YP MAC Gaining Momentum
Young Professionals Making Active Connections in McPherson County (YP MAC) is gaining popularity among the 21 to 40ish age demographic in McPherson County. An organization that was once under the umbrella of the McPherson Chamber of Commerce has grown and become a self-sustaining, not-for-profit organization operating throughout McPherson County.
“This change allows YP MAC to reach out to other chambers in the county for involvement. Chambers work very hard to provide benefits to the employers in their town, and we believe we can be a resource for them,” said YP MAC’s Chairperson Jackie Christiansen. “We want employers to see the benefit in supporting and utilizing YP MAC when recruiting young professionals to the area. Employees are more likely to stay in a community where they have made connections and feel a sense of responsibility through philanthropy.”
YP MAC has become a chamber member and is one of many successful organizations that the chamber has helped to successfully coordinate. “Our goal is to see where the needs are, assist in creating programs to meet those needs and watch them evolve and become independent,” stated Chamber Executive Director Jennifer Burch. Other examples of this include McPherson Main Street, GoMcPherson and the McPherson Housing Coalition.
The vision of YP MAC is to achieve strong community relationships through socials, volunteering and networking. The organization believes this builds a strong foundation for 21 to 40 year-olds in McPherson County to connect within their communities. There are 904 private employers throughout the county. YPs goal is to unite the young professionals that have already established themselves and connect those new or moving to the area. These connections will be vital to business owners when it comes to employee retention.
YP MAC’s Member-at-Large Jake Strecker used YP MAC as a resource, saw the benefits and got more involved. “As a transplant coming into a smaller community like McPherson, having the YP Mac group has really allowed me to get to know my peers. It has been an instant networking and socializing tool as my family and I get settled into our new home!”
YP MAC’s main objective for the future is to expand membership and participation at events. The organization holds monthly mingles on the fourth Thursday of each month at different locations throughout the county along with quarterly lunch and learns on topics such as networking, volunteering, home mortgages and giving members the opportunity to be educated during elections. Currently, mingles are free due to company sponsorships and lunch and learns are $10.
“We are very fortunate to have businesses who have offered their space, time and money for our events,” Christiansen said. “It shows they see the benefit of having an organization like ours in McPherson County. We even have employers supporting us through annual sponsorships. These sponsors are Midway Motors and Hassman Termite & Pest Control. Their generosity will help us perform our administrative duties and promote our events.”
YP MAC is also aiming to expand on its volunteering opportunities and help to promote needs of the not-for-profit organizations in the area. The group has already prepared and served a meal for STEP MC and collect items for different organizations at each monthly mingle. Most recently the group collected items for the Mitten Tree at Home State Bank & Trust. The addition of Graham Crain as the Development and Community Outreach Director will allow the group to focus more on these causes.
A young professional is anyone who believes they are on a career path and understands the importance of making connections and giving back to your community. This includes attorneys, bankers, sandwich artists, stay-at-home moms, teachers, farmers, etc. As long as you are 21 to 40ish, you can benefit from being involved in this organization. YP MAC encourages anyone interested in the organization to attend their next mingle on January 24th at the Village Geek co-sponsored by McPherson Main Street. If you are interested in membership or sponsoring YP MAC in some capacity, you can contact them at ypmac.ks@gmail.com or find them on Facebook. They also encourage you to get involved with your local chamber.