Partner Partner Content 50 years, 50 stories: Ann Arbor YMCA Youth Volunteer Corps

Inspiring a Lifetime Ethic of Service

Research shows that young people who participate in community service experience greater academic success, have higher self-esteem, and acquire a lifelong commitment to philanthropy. Those facts were instrumental in the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation’s efforts to launch a local affiliate of the Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC) – a program that engages youth ages 11 – 17 in service learning projects that meet the needs of the community, promote diversity, and inspire a lifetime ethic of service. 

In 1994, in response to a request for proposal, AAACF’s Youth Council and its Board of Trustees awarded a four-year $120,000 grant to the Ann Arbor YMCA to run a local Youth Volunteers Corps program. Since then, an additional $50,000 in grant support from AAACF has helped the YMCA sustain the program. 

It’s been a successful community partnership. Over 1,800 young volunteers have provided 100,000+ hours of service to more than 100 local nonprofit agencies across Washtenaw County. YMCA President & CEO Cathi Duchon notes: “YVC has been a great fit for the Y – as the program embodies all three parts of our mission:  youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. YVC gives young people an opportunity to think beyond themselves – to learn about community needs and help make a difference.”

One of the many ways the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation supports all that is good in our community.

Read more “good” stories at: aaacf.org/stories