Introduction
Human services organizations play a great role in providing help to people who cannot access them because of certain constraints such as their financial status or health. To make the provisions of these services more efficient, most of these organizations have resorted to collaborate with other institutions (Salamon, 2003). A good example of organizations that have opted to work together to ensure that they offer their services to the society more proficiently include the YMCA of Metro Atlanta and PD Gladiators. The two organizations have united to assist Parkinson’s disease patients to improve the quality of their life by providing them with particular services.
The YMCA of Metro Atlanta and PD Gladiators Partnership
The YMCA of Metro Atlanta is a nonprofit human services institution that envisions creating a society where everyone is comfortable. The organization has existed for over 150 years transforming many lives not only in Atlanta but also across the world. When the Metro area experienced conflicts in the earlier years, the YMCA of Metro Atlanta offered a good refuge for the residents. It grew to become one of the best nonprofit organizations in Atlanta that the citizens could rely on concerning their health, recreation, as well as the establishment of strong families.
The organization believes that every individual should be granted the opportunity to enjoy his or her potential. The YMCA of Metro Atlanta focuses on three major areas, which comprise youth development, healthy lifestyle, and social responsibility. It has also set a Y-2020 strategic plan, which it seeks to achieve by cooperating with other relevant nonprofit organizations. Under the healthy lifestyle program, it has developed the Parkinson’s Disease Support Plan, which it desires to use vigorous exercise to control the offset Parkinson disease dearth. With over 6000 volunteers and 309 fundraisers, the organization is well placed to continue transforming the lives of many individuals (YMCA of Metro Atlanta, 2014).
Similarly, PD Gladiators is a nonprofit organization that is committed to controlling and preventing Parkinson’s disease through encouraging people to perform spirited exercises. The organization seeks to create awareness that vigorous exercises can help in controlling the advancement of the Parkinson’s disease through establishing accessible community-based exercise projects. The organizations also aspires that information will not be limited to patients but also neurologists who will inform their patients about the benefits of vigorous exercises and thus help in controlling the persistence of Parkinson’s disease (PD Gladiators, 2014).
Sharing the same interest as PD Gladiators, the YMCA of Metro Atlanta considered that it would be more effective if the other organization assisted it in curtailing the progression of Parkinson’s disease because it (PD Gladiators) is more experienced in the area. In unity, the two nonprofit organizations agreed to initiate exercise programs in five YMCA stations (Patti, 2009). The program reaches 13,000 patients of Parkinson’s disease living in Atlanta. Spirited exercises such as boxing alter the functioning of the brain, thus balancing the ailment deficits. Most of the patients are physically active. Hence, engaging in such activities may not be strenuous to them. Members who participate in the YMCA of Metro Atlanta have a direct interaction with coaches who guide them through various exercises through ‘The Coach Approach’ program as noted by YMCA of Metro Atlanta (2014).
Conclusion
The assertion by the YMCA of Metro Atlanta that working in unity is important in creating permanent individual and social wellbeing can be confirmed through its partnership with PD Gladiators. Financing such projects would have been strenuous for PD Gladiators if the company conducted the vigorous exercise program solely. Furthermore, since the YMCA of Metro Atlanta deals with several activities, it cannot work to perfection because of lack of focus, time, and energy of the key areas. In essence, partnership of human services organization has helped in the provision of excellent services to the vulnerable people in the society.
Reference List
Patti, R. (2009). The Handbook of Human Services Management. London: Sage Publications.
PD Gladiators. (2014). PD Gladiators Metro Atlanta Fitness Network. Web.
Salamon, M. (2003). The resilient sector: The state of nonprofit America. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press.
YMCA of Metro Atlanta. (2014). PD Gladiators at Y. Web.