Happy May. Ah, it is good to be outside.
My staff hear from me regularly about the impact that we have in our community. I have been working professionally for the YMCA since 1991 and actually started working for the organization back in 1985 when I taught swimming lessons and lifeguarded at my home West Seattle Family YMCA. Little did I know when my boss came up to me all those years ago and said, “Instead of volunteering, you know you could be paid to teach, right?” that I would still be doing this work all these years later.
So, why work for the Y? Easy!
We change people’s lives each and every day. I tell people regularly that there is nothing better than teaching a 3-year-old child to back float for the first time. Or when they swim across the deep end of the pool, think of the life changing moment that happens.
I was out at Camp Cormorant yesterday and thinking about the 120 years of service of changing kids’ lives for the better and the upcoming summer season. For 10 weeks, camp is alive with kids. The staff are amazing. They teach life skills, they show kids how to ride horses, sing songs, and most importantly be real and in the moment when life tends to fly by us. We are always in need of new people to join the team to help camp continue to provide these opportunities.
Summer Day Camp and School Age Child Care also offer life-changing experiences for children in our community. Swimming and playing. Out on field trips and reading. Sports and physical fitness. These all happen during the kids’ time with the Y. The staff who serve in these roles are impactful. Not to mention, we also feed them through our Summer Food Program where children under 18 are fed for free.
All of this means that the Y is strengthening our community. We have impact every single day. We change people’s lives for the better. You can too!
Come join us. You will never view the work you do as unimportant. And, we will probably change your life too!
See you at the Y!
Steve Smith, President and CEO
Posted on: May 18, 2023