Thank you for your support on Giving Hearts Day 2023!
We are so grateful for your generosity. In 2023 we were able to raise an incredible $75,257 on Giving Hearts Day. We know that when we come together, we can do so much more to serve our community! Your gifts help children go to camp for the first time, provide 12-week sessions of LIVESTRONG at the YMCA for cancer survivors, provide healthy and delicious meals to children in need, and so much more.
Save the date and stay tuned for more information about Giving Hearts Day next year – February 8, 2024!
About Giving Hearts Day
Founded in 2008, Giving Hearts Day is a 24-hour event for charities in North Dakota and northwest Minnesota. Each year, Giving Hearts Day provides a platform for charities to fund their missions through an ever-increasing community of donors, many of whom get to experience the joy of giving for the first time. The longest-running giving day in the country, Giving Hearts Day has helped participating charities raise more than $138 million since its founding.
Support the YMCA on Giving Hearts Day!
At the Y, caring for the social and emotional well-being of our families remains a top priority. We provide safe spaces for youth and teens to belong and to receive support in the areas of self-confidence, social awareness, and relationship-building. When kids learn to manage their emotions and well-being as they engage with the world; build and maintain relationships; and treat setbacks and challenges as learning experiences to prompt growth – magic happens.
We work hard to make sure that we are a place for youth to learn, grow, develop, and also feel safe, cared for, and celebrated through opportunities like child care, food programs, summer camp, swim team, swimming lessons, and more. That’s why, more than ever before, we are finding ways to incorporate more mental health, mindfulness, and resilience-building activities into our vital community programs.
Giving Hearts Day donations to the Y will allow us to continue to make all of our offerings accessible, through scholarship opportunities. Please join us in making our vital community programs accessible for youth! Donations to the YMCA on Giving Hearts Day will be matched, up to the first $22,000, through the generosity of Dakota Medical Foundation and other generous YMCA donors!
Addie's Resilience
Five-year-old Addison unexpectedly lost her dad in March 2021. Her mother, Megan, searched for a place that would provide care and stability as young Addie processed her grief. Megan enrolled her daughter in a preschool program at the YMCA. Staff welcomed Addie with open arms, were sensitive to her needs, and offered Megan a child care scholarship. Addie thrived! The following year, Addie was even able to jump ahead to first grade! “I truly believe Addie’s growth was largely impacted by the staff at the YMCA,” Megan said. “They are such caring and loving people. I couldn’t be more thankful for what they’ve done for my daughter.”
Every child deserves access to community and support, regardless of their family's financial status. By serving thousands of youth every day, we have the opportunity and responsibility to teach, nurture, and inspire.