive Director Brian Haines serves on the Partners in Education Advisory Board and often lends his skills as a guest speaker.
But the epitome of the YMCA community outreach is their backpack drive – an initiative of Greater Houston YMCAs – that impacts thousands of regional children annually. This year in Katy alone, our local YMCA collected 49,351 items….that went into 2,459 backpacks….that benefitted children at 32 elementaries, 8 junior highs and 4 high schools. According to Outreach Coordinator Connie Stirgus, “When I started in 2011, we collected 250 backpacks my first year. I knew this community could do more, and we have! The generosity of Katy is sometimes overwhelming.”
Katy ISD School-Business Partnerships have one requirement: human resource involvement that will ultimately benefit a child. And because of their philosophical promise and commitment to families, the Monty Ballard YMCA of Cinco Ranch is a stellar example of a business partner who does just that.
About Katy ISD Partners in Education – Katy ISD Partners in Education creates school-support opportunities for parents, businesses and the community by offering a wide variety of options amenable to every schedule, talent and expertise. We bring volunteers into Katy ISD classrooms at each campus and all grade levels. To learn more, visit Partners in Education under the “Community” tab at www.katyisd.org.
Courtesy of Katy ISD Partners in Education
