Aaron-Joshua Harris

20 March 2024

Interview

Introduction

● Name and title of the candidate and the date of the interview.
○ Edmond Peabody is the Branch Director Of the AJ McClung YMCA and I
had the opportunity to interview Mr. Peabody 20th March 2024
● Why did you select this person? (This needs to be a thoughtful answer as to
why you found this person interesting to interview)
I selected this person because I grew up going to the YMCA in Columbus
Georgia during the summers. The only difference is I grew up going to the YMCA on the
North side of Columbus GA, also known as the good side of Columbus. I know
environments can make a difference and I'm interested to learn about how things are
run at the AJ McClung YMCA because I never got the chance to observe the difference
in person.

● The individual’s history in the and at the agency. (Years of service, degree,
career history, etc.)
Edmond Peabody has been a part of this agency for 17 years and finished
college with a Bachelor's degree.

Mission/Purpose of the Agency/Department (1pt)

● What is the agency's mission statement?

The YMCA is a Christian based organization. It is a youth Christian organization
to help minister the kids to the YMCA program
● Does the recreation department within a larger agency have its own mission
statement and what is it? If you are pulling the mission statement from the
agency website you need to appropriately cite your sources.

Clientele Served (2pts)

● Who are the clients served at this agency and what are their demographics?
The clients served at the AJ McClung YMCA tend to engage, educate, and
enrich young African American males and females. Due to where the AJ
McClung is located it tends to serve the lower class of Columbus Georgia and try
to build up their character, honesty, socializing skills, etc.
 ● Are there membership requirements and if so how is it structured?
There are memberships fees run between 60$ single person, 75$ per family and
this membership run monthly
● From what geographic location do the customers come to participate in the
programs and services offered by the agency?
“A majority of our customers come from the inner city.” That would make sense
due to the AJ McClung being the only YMCA located in the inner city.

Services and Programs Provided (2pt)

● What programs and services does the agency provide and what do these
services look like?
Child care(After school care, summer groups), Education and leadership, swim
sports and play, Health, Well being and Fitness, Sports and Recreation, just to
name a few.
● Are there specific facilities required to provide those services?
The AJ McClung has a fully regulated Basketball/Volleyball Court, Gym, and
Baseball, Soccer, and football field where they host their little league games at.

Staffing (1pt)

● How many employees are full-time? Part-time? Do seasonal employees or

volunteers work at this agency and how is the organizational chart
structured?
“There are approximately 35 full time employees and probably about 350 part
time employees at three different facilities. Yes we do have seasonal employees
or Volunteers especially kids that are eager to work but are young.” -Mr. Peabody

Funding Source(s) (1pt)

● Where does the agency get its money to pay staff and maintain the programs,
services, and facilities?
The YMCA is not a for profit organization that supports itself through charitable
contributions, membership dues and program fees. As a not for profit the YMCA
must direct any and all revenue back into the organization.

Professional Issues (1pt)

● What challenges, excitements, etc. does the professional identify in the field
of RPTM?
I enjoy working with young African Americns and pushing them to do something
positive with their life. The only challenge I have is dealing with parents if there
kid got into a scuffle, being mistreated without adult supervision and things of that
magnitude but I truly enjoy my job and building the next generation of African
Americans”