Houston Texans YMCA Hosts Holiday Open House for Community

The Houston Texans YMCA recently held their Holiday Open House and it was a grand affair.

Executive Director Kelly P. Hodges, who was recently hired at the location, put together a wonderful event that included holiday entertainment, lite bites and refreshments, facility tours and attendees were able to take pictures with Santa Claus, who was played by the Forward Times’ own Jeffrey L. Boney.

“We are so excited that we were able to do something meaningful like this for our members and the community,” said Hodges. “Events like this are aligned with the mission of the YMCA and helps with our focus to connect more deeply with the members of the community.”

In order to better connect to the community and achieve that mission, the YMCA of Greater Houston recently hired Hodges, because of her history of having ties to the community, as well as her experience working with organizations that place an emphasis on the overall health and wellness of the African American community.

Since its groundbreaking in 2010, the Houston Texans YMCA has sought to embrace the rich history of the South Central YMCA, while also striving to fulfill the mission of the entire YMCA, which is “to put Judeo-Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.”

Located on nearly five acres of land where the redeveloped Palm Center is located, the 30,000 square-foot facility is centrally located, has free parking as well as many of the same amenities and programs that you will find at other fitness centers. The Houston Texans YMCA features an outdoor pool, pool pavilion and family splash park; sports fields for soccer, football and other sports; cardio equipment with personal viewing screens; a conference room; community room; gymnasium; locker rooms for men and women; group exercise rooms; cardiovascular fitness center; youth activity center; teen center; playground; exercise rooms for line dancing, Zumba, Body Attack, Yoga, Body Pump and cycling; a chapel; a sitting area where senior citizens and members of the community gather and watch television; a child care watch area; and much more.

The Houston Texans YMCA also offers several programs.

The Houston Texans YMCA offers a Financial Assistance program, where if anyone has a total annual household income of less than $60,000, they may qualify for a rate reduction off their monthly membership. Individuals and families may also qualify to receive greater assistance if they want to participate in programs at a reduced rate. Interested individuals and families would just need to complete a financial assistance application and turn it in to a representative at the Houston Texans YMCA. Another program offered at the Houston Texans YMCA is the YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program, which was developed to reduce the risk of diabetes in individuals showing symptoms of pre-diabetes. The YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program is a year-long program, starting with 16 weekly sessions. Each week’s one-hour session is facilitated by a trained Lifestyle Coach and will cover nutrition, physical activity and behavior modification to help participants achieve the program’s two main goals. Sessions will guide participants in ways to eat healthy while eating out, manage stress, and stay motivated after the program’s completion. The frequency of the sessions will reduce to biweekly and monthly sessions for the remainder of the year to help participants maintain their success.

To continue providing quality programs and events like the Holiday Open House, the Houston Texans YMCA needs more philanthropic donors to be able to continue offering many of the wonderful and affordable programs they do. If you are interested in joining as a member, being a philanthropic contributor or for more information on the Houston Texans YMCA, please visit www.ymcahouston.org/locations/houston-texans-ymca.