Mason County renews $20,000 YMCA family health program, requires annual usage report

Mason County commissioners voted June 24 to renew a $20,000 agreement with the Shelton Family YMCA to continue the "Actively Changing Together" family health program, and required the YMCA to report yearly on membership and participation statistics.

The program, presented by Dave Windham, Mason County Public Health Human Services, offers one-on-one and family-focused education on meal preparation, shopping, and physical activity aimed at preventing or managing obesity and diabetes. "Really the thing that has always worked best is the 1 on 1 working with people, educating people face to face, eyeball to eyeball," Windham said, describing the program's approach.

Commissioners discussed the need for measurable outcomes before approving the renewal. The board added a reporting requirement to ensure membership usage and participation metrics are tracked and returned to the county annually. Commissioners noted that county public health funding has been reduced and future continuation could be affected by larger budget decisions.

A motion to approve the renewal with the reporting requirement carried; the board recorded the motion and a subsequent affirmative vote. No public opposition or additional conditions were recorded at the meeting.

The YMCA previously ran the program in Mason County and county staff said the organization has partnered with Public Health on similar efforts. County staff and commissioners asked that future reports include membership usage and participation rates so the county can evaluate the program's effectiveness and confirm funds are being used as intended.

The action is a one-year renewal; commissioners discussed that future funding may be limited if county public health budgets are reduced.