Mission Moments
For Youth Development
Recently, a mother of a teen stopped a staff member in the hallway to express her gratitude. She shared how much she appreciates the YMCA giving her daughter an opportunity to work her first job. “It is a great environment, where we know who she is working for and with and feel very safe with that.”
For Healthy Living
Meet Roland Batten. Over the last year Roland has lost around 100 pounds. His life was changed one day when he was watching an Ironman competition on television. He got up from his chair and walked one mile. The next day he walked two. Next, he joined the Y and started swimming. Now, he’s completed a few sprint triathalons, an international and a half Ironman. He credits the support he received from the Y as being crucial in his quest.
For Social Responsibility
Our Change a Life campaign has recently touched the lives of a neighboring family. A recent scholarship recipient found out about the scholarship availability through a staff member. When they came in and applied for assistance and toured the facility, they took note of the “Change a Life” posters and realized this was our way of reaching out to help their family. They’ve since received assistance.
After a few visits the father shared how excited their boys were to be joining the Y. The father reported they read every bit of the new member packet, and spent extra time discussing their age approved activities with the new guidelines.
One son has some weight and hip issues that restricts him from high impact rigorous activity, but swimming is exactly what the doctor ordered, and his parents were thrilled to see him get excited about it. Their next goal is to participate in the Fitness 101 class. On the family’s next visit, after swimming, a staff member encountered both boys engaged in a chess match in the hallway with Mr. Calvin.
The father admitted that in the 20 years they lived behind the Y, he never thought that it would offer so much for the entire family and wished he’d known about the scholarship fund sooner.