In this edition of Us!...
- Our Y Associate Community
- Social Responsibility Committee
- Y Turkey Trot Shirt Vote
- Earn a $500 Bonus!
- Celebrating Success
- Shout Outs
- Community Kudos
- A Feel-Good Reminder
- Payroll and Payday Game
- A Note from John Hoey
- Organization Announcement
Y ASSOCIATE OPPORTUNITIES
UPCOMING Y ASSOCIATE EVENTS
Don't miss out on these upcoming associate opportunities:
- WLRN Reset in Nature (Hike at Cascade Falls)
Friday, September 22
12:00 - 1:30pm
Cascade Falls Trail, Elkridge MD
Join the Women's Leadership Resource Network (WLRN) for a refreshing nature hike to reset your mind and body after a busy summer. Light refreshments will be provided. Registration in Dayforce is required.
- Y Associate Appreciation Day
Friday, October 20
All Y programs, family centers, sites, and offices will be closed on Friday, October 20 for Y Associate Appreciation Day! This day off (our 3rd annual!) is in honor of the incredible work you do everyday. Please take this time to rest and recharge. Instructions will be shared with supervisors on how hours should be entered for this day.
For more information on these and other associate events, please check the Associate Experience shared calendar (part of your Y gmail calendar under the "other calendars" tab). To submit events to the associate experience calendar, please email associateexperience@ymaryland.org.
JOIN A SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY COMMITTEE
Interested in getting more involved in the Y and your community? The Social Responsibility Team is currently seeking associates to join our Y Initiatives committees! We are in need of committees for the following:
- Turkey Trot Food Collection Drive
- Giving Tree
Please email ShannonKowal@ymaryland.org for more information.
REGISTER AND PLACE YOUR VOTE
Dust off your turkey hat. Registration for the Y Turkey Trot Charity 5K is open! Sign up by September 15 to vote on this year's shirt design. With six race locations across central Maryland, the Trot is for everyone - all ages and abilities. Gobble, gobble!
TELL A FRIEND!
We are growing our Y associate community and need your help. If you know someone who may be a qualified candidate for a high demand position, please encourage them to apply! If your referred person is hired, you can potentially earn up to a $500 referral bonus through our Associate Referral Program. Click below to download our flyer and spread the word!
GOOD VIBES
JOIN US IN CONGRATULATING...
Our very own Dr. Lisa Williams has been nominated to receive the Dr. Warren C. Hayman Equity Leadership Award for her commitment and dedication to achieving equity. Dr. Williams was highly recommended to receive this honor by the planning committee for the Maryland Cultural Proficiency Conference, where the awards ceremony will take place next month.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Williams for this well-earned recognition. Her light shines bright and her influence and impact reaches far and wide. CONGRATULATIONS!
Y ASSOCIATE SHOUT OUTS
We have a good number of Y Associate Shout Outs today! Showing initiative, being a great colleague, stepping into new challenges: these are just some of the hallmarks of Y associates and our organizational culture.
Click the blue "Shout Out" icon above to read about Lindsay Crone, Patra Hills, Celeste Holthaus, Lakita Knott, LaTanya Quick, and Charmaine Ruff.
If you have a colleague you'd like to "Shout Out", simply click below to fill out the nomination form.
COMMUNITY COMMENTS
The good work you do doesn't go unnoticed. Enjoy reading these real comments from our Y community and soak in the praise!
Liberty, Y Camp at the Weinberg Y
"I have been so pleased with all the aspects of the Y. I originally signed up so my kids could go to Y Camp, and have been so happy with our membership that I am keeping it year round! And of course we will be signing up again for camp next year, too!"
Kameron, Y Early Head Start, Anne Arundel County
“The Y treats my kids like their own. Thank you."
Claudia, The Hill Y in Westminster
"I love the instructors. They put their heart and soul into this. From Renee who makes everyone feel like part of a bigger family, and how much knowledge she has and shares… to Risten who also is a wealth of knowledge and keeps her eyes on every person; suggesting options as the class moves on. Those two are die hards. They show up and show out. Alexes' classes are a fun way to dance through Zumba. She also amazes me."
Ryan, Out-of-School-Time, Waverly Elementary/Middle
"My children love this program. I love it too. It's the best decision I have made!"
Braxton, Y Before & After School Enrichment, Southgate Elementary
"My children love Y After School Enrichment at Southgate Elementary! I love that they get to spend time with other children, who attend the same school and even some from the same classes, in a safe and controlled environment. We can't wait to use the free membership at the local Y to see what all they offer as well. I would definitely recommend this program to any parents searching for a before or after school program for their child(ren) attending Southgate Elementary."
Lenore, The Betty Sterner Y Preschool in Catonsville
"The associates and teachers have been friendly and communicative, considering this is our first year at the Y. The daily report is helpful when my child doesn't always remember the details of the day. I'm excited about the fun events they are putting on to build community within the school."
Y MEMBER STORY: ANITA WALKER
Here's a feel-good story out of the Y Swim Center in Randallstown to remind you why we do what we do. Enjoy!
WE NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU!
The Us! associate enewsletter is published monthly and we need to hear from you! Share your stories, what’s new in your Y world, and what you are proud of. We want to know and we want to share your news! The next Us! enewsletter will be published on October 19th. The submission deadline is Friday, October 13th.
RESOURCES, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
GET PAID!
| PAY PERIOD | PAY DATE |
|---|---|
| Aug 27 – Sept 9, 2023 | September 19, 2023 |
| Sept 10 – 23, 2023 | October 3, 2023 |
| Sept 24 – Oct 7, 2023 | October 17, 2023 |
In honor of National Payroll Week (who knew?!), please take a moment to thank our hard-working colleagues who ensure we get paid on time: Kelli Longo, McKenzie Griffith, Lynn Carrico, and Jeff Mazerski. Also, try your hand at a fun little payday pop culture quiz. How well do you know payday references in TV, movies, and music? The quiz closes at 5 pm today.
OUR WORK TOGETHER
Dear Colleagues,
We are highly focused on building an equitable, diverse and inclusive community, the accomplishment of which is core to our success as an organization and the realization of our new strategic plan, called All in On Community. It is with this in mind that I am especially proud of our partnership with League of Dreams, a local non-profit dedicated to providing sports opportunities for children and adults of diverse abilities.
Thanks to a grant from the Thomas Bradley Foundation, one of our longstanding partners, we were able to provide swim lessons to about 30 youth of different ages and abilities this summer at the Randallstown Y Swim Center. The program culminated in a celebration recently, with former Orioles shortstop Mike Bordick on hand, to help cheer the kids on and congratulate them on their accomplishments.
Consistent with both our strategic plan and mission, the funding provided these kids and their families not just a one-time Y experience, but even more importantly a Y Family Membership, which will help to ensure they stay active and connected to the Y community. At the same time, League of Dreams is providing cultural competency training to our Y associates to help strengthen their ability to support people of diverse ability.
This kind of work is indeed a bases-clearing home run. Thank you to all the great Y associates who helped make this wonderful program a reality!
All the best,
John Hoey
President & CEO
The Y in Central Maryland
ORGANIZATION ANNOUNCEMENT
MAKING MOVES
Brieanna Smith has joined our Y Family Center Operations Team as the new Program Manager for the Druid Hill, Orokawa, Parkville, and Weinberg Y family centers! She reports to Marc Perry.
Brieanna started her Y career