How Kane is Supporting World YMCA’s Purpose-Based Mission
In recent months, Kane has been working with the World YMCA to support their storytelling efforts through blogs and bring their purpose-based mission to a new audience.
When most Americans think of the YMCA, they likely think of swimming lessons and basketball leagues. In fact, the YMCA offers so much more than that.
The Mission
YMCAs across the globe have a long history of working with youth in conflict zones to address the issues that come as a result of war.
Currently, the World YMCA, in partnership with Europe YMCA, is playing a vital role in assisting those who have been displaced in Ukraine or that have fled to other countries, by providing accommodation, food and clothing to those in need. Additionally, the organization is making mental health support available to youth who have been directly impacted by this crisis.
The work the World YMCA and its partners are doing is incredible, and we wanted to help them use social media to share the stories of those involved in these initiatives that otherwise may not be told.
Packages prepared for the refugees at the border (YMCA Moldova)
As the media outlets audiences consume begin to shift, so do the techniques we as communicators have to use to reach them. With the rise of short-form media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram Reels, we felt that creating engaging and shareable short-form content was the perfect way to bring these stories to a larger audience.
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YMCA Slovakia's "Let's talk together" project aims to help integrate refugees through Slovak language courses
The Work
We determined the first step in achieving this goal was to put together a series of social media posts that spotlight the impact the organization is having during the war in Ukraine.
Our first post in the series highlighted how World YMCA and YMCA Europe mobilized to meet Ukrainians fleeing their country and are providing much-needed provisions for refugees. This post showcased the purpose-based mission of the organization and the positive impact they are having in the world. The post is now live across Kane’s social platforms and can be found here on Linkedin.
Using Instagram Reels and Short-Form Content to Reach a Wider Audience
In our first interview post, Irina Berdzenishvili discusses her program “Heal the Smile”, which provides free mental health support to youth impacted by the war in Ukraine. This program pairs young people with volunteer professional psychologists who provide a safe space for support as well as information on trauma healing methods and how to prevent and deal with PTSD.
The second interview post is with World YMCA Secretary General Carlos Sanvee who discusses the work the organization is doing and reflects on his own experience as a refugee when his home country of Togo was hit with civil unrest in 1993.
YMCA Europe Secretary General Juan Simoes Iglesias and World YMCA Secretary General Carlos Sanvee (center) with volunteers at Romania border.
During the editing process for this series, we worked to consolidate these interviews into short-form videos that allow viewers to gain insights into the work the organization is doing and the impact war can have on one’s mental health.
By sharing these stories during Mental Health Awareness Month, we are also including the World YMCA in the greater conversation surrounding mental health.
If you’d like to support the work of YMCAs in Ukraine, click here.
Are you interested in seeing how Kane can help tell your brand’s story on social media? Schedule a consultation.
