EVERY CHILD DESERVES A “Y”
October 21st 2008: Today we had the pleasure of hearing from Mr. Paul Stoney of the Cannon Street YMCA. At the ripe old age of seven, Mr. Stoney began his involvement with the YMCA as a member and now for over a quarter of a century Paul Stoney has dedicated his life to his passion, and his work at the YMCA. The mission of the long standing non-profit is to connect individuals, families, and communities. In Mr. Stoney’s words “the Y should be that third place; after our home and our work, the Y should be the third place” that is safe that promotes learning, exercise and relationships.
The Cannon Street YMCA that exists today is the combination of the former Christian Family “Y” on George Street and the Cannon Street YMCA. Paul earned the CEO position for the Charleston “Y” two years ago. His goal is to grow the organization to serve all children in the downtown and surrounding areas. Charleston is the only metropolitan area of our size without a major YMCA presence; Mr. Stoney intends to change that. The “Y” currently hosts many projects for children, young adults, and families of all backgrounds; the YMCA is committed to making diversity one of its top priorities. Some of the local programs include: an after school program serving 55 children that utilizes a partnership with the Lowcountry Food Bank to provide quality snacks, activities such as tennis, golf, swimming for 284 children, Y Dance- teaching tap, ballet and other dance to 95 students, Y Princess and Y Guides, father/daughter and father/son programs to strengthen strong parental relationships, Camp Hope – a joint effort by Chief of Police Mullin and Mr. Stoney to host a summer camp for students from Frasier Elementary, and Camp Edisto – a joint effort with the Presbyterian Church of Edisto. In addition the “Y” offers Little Legends Youth Golf, Black Achievers, Black College Tour, Collegiate Achieves and Healthy Kids Day to address childhood obesity. The “Y” is proudly offers scholarships to many children: states “no one will ever be turned away due to inability to pay.”
The YMCA has been a valuable part of the Charleston community for many years, the combination of their partnership with entities such as the Lowcountry Food Bank and The United Way Day of Caring combined with the leadership of Mr. Stoney and his team will allow the Y to continue offering the experience and value of the “Y” to every child.
Reported by Elizabeth Burwell, Keyway Committee