I recently received an email from a person who was extremely upset that he couldn’t simply buy a one-day pass to the Y so that he and his daughter could use the pool. I responded to him simply that we are a membership community for all, and that we’d welcome his family as members. What we don’t do is simply transact with the public for a fee. There’s nothing wrong with those who do so, but that’s not who we are.
We work hard to deliver an exceptional membership experience, which is very different than selling a transaction. The Y’s mission is to create a diverse, inclusive community of people who come together for health, for engagement, and for the opportunity to be part of something larger than themselves, and for whom Y membership is often essential, not incidental, in their lives. One of the ways we work hard to ensure inclusion is by removing financial barriers to that membership experience by offering Open Doors, which is funded by the generosity of members and others in the community who value what the Y brings to bear.
So, allow me to turn to a Y member and Carroll County Community Leadership Board volunteer, Kayla Solinsky, to express what the Y membership experience feels like for her:
"The Hill Y is like family. I feel safe bringing my babies here. I feel safe working out. Everyone, from the Executive Director to the associates, has a smile on their faces and are happy to support me and my family. I have joined gyms before and it feels very isolating. The Hill Y works hard so that my whole family can participate. My six year old was able to attend the Y Camp this summer - his first camp experience. As part of the Community Board, I am able to share the Hill Y with my community including Turkey Trot and many other events. I LOVE the Hill Y and I hope that you come out too."
Clearly, for Kayla, the Y membership experience is, in fact, an essential part of her family’s life. She speaks about feeling safe, which obviously has multiple meanings, about being accepted, and about wanting to avoid the feeling of isolation often found in a strictly commercial gym environment. The fact that Kayla and her family have deepened their relationship with the Y through camp and volunteerism further underscores how essential the Y membership community is to her and them.
Perhaps I should have connected Kayla with the disgruntled emailer! Maybe next time.
Thank you Kayla for your trust and active engagement in the Y, and to Mike Walters and all of the great Y associates who make the Hill Y in Westminster a wonderful hub of community.
All the best,
John K. Hoey
President & CEO
The Y in Central Maryland