‘We’re at a breaking point’: Dixon YMCA aims to raise $85,000 by June 1 to maintain programs, director says

DIXON – In Dixon, the YMCA isn’t just a place – it’s part of who we are.

Maybe your grandchild learned to swim in our pool. Maybe your mom found community in our water aerobics classes.

Maybe your son found his confidence in Y-tots preschool or kicked his first soccer ball on one of our fields.

Maybe it was your best friend who relied on our after-school program so she could get back to work and back on her feet.

Or your neighbor’s daughter who took state with the Y swim team.

From Ronald Reagan to your own family, the Y has been here, quietly weaving itself into the fabric of daily life in our community since 1872.

Today, the truth is simple: We’re at a breaking point.

The rising costs of running our programs – from staffing to supplies to utilities – are outpacing our ability to cover them. And after doing everything we can to keep doors open and programs running, we’re asking for your help.

As a nonprofit, the YMCA runs lean, and we do everything possible to stretch our resources. But without immediate community support, we are at risk of having to scale back programs, limit access or, in the worst case, suspend some of the services that so many in our community rely on every day. That threshold is to raise $85,000 by June 1.

This isn’t just about dollars. It’s about protecting a space that’s helped generations grow, recover, play, learn and belong.

If the YMCA has ever been a part of your story – or your child’s, your neighbor’s, your friend’s – we’re asking you to be part of its future.

Please give what you can today. Not tomorrow. Today.

Because without immediate support, we may have to make hard choices no one wants to make. But with your help, we can keep showing up for the community, just like we always have.

Thank you for believing in what we’ve built together.

To donate online, please visit shorturl.at/NXuR0.

Andrew McFarlane is executive director of the Dixon Family YMCA.