Building Up the Northfield Family YMCA

I grew up with the Y and the Y helped me grow up. That's really what it boils down to. I was not the kid who was there every day, all day... at least not at first. Growing up it was the weekly swimming lessons, the occasional stop in the rec room with friends, it was a week at summer camp. But as I got older, I spent more and more of my time at the Y. I couldn't stay away from camp... the outdoors, the challenges, the fun, the crazy songs, the energy fueled by campers and counselors alike. Once I was too old to be a camper, I volunteered as a counselor-in-training, then an JC (junior counselor), and finally, after a few years, I was old enough to actually get paid to be at camp all day, every day, all summer long. Then I began coordinating all of the vacation camp offerings; it grew from there. The Y provided me with one of my first jobs. But more than that, it provided me with people and experiences that have changed me for life. I had some of the best mentors I could ever ask for at the Y; they pushed me to take on leadership roles, step out of my comfort zone, and find a voice I didn't know I had. They cared about me, they believed in me. The foundations from my YMCA experiences play a part in what I do every day in my classroom, whether it's what I teach, how I teach, or how I interact with my students. The Y is a part of who I am and I want that for my boys. I want them to access the experiences, the passion, and the character that comes from being part of the YMCA and all the programs it has to offer. They deserve it, and so does all of Northfield. Help make it possible.