TASK FORCE LOOKS INTO OPENING YMCA IN CITY

Community interest, duplicated services and the possibility of joining forces with the Cape Civic Center will be top topics at Monday's meeting of the task force looking into the feasibility of a YMCA in Cape Girardeau.

The meeting will be held at Southeast Missouri Hospital Monday at 7 p.m. and those who are interested are invited to attend.

"All that we're doing Monday is seeing if there is a need for a YMCA," said Elena Martinez, who is co-chairing the task force.

She said they hope to hear input from city officials and local members of the business community. Local bank presidents, members of the Chamber of Commerce and County Commission, U.S. Sens. "Kit" Bond and John Ashcroft, Cape Girardeau Mayor Al Spradling III, and others have been invited, Martinez said.

Another concern that the task force has is providing programs in Cape Girardeau that may already exist, she said.

"We don't want to duplicate services and we don't want to step on anybody's feet," Martinez said. "We don't want to compete with the Civic Center, Salvation Army or Parks and Recreation."

Martinez said some there has been some discussion about combining the YMCA with the Cape Girardeau Civic Center.

The Civic Center's United Way funding pulled earlier this year after questions about the center's finances arose.

"We can probably help each other out," Martinez said. "We don't want what happened to them to happen to us. But that's just one of the things that will come up at the meeting."

Another big concern that should be addressed at Monday's meeting is funding. There is none yet for the YMCA project.

"We are going to have to submit an application to apply for funds through the United Way," Martinez said. In addition to United Way funding, Martinez said that local donations will also help keep the YMCA going.

About $200,000 to $250,000 would have to be raised to start up a YMCA in Cape Girardeau and fund its operations through the first three years.

After that, it is envisioned the YMCA unit would be supported largely through its membership fees.

It could be operated from a small office and make use of existing recreational facilities.

Planning is still in the preliminary stages and if there is no interest, discussions could stop after Monday's meeting, Martinez said.

The task force was set up earlier this month by the Community Caring Council and is made up of an informal group of 15 to 30 members.

Shirley Ramsey, the executive coordinator for the Community Caring Council said the task force's primary mission is to determine whether the community is interested in a YMCA.

"The task force won't make the decision," Ramsey said. "This meeting will be to take a look at what resources are already in place. There may not be a need for a YMCA but there also may be."

She said the first meeting of the task force there seemed to be quite a bit of interest.

"This meeting will be to see where we go from here," she said.

YMCA stands for Young Men's Christian Association. But it is open to both sexes and to those of all faiths. Today, half of all YMCA constituents and staff members are female.

YMCAs offer more than recreational programs; they are the largest day-care provider in the United States.

In 1992, there were 2,078 YMCA units nationwide, serving nearly 13 million people. The YMCA, which was founded in London in 1844, now can be found in 110 nations.