November 25, 2019
Before we rush headlong into Thanksgiving week, I thought I’d share an email to Heather Wilson and Jazmyn Hudson at the Weinberg Y in Waverly from a grateful father and member. Take a look.
Date: Thu, Nov 14, 2019 at 11:49 AM
Subject: A Moment For Gratitude
Good morning,
I'm writing to express my deep gratitude for the wonderful support, care, and service that my daughter has received from Mrs. Shay and Mrs. May at the Stay-and-Play.
I want to express additional gratitude for Mrs. Shay's attention and professionalism. My daughter is 2 years old and has had tremendous difficulty with social anxiety. She struggled with connection and trust, and in particular with loud sounds. I had little hope of leaving her at Stay-and-Play. But, there was great change when Mrs. Shay noticed my daughter's resistance and began reaching out to her to engage in crafts, chatting, and laughter. And to my amazement, I was able to leave my daughter in Mrs. Shay's and Mrs. May's care and actually play a bit of basketball!!
I can't express my sincere thanks for the excellent service and welcome that we have received. My daughter looks forward to visiting the Y, and seeing her friend Mrs. Shay, who has been monumental in cultivating her self-trust and independence.
As a stay-at-home Dad, the Y has helped me provide my child with the 'village' that gives her access to a safe, caring, and empowering environment. Stay-and-Play (and all the team) have been a priceless resource in our lives.
Clearly Mrs. Shay and Mrs. May (aka Sahela Anderson and Violet Williams, respectively) are doing their jobs with great sensitivity, care and compassion. I join in commending and thanking them. Their work is helping this family achieve a real sense of well-being, which is what we do here at the Y.
On the subject of gratitude, let me also send a big thank you to our friends at the Baltimore Ravens for coming out to the Weinberg Y recently to give away Thanksgiving turkeys. With the help of Ravens players Michael Pierce, Chris Wormley, and Pernell McPhee, 200 Y families (including many from Y Head Start got turkeys from their Ravens heroes. Now that’s what Thanksgiving is really all about.
Special thanks to Alexis Perkins for doing such an excellent job of facilitating the turkey giveaway and for all you do for our community. Your warm, knowing smile and quintessential professionalism are a part of the fabric of life at the Weinberg Y in Waverly. Thanks as well to Heather Darney of the Ravens and the entire organization for all the many ways they continue to show their community commitment. They always come through to support Y work and we are deeply grateful.
In case you forgot, the annual Y Turkey Trot 5k is just a few days away and promises to be a bright, sunshiny day! I know I’ll see you all there!
All the best,
John
John K. Hoey
President & CEO
The Y in Central Maryland