Perhaps because of my title, too many people think that I am personally responsible for all that we do here at the Y. The truth is, I have so much less to do with what’s good about the Y than I get credit for. It’s generally my goal to stay out of our associates’ way and let them do their thing. I’m honored to simply be their colleague. These two stories explain why.
From a Y Preschool parent:
"My little one attends the preschool at the Catonsville campus. I was skeptical about sending my little one to any sort of formal or informal care because of the horror stories and personal experiences. I was leaving a not-so-great marriage and had little to no family. We left a shelter, found a home and the pandemic devastated the world as well as my plans of starting a new life.
Everything was now virtual and I cringed at the idea of sending the most valuable gift I have to a place I could not enter, for health and safety of course. I had never experienced a virtual visit and I always needed to lay eyes on every single person who would have contact with my children. After the virtual tour with Mr. Smith my fears melted away. I knew this was where I WANTED my daughter to be. After meeting the preschool teacher onsite I knew this was where my daughter NEEDED to be. I have never been to a place where I liked everyone I came in contact with.
When I didn't know what to do, they worked with me like family. My daughter has blossomed in a very short period of time in terms of speech, social skills, academics etc. Most importantly, she has a sense of belonging. To hear her say, "That's my school" makes me feel like a good mom. To hear her say, "I had a good day" assures me she has great teachers."
From Shannon Martin, Membership Associate at the Greater Annapolis Y in Arnold:
"Working in membership during a pandemic has been an eye-opening and rewarding experience.
We’ve had members who have continued to donate even though they haven’t set foot in our center in over a year. We have had families doing happy dances when they return. But hands down, the most poignant moment for me personally came through our Open Doors program.
A mother and her 13-year-old son (the same age as my oldest son) came in to ask about membership. The family owns a business in the hospitality industry and told me about how hard this year has been for them financially on top of the difficulty of having kids who could no longer go to school and see friends, play on school playgrounds or socialize.
After I talked to them about the Open Doors program and they realized that they would be able to join, the son stood up, hugged his mom, and thanked her. As she hugged him back he started to cry and you could see the tension release from his shoulders.
He had been a bit reserved until this point but as soon as he realized that he would be able to come back he had a hundred questions! He was talking a mile a minute about basketball, the Expresso bikes, the racquetball court, and most of all the pool.
His smile has been in my head throughout April as I participate in the ‘Rally for the Y’ biking fundraiser. It’s been so much fun to see the effort from our team here in Arnold, both from members and our associates. As I walk away (sometimes a bit gingerly) from the Expresso bike after each ride, my legs may be sore but my heart is so full."
The "Mr. Smith" referred to in the first comment is Bob Smith, who runs our Betty Sterner Preschool in Catonsville and oversees several others. While I’m enormously proud of Bob, I’m in no way surprised because that’s who Bob is. Shannon Martin’s comments say a lot about the power of Open Doors, but they say much more about what’s in Shannon’s heart.
Bob and Shannon are in no way anomalies.
They are two of over 1,700 associates who make the Y and our mission come to life on a daily basis. They represent what happens when fundamental values of human decency and civility are mobilized as a force for good in a community.
And they make me prouder than I’ll ever be able to explain.
All the best,
John
John K. Hoey
President & CEO
The Y in Central Maryland