CRANSTON, RI – The Greater Providence YMCA today announced the completion of facility renovations at the organization’s Cranston-based branch. The renovations mark the most recent investment in the Park Avenue location since 2014. 

“Part of what has empowered the Y to continue to be a lifeline of support and engagement in the communities they serve for well over a century is its ability and commitment to adapt to the evolving needs of the populations we serve,” said Karen Santilli, CEO, Greater Providence YMCA. “Just as – if not as important – as the programming itself is the quality and accessibility of the physical space we provide our member community for each branch location. We’re excited to bring these long needed improvements to the Cranston YMCA and its membership.” 

The expansive improvements were completed over twelve weeks. Renovations include all new flooring throughout the first floor and teen center, new furniture, fixtures, and paint throughout the lobby and entryway, as well as modernized bathrooms.

Established in 1936, the Cranston branch serves 4,949 members and provides 295,492 in programming and support to the surrounding community. The branch officially opened the renovated spaces to the public in April.

“We’ve already seen a positive impact in the dynamic of the branch’s operation with these renovations,” said Emely Castro, Executive Director, Cranston YMCA. “Our team looks forward to using this as an opportunity to reintroduce ourselves to the Cranston community at large to demonstrate how we can inclusively meet the needs of all individuals and families.”

About GPYMCA
GPYMCA includes six branch locations across Rhode Island and in Seekonk, Massachusetts, plus Providence Youth Services, Camp Fuller, and the Shooting Stars School of Dance in Seekonk. The organization provides programs for Rhode Islanders and Massachusetts residents of all ages and supports equitable access to health, fitness, recreational, and other services. In addition, GPYMCA supports high-quality out-of-school time programs and other community-based approaches to delivering health and wellness opportunities, academic enrichment and achievement, and youth development skills.

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Media Contact, for YMCA of Greater Providence
Hillary Lima, Half Street Group
401.585.4286 | hillary@halfstreetgroup.com 

PROVIDENCE, RI – The East Side/Mt. Hope YMCA held Safety Around Water Day in recognition of Water Safety Month. The event included opportunities for attendees to participate in water and land-based training sessions on water safety. The program equips kids and their families with critical life skills that encourage safety and help them to be confident in and around water.

The Y introduced the country to group swim lessons over 110 years ago in 1909. Now, as one of the largest community-based organizations in the country, they teach more than a million children, especially those most at risk of drowning, invaluable water safety and swimming skills each year.

“As I visit our branches and meet more and more members, I often hear that for many of them, swimming was what introduced them to the Greater Providence Y community,” said Karen Santilli, CEO, Greater Providence YMCA. “Our Association is proud to be a state leader in promoting accessible swim programming that promotes safety and healthy childhood development. Thank you to our supporters, especially Senator Jack Reed, Stages of Freedom, the Papitto Foundation, and Bank Newport, for sponsoring these critical services.”

3 in 10 parents report not prioritizing swim lessons or water safety with their child due to cost. This year, the Greater Providence Y is proud to offer this event free to the public with the support of Bank Newport.

About the Greater Providence YMCA
GPYMCA includes six branch locations across Rhode Island and in Seekonk, Massachusetts, plus Providence Youth Services, Camp Fuller, and the Shooting Stars School of Dance in Seekonk. The organization provides programs for Rhode Islanders and Massachusetts residents of all ages and supports equitable access to health, fitness, recreational, and other services. In addition, GPYMCA supports high-quality out-of-school time programs and other community-based approaches to delivering health and wellness opportunities, academic enrichment and achievement, and youth development skills.

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Media Contact

Hillary Lima (Half Street Group)

hillary@halfstreetgroup.com | 401.585.4286

PROVIDENCE, RI – The Greater Providence YMCA (GPYMCA) held its annual Y Heroes Celebration this morning. The annual event honors individuals and organizations who have made an outstanding commitment to the mission of the GPYMCA.

