The Gateway Family YMCA Receives Grant from Precor to Support Efforts to Curb Childhood Obesity

The Gateway Family YMCA received a $3,000 grant from Precor to support efforts to help children in all of its service areas live healthier lives through implementation of Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (HEPA) standards in the Y’s early childhood and afterschool programs. Adopting these standards is part of the Y’s commitment to first lady Michelle Obama and the Partnership for a Healthier America to end the threat of childhood obesity. The service areas benefited are: Avenel; Carteret; Colonia; Elizabeth; Hillside; Kenilworth; Linden; Port Reading; Rahway; Roselle; Roselle Park; Sewarren; Union; Vauxhall; Winfield Park; Woodbridge.

"As a leading voice on improving the nation’s health and well-being, the Y is helping to build a healthier future for the nation’s children,” said Krystal Canady, Chief Operating Officer. “YMCAs are one of the largest providers of early childhood and afterschool programs in the United States. We strive to also be the healthiest.  By adopting these standards we come closer to our goal.”

The Gateway Family YMCA serves over 600 children in both Early Childhood and Aftercare Program programs every week.

The Healthy Eating and Physical Activity standards include:

· Only offering healthy options at Y-provided snacks and meals

· Providing a fruit and/or vegetable at all meals and snacks

· Providing milk and water as beverages

· Setting limits on screen time for duration and purpose

· Providing daily physical activity offerings, outdoors when possible

· Providing family-style meals and snacks

· Encouraging breastfeeding for infants in Y care

· Having adult’s model healthy food and beverage choices and active play

· Committing Y’s to conducting parent education to encourage healthy behaviors at home

“We believe there is no limit to the personal health and fitness goals one can attain when they have the support of the community around them,” said Rob Barker, Precor President.

The Gateway Family YMCA is one of 50 YMCAs to receive a grant as part of an on-going national partnership between Precor and YMCA of the USA, the resource office for the nation’s YMCAs, to support the implementation of HEPA standards.  Locally, the funding will support purchase of supplies and equipment and staff trainings that will help to create a healthy, sustainable environment in an early childhood or afterschool site.

For more information, contact Michael Johnson, Director of Association Initiatives at 908-249-4809 or mjohnson@tgfymca.org.

Precor designs and builds premium fitness equipment for effective workouts that feel smooth and natural. With a passionate focus on ergonomic motion, proven science and superior engineering, the company continually advances the home and commercial fitness industry with breakthrough new product categories, including, EFX® Elliptical, Adaptive Motion Trainer® “AMT®” and Preva® Networked Fitness. Precor is a subsidiary of Amer Sports Corporation, the world’s largest sports equipment company, with internationally recognized brands Wilson, Atomic, Suunto, Salomon, Arc’Teryx and Mavic.

About the Y

The Gateway Family YMCA, formerly The YMCA of Eastern Union County, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, health and community service organization of caring staff and volunteers dedicated to strengthening the foundations of community and stands For Youth Development, For Healthy Living and For Social Responsibility.  The Gateway Family YMCA impacts the community by providing quality services to people of all ages, races, faith or incomes. The Y doesn’t just strengthen bodies – it strengthens people, families and communities.