The YMCA Spotlights Its Work
in First-Ever Nationwide Marketing Campaign
Campaign Aims to Focus on community Work in Reston, Fairfax County and Beyond
In January of 2016, YMCA of the USA (Y-USA) and the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington launched “For a better us.”™, a nationwide multimedia marketing campaign designed to educate consumers on the Y’s work as one of the most effective and enduring charitable organizations in the country. “For a better us” is meant to change the perception of the Y and raise awareness for the work it does in the areas of youth development, healthy living and social responsibility to address pressing social issues in more than 10,000 communities around the country.
Joseph Crawford, Executive Director of YMCA Fairfax County Reston, shared that the Y and the work it does as a nonprofit charity is crucial to the success of our greater Reston and Fairfax community.
The Y as a movement in Fairfax County has been serving youth and families for more than 15 years and still to this day there are so many individuals and families need the social services the Y provides. When people think about the Y, they usually envision a place to swim and exercise.
But the truth is, for over 160 years the Y has been one of America’s most effective and enduring nonprofits. The Y is one of the only remaining community spaces left in the country that also provides families, teens and kids with safe spaces, youth development programs, volunteer opportunities, health education resources and more.
The significance of the first-ever nationwide campaign is to underscore the life-changing community work performed by Y staff and volunteer community leaders. The campaign launches with two powerful television commercials, “Places” and “Idle Hands,” each depicting a different problem we all face.
Using the slogan “When communities are forgotten, the Y remembers”, the TV spot “Places” highlights people who lack the opportunities and resources they need to thrive.
“Idle Hands” explores the ways kids may fill their time when left unsupervised or unchallenged, without constructive activities. Both spots close by highlighting the Y’s work on the ground, helping to serve communities by providing healthy living, STEM education, youth development programs, and safe spaces for their community members to go regardless of the inability to pay.
The “For a better us.” campaign is a multi-year, multi-faceted effort to engage more people with the Y and its mission. It will run through 2018. The videos can been found on social media and YouTube.
Those interested in donating or supporting the YMCA at the local level can stop into the Y anytime, visit www.ymcadc.org or call 703-742-8800.