Funds raised through Y Heroes will support the GPYMCA’s community programming, which includes childcare, financial assistance for neighbors in need, swim lessons, lifeguard training, food inequity programs, and youth enrichment programs.

“I am incredibly grateful to our 2024 Y Heroes for their unwavering commitment to the GPYMCA. Since joining the GPYMCA as CEO in March, I have had the opportunity to meet many incredible individuals who make up the GPYMCA community. Our amazing executive directors, staff, partners, camp counselors, dedicated members, swim instructors, and committed donors have made the GPYMCA one of the region’s most impactful and essential community pillars. It is clear to me that the GPYMCA is filled with heroes dedicated to our mission,” said Karen Santilli, CEO of the Greater Providence YMCA. “This year’s slate of honorees fully embodies our core value that The Y is an organization for everyone. We’re here for the entire community, from childcare and before and after school programming to dance classes, swim lessons, healthy aging, and summer camp.”

2024 Y Heroes Honorees (In alphabetical order);

• Helena Buonanno Foulkes, long time supporter of the GPYMCA
• New England Laborers Training Academy, led by Dan Bianco, Michael Sabitoni, and Jay Sabitoni
• Ray Rickman, Executive Director, Stages of Freedom
• Steven G. O’Donnell, former CEO of the GPYMCA
• University of Rhode Island Greek Life, led by Nathan Goulart and Victoria Johnson

Established by former CEO Steven O’Donnell, the GPYMCA’s Y Heroes Celebration has been recognizing the community contributions of individuals and organizations since 2017.

GPYMCA includes six branch locations across Rhode Island and in Seekonk, Massachusetts, plus Providence Youth Services, Camp Fuller, and the Shooting Stars School of Dance in Seekonk. The organization provides programs for Rhode Islanders and Massachusetts residents of all ages and supports equitable access to health, fitness, recreational, and other services. In addition, GPYMCA supports high-quality out-of-school time programs and other community-based approaches to delivering health and wellness opportunities, academic enrichment and achievement, and youth development skills.

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Media Contact

Elisabeth Wales (Half Street Group)

elisabeth@halfstreetgroup.com | 401.406.0883

PROVIDENCE, RI – The YMCA of Greater Providence (GPYMCA) has hired Karen Santilli as its next CEO. Her first day as the new executive of GPYMCA will be March 4, 2024. Current CEO Steve O’Donnell announced his retirement from GPYMCA late last year.

“Over the last decade, few people in Rhode Island have had the kind of influence and impact as Karen Santilli. She is widely respected and well known for being results-driven and community focused. We are thrilled that she will be leading the YMCA of Greater Providence,” said Steven DellaPosta, GPYMCA’s Board Chair. “Our board and our branch leaders are incredibly grateful for the years of service that Colonel Steven O’Donnell committed to the GPYMCA, and we know that he has laid a firm foundation for Karen to build upon.”

As CEO, Santilli will oversee the organization’s operations and will lead a strategic effort designed to expand membership, programming, and community engagement in Providence and across the region. She will oversee a staff of 500 year-round staff and a team that expands to more than 750 employees each summer.

“The YMCA of Greater Providence is one of the most important, impactful, and lasting community pillars in our region. I am thrilled to lead the YMCA of Greater Providence and steer this organization as it continues to evolve coming out of the pandemic,” said Karen Santilli, incoming CEO of GPYMCA. “My kids learned to swim at the Cranston Y. I know how important our branch YMCAs are, and I believe that each facility ought to reflect the community it serves. As I step into this new role, I am deeply grateful for the work that Steve O’Donnell has done over the last seven years to secure a strong foundation during some of the most difficult and challenge days.”

Santilli has been the CEO of Crossroads Rhode Island, the state’s leading provider of housing and services for people experiencing homelessness, for nearly a decade. At Crossroads, Santilli oversaw the agency’s implementation of a Housing First strategy, led the effort to establish a comprehensive strategic plan, and played a leading role to elevate the state’s focus on housing in recent years. As CEO of Crossroads, she was responsible for a staff of 175, a $30 million annual budget, and a robust program and development portfolio. During her time at Crossroads, Santilli tripled annual private philanthropy.

