Tampa Y Represents at YMCA State Advocacy Days

The power of a collective voice can never be underestimated. This was evident in Tallahassee at the YMCA State Advocacy Days meetings held from March 9-12, 2025. Hosted by the Florida State Alliance of YMCAs, the meetings offered a unique opportunity to collectively engage state leaders and advocate for YMCA priorities like literacy, drowning prevention and childcare - at the State Capitol.

Matt Mitchell, President & CEO, and Jody Thorson, Senior VP, Mission Advancement, Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA were in attendance.

“State Advocacy Days is an opportunity for the Tampa Y to have a voice in important policy discussions that impact our community,” says Thorson.

“It’s a time when YMCA leaders, staff and volunteers come together to meet with legislators, advocate for initiatives that support youth development, healthy living and social responsibility; and ensure the Y’s programs continue to make a positive difference. It’s important for the Tampa Y to represent because we are directly involved in serving the community, and this event allows us to highlight our impact and push for policies that align with our mission.”

Thorson adds, “The best moment was witnessing the collective impact of YMCAs from across the state. It was powerful to see the support for our work and how eager legislators were to listen to our concerns and ideas. One thing that stood out was realizing just how much advocacy matters. Policies and funding decisions are shaped by conversations like these, and being in the room, having those discussions as well as sharing real stories from our community made it clear that our voices truly make a difference.”