Whenever I make the drive from Austin to San Antonio, I can feel the subtle shift between the two cities after passing the Buc-ee\u2019s on I-35. Austin\u2019s playful, quirky spirit creates its own distinct sense of belonging for locals \u2013 one\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0vibrant, creative, and uniquely \u201cweird.\u201d San Antonio offers a different expression of belonging, one that feels deeply rooted in its long cultural history and the stories that shape daily life. Both cities embody community in their own ways; they simply reveal it through different textures and traditions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As a national staff member with the YMCA of the USA, I support local Ys across the country as they strengthen belonging and bridgebuilding in their\u00a0branches and\u00a0communities. Because my role is remote, I often travel to see this work firsthand, visiting sites as they implement new projects, learn from their neighbors, and create programs that bring people together. That is what brought me to San Antonio.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This past year, the\u00a0YMCA of Greater San Antonio<\/a>\u00a0participated\u00a0in the second year of the Team Up Project<\/a>, a national partnership between Interfaith America, Catholic Charities USA, Habitat for Humanity International, and the YMCA of the USA. The collaboration champions bridgebuilding through service and supports communities in building\u00a0connection\u00a0across meaningful lines of difference.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n San Antonio was one of only 12 YMCAs from around the country selected for this work.\u00a0Their Team Up project centered on\u00a0building bridges between children of diverse abilities, a kind of\u00a0bridging\u00a0that is too often overlooked and especially important to support from\u00a0a young age.\u00a0To do this work, the San Antonio Y committed to transforming childcare spaces so that all children could learn, play, and grow together. Their partnerships included Morgan\u2019s Wonderland, the University of Texas Health Science Center, and youth development specialists who helped train staff, redesign rooms, and invite caregivers into co-design.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n When children of all abilities share space, they\u00a0are able to\u00a0learn to relate to each other.\u00a0<\/p>\n Inclusion and bridgebuilding are deeply connected\u00a0in\u00a0this project.\u00a0When children of all abilities share space, they\u00a0are able to\u00a0learn to relate to each other.\u00a0Children can practice empathy, patience, flexibility, and cooperation. Families also build relationships across experiences they may not otherwise have shared.\u00a0Through inclusion, bridging becomes a\u00a0lived\u00a0experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n The event I attended at the Mays Family YMCA on September 13 was the culmination of months of listening and relationship-building. Families were not just guests in this\u00a0process,\u00a0they were co-creators, shaping the project from the start. While I watched families and kids of diverse abilities explore the new spaces, I saw reactions in real time. Caregivers pointed out how\u00a0the \u201ccalming areas\u201d\u00a0would support their children and how flexible seating created options rather than limits. One parent shared relief at seeing a space where her child would not feel \u201cothered.\u201d Another noted that seeing children of varying abilities able to play together made her feel hopeful. These moments felt meaningful because they reflected the core purpose of bridging: helping people understand one another\u2019s experiences and building community through that understanding.\u00a0<\/p>\n Later that afternoon, some of us traveled to Morgan\u2019s Wonderland, a theme park that was created so people of all abilities could\u00a0participate\u00a0in every attraction. The team shared the\u00a0origin\u00a0story of the park and walked us through wheelchair-accessible rides, sensory-friendly experiences, and adaptive recreation spaces. They explained how their design philosophy\u00a0has shaped facilities across the country, including a YMCA in Minnesota, and how they collaborated with specialized vendors to make inclusive design the norm.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Watching families of all abilities enjoy the park together made the connection between inclusion and bridgebuilding unmistakable. When people\u00a0participate\u00a0together, they learn to understand one another\u2019s lives. When they understand each other, they build\u00a0connection. And connection leads to belonging.\u00a0<\/p>\n Looking ahead, the San Antonio YMCA plans to continue this work with purpose. They are forming a family advisory group, expanding Morgan\u2019s-led training for staff, and developing adaptive programming leadership at the association level. They are committed to bringing inclusive updates to\u00a0additional\u00a0branches and continuing to learn from the families they serve.\u00a0<\/p>\n As I drove back to Austin, I reflected on what I witnessed When we listen deeply, when we build relationships with care, and when we allow families to shape the spaces their children will enter, we create environments that reflect the very best of America. .\u00a0This belonging does not happen by accident. It grows through partnership, trust, and meaningful connection across\u00a0difference. The San Antonio YMCA is showing what is possible when we lead with those values.\u00a0<\/p>\n