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Some YMCAs seek to reclaim 'C' in the name: The Y's Christian heritage

The wooden box, not quite big enough to hold a pair of shoes, sits on the reception desk, just inside the Sherwood, Oregon, YMCA. Once a day, Roger Button empties the box, finds a quiet place to sit and prays over the slips of paper he finds inside. He prays for someone’s son struggling with drug addiction; for a friend who needs a job; for more blue, figure-8 rubber exercise bands. “Sometimes people mistake the prayer box for a suggestion box,” Button shrugged, unbothered.

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