About - YMCA of South Hampton Roads

The trip to Brazil was an exciting experience for me; the people there were very nice and friendly. We were able to make such a big difference to the Child Care center and the children were so appreciative.

I think it is important to have relationships outside the country because it helps us expand our horizons. I think doing work here or internationally is a great opportunity. I would tell those who would like to get involved to take a chance and try something new. Being exposed to a new environment can bring out the best in you. I want to thank all those who helped to make the trip possible and hope we can do it again soon.

Antonio Mills, 2007 Brazil Trip Teen Volunteer

The trip to Brazil during the summer of 2007 was my first international mission. I was interested in participating because I wanted to help children and teens in another country. I could do that here in the US, but to meet kids from other cultures and help them is so amazingly beautiful, and I'm so grateful I was able to help out.

What I remember most about the trip was the party the children at the day care center threw for us on the last day, where they gave us gifts. At that moment I thought, "I came down and helped out and had a blast, and they are thanking me?" I felt like I should thank them for the opportunity to experience their culture.

Kiana Heath, 2007 Brazil Trip Teen Volunteer

When I heard of the trip to Brazil, I was thrilled about the idea of helping the people there in any way possible and experiencing what their lives are truly like. I thought maybe the little I could do for them would bring them happiness, but I found that they already had happiness. Their attitude was a surprise to me. How could they be so happy in the situation they were in? My circumstances were much better and yet I often found myself unhappy. If they could be so happy in the situation they were given, why couldn't I? Seeing this was equally humbling and motivating to me.

One of my greatest memories about the trip was how kind, welcoming and giving the Brazilians were. They welcomed us with a hug wherever we went, and they even gave us gifts showing their appreciation for our services. Even if I had said,"No, no, I don't deserve these, I should be the one giving to you," they still wouldn't have stopped giving. That's when I realized there is a lot to be learned from these people. I went on the trip to help them, in return they taught me. If I could I would take every chance I have to help these people, as well as others here in my community and elsewhere in the world.

The YMCA's partnerships with other countries are important because they allow teens to experience international communities and become more motivated to help others. Partnerships are also important because people in other countries have more to offer than we might realize. They certainly have different views but they also have different skills and different ways of seeing things.

Jonathan Herlan, 2007 Brazil Trip Teen Volunteer

After we first met with Marisia and Rose from the Sao Paulo ACM, we had a real "connection" and knew that a partnership would be mutually beneficial. We have made several trips to each other's country and have exchanged ideas, people and programs. So far this has been a really terrific experience and we look forward to a long term partnership. Not only has the partnership been beneficial to our Y's, but we have a better understanding of each other's culture and have made some truly great friendships.

Tom Dana, International Committee Chair

In the early 1990s while serving as Chairman of the Norfolk Family YMCA Board of Management, I was invited to attend the General Assembly of the YMCA of the USA in Anaheim, CA. I discovered that this event celebrates the work of YMCAs across the country as well as YMCAs around the globe. I was struck not only by the enormity of the Y movement worldwide, but by the many and various contributions these associations make in their diverse communities.

But what really excited me about Y International work was that many YMCAs partner with Ys in other countries to share in their program and service successes. By so doing, these associations and movements became more effective with their own community and were able to share teen members, staff and volunteers in an effort to foster the YMCA mission.

During my career as a U.S. Naval Officer, I was privileged to visit many international ports and learn of the people who lived there as well as meet civilian tourists visiting the area. I learned how ignorance can lead to resentment and misunderstanding among nations and that by developing one-on-one relationships across borders, better understanding and tolerance of those from other cultures is promoted.

Arriving home from that General Assembly in Anaheim, I was determined to help develop an international program at my YMCA and maybe even a partnership. Over the years that followed, I was honored to serve on the South Field Committee of the YMCA of the USA and sit on the National Board's International Committee as well become a delegate to the World Counsel of YMCAs in Germany in 1998.

All of my exposure to the International work of the YMCA has convinced me that every YMCA association must embrace and develop international programs. The South Hampton Roads YMCA has fostered International programming in youth activities and developed a highly successful partnership with the Sao Paulo, Brazil YMCA. By exchanging teens, young staff and policy volunteers, much has been shared and learned to make our individual associations better. Today, new programming continues to be developed on both sides to better serve our respective communities.

Doug Williams, International Committee Member & Volunteer

At camp, children gain a sense of positive identity, self-esteem, and self-respect, while developing leadership skills and an appreciation for others. Camp programs have the potential to address psychological, social, physical and spiritual domains and are a logical extension of the kind of "people work" the Y does year round.

Camp Silver Beach, through its partnership with the Sao Palo YMCA, offers values-based programs that have local and global impact, enhance understanding of the world, and enable campers and staff to work together towards peace and justice. Our ability to have local impact, and access a worldwide network of staff, allows us to touch campers' lives and promote a healthy understanding of multi-cultural diversity.

Dan Credle, YMCA Camp Silver Beach Executive Director

As a child in a poor neighborhood, I was surrounded by racism. My mother lived in a neighborhood that was mostly black families and my father lived in a very rural setting. I thought my acceptance of both cultures made me a diverse or cultured person, but after working at Camp Silver Beach for seven years, I know that is not true. Diversity is so much more than what I was exposed to.That is why it is so important to expose children to the culture the international counselors who come here offer. On average, we have 30-40 counselors from Europe, Australia, Asia and South America.

Through the relationships that I have built here at Camp Silver Beach and traveling to Brazil, my eyes have been opened to the many differences in culture, language and appearance. The affectionate, accepting nature of the Brazilian people as a whole was a life changing experience for me. I am accustomed to the judgmental, criticizing nature of my childhood. I found that these were people after my own heart and became absorbed in their way of life. I love giving this same opportunity to children here at camp. Now that I have seen the rewards of exposure to these cultures, I feel it is my responsibility to keep the relationship alive, so that others have the opportunities that I have had. I encourage anybody interested to volunteer on the International Committee at the YMCA of South Hampton Roads. It is a great place to get involved, get some direction, and have a purpose in your work.

Andy Ballard, YMCA Camp Silver Beach Senior Program Director