“The members and staff of the YMCA of Greater Providence are what makes our facilities unique and historic. I am grateful for our community’s tireless effort in transforming us through a pandemic when some YMCAs and other organizations closed forever,” said Steven O’Donnell, retiring CEO of GPYMCA. “I’ll be forever grateful to our donors, supporters, staff, members, vendors, and our Board of directors who have always exercised prudence and fiscal responsibility to allow us to move into a new phase of leadership during my tenure. Karen Santilli is a proven leader with a well-earned reputation being one of the most effective non-profit leaders in southern New England. The GPYMCA is in great hands.”

O’Donnell joined the GPYMCA in 2017 after more than three decades in law enforcement, including two years as the U.S. Marshall for the District of Rhode Island and five years as Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police. As CEO at GPYMCA, O’Donnell helped expand swim programs to serve a more diverse population, oversaw facility upgrades at branches across the system, revitalized the outdoor facilities at the Kent County YMCA, and helped stabilize the organization’s finances during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. O’Donnell also established an annual recognition program that honors organizations and individuals who have supported GPYMCA’s mission and activities. This year’s honorees will be announced in the weeks to come.

GPYMCA includes six branch locations across Rhode Island and in Seekonk, Massachusetts, plus Providence Youth Services, Camp Fuller, and the Shooting Stars School of Dance in Seekonk. The organization provides programs for Rhode Islanders and Massachusetts residents of all ages and supports equitable access to health, fitness, recreational, and other services. In addition, GPYMCA supports high-quality out-of-school time programs and other community-based approaches to delivering health and wellness opportunities, academic enrichment and achievement, and youth development skills.

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Media Contact, for YMCA of Greater Providence
Mike Raia, Half Street Group
401.340.9425 | mike@halfstreetgroup.com

Click below to see the digital program book for the 2023 Y Heroes event:

Click here to view the digital program

Did you see YMCA’s Steve O’Donnell and Kobi Dennis on WPRI’s The Rhode Home? Check out the segment below:

Click here to watch the segment

The YMCA of Greater Providence is hosting the Y’s annual Healthy Kids Day® on April 29, 2023. This free, annual event features a variety of family-friendly activities to encourage healthy kids, healthy families and a healthy start to the summer season.

In celebration of this annual kick-off to summer, we are sharing several activities that we encourage you to share with your kids. The goal is to have them try something new at the Y by promoting a variety of opportunities to get involved in active play – hopefully, this will inspire a lifetime love of physical and mental activity! Share these opportunities with your children and inspire them to “find their fun” by discovering an activity that they love!

Find Your Swimming Skills with Y Swim Lessons

Each year the Y teaches hundreds of children to swim. This helps them find their CONFIDENCE, teaches a lifelong skill and introduces them to lifelong fun. Visit our website to learn more about Y swim lessons.

Find Your Adventure with Y Summer Camp

Summer is a time for kids to explore new things and expand the limits of their imagination. At the YMCA of Greater Providence, every day is a new adventure! Whether experiencing the wonder of Camp Fuller by the Sea or having a blast with new friends at one of our four summer day camps, many children and teens find their ADVENTURE with the Y. Learn more about Y summer camp HERE.

Find your Passion with Y Sports

Youth sports are just the start of something bigger– besides teaching healthy living principles, they also teach the value of teamwork, help fuel determination and build character. At the YMCA of Greater Providence we have dozens of sports programs to help keep children active while igniting their PASSION for something greater. 

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. As part of our commitment to protecting the children in our community, we’re participating in the Five Days of Action – a week-long campaign to increase awareness of child sexual abuse and empower and equip us all to prevent it. By taking part in this important campaign and through implementing abuse prevention practices year-round, the YMCA of Greater Providence is committing to the safety of all children in our community.   

The Know. See. Respond. campaign is back this year, tying in three impact areas – preventing child sexual abuse at both summer camp and in youth sports, and internet safety. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, U.S. Center for SafeSport and Praesidium have shared resources to support this campaign. 

Know: Summer Camp 

KNOWing about child sexual abuse can help adults better understand what to look for and how to prevent it.  As parents, caregivers, and trusted adults to the young people in our lives, we play an important role in protecting them from abuse. This requires our commitment to continually learn and then ask questions about the safety of our loved ones.   

The Y – and other youth serving organizations – implement a series of measures to keep the kids in their care safe.  Next time you enroll your loved one in a new program, ask them about their child protection practices. For this summer, you can use this list. 

See: Youth Sports 

When we SEE boundaries being crossed or suspect a child is being abused, we can and should act quickly. Sports should be safe places for children to grow, both as people and athletes. As a parent, caregiver, coach, or volunteer, it is up to you to make sure any environment in which children in your care interact is free from abuse. Learn more about the signs and how you can help prevent child sexual abuse in youth sports at https://uscenterforsafesport.org/parents/. 

Respond: Internet Safety 

Did you know that you don’t need evidence to report abuse—only reasonable suspicion? But even for adults, reporting abuse is hard. We don’t want to falsely accuse someone or get someone in trouble. On the other hand, reporting might be the one thing that saves a child – or children – from abuse. It is our responsibility to RESPOND to any and all disclosure, discovery or suspicion of child sexual abuse.  

As adults and children alike have turned to digital tools for school, work and socialization, online safety matters now more than ever. Many online dangers put children at risk, such as cyber bullying, online enticement and more. As an adult, keeping an open line of communication with any children in your care who may access online content can be key to helping prevent sexual abuse. Learn the facts, how you can keep kids safe, and how to respond to online victimization at https://www.missingkids.org/netsmartz. 

We take our commitment to child protection seriously and we hope you do too. Check out our protection policy here to learn more about how we keep kids safe at the YMCA of Greater Providence. 

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Thousands of toys were distributed to local families Tuesday at the YMCA of Greater Providence’s annual holiday drive.

YMCA CEO Steven O’Donnell said they expect 10,000 to 15,000 toys to be given away. As of 11 a.m., about 500 cars showed up at the toy drive.

Residents can pull up in their car to 21 Peace Street, tell the workers and volunteers what kinds of toys they need, and the team will gather the toys and brings them out to the car.

O’Donnell said it’s important to make sure every child has a gift to open on Christmas.

“There is nothing better than watching a kid smile and recognize that they got something because they might not have an opportunity to get something for no fault of their own,” he said.

The toys are donations from across Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The drive will be running all day until the toys run out.

Read The Full Article Here

We are excited to announce some enhancements coming soon to the Newman branch facility. Later this month, we will be reconfiguring the spaces within the branch to better meet the needs of our members and service our community. We will be relocating the fitness area with dedicated cardio and strength fitness rooms to the opposite side of the facility. 

Members will still have access to the fitness equipment in a natural light area and maintain their same level of experience. With this new configuration we will be able to add group exercise programming throughout the year to enhance our member experience at this location. The gym use and swim programs will all remain unaffected by these updates and our goal is to grow our programing in these areas of our facility also. 

In order to make these changes, our facility will be closed for one day, December 22, 2022. We anticipate this as only a one-day closure. We anticipate your member experience resuming with normal business operations on December 23, 2022.  

We are excited to provide the same member experience in a different space arrangement. With this new setup we are delighted to be able to better serve our dance participants by bringing all of this programming into our facility. This dance enhancement will include: 

• 5 classrooms (under one roof, no more driving between locations) – including 1 multi-purpose dance/tumble room with tumble flooring 
• State-of-the-art, professional dance floors in all classrooms. 
• Private waiting area for dance families 
• Studio only reception area 

The Greater Providence YMCA remains committed to serving the Newman branch and surrounding community. We appreciate your patience as change takes time, money and resources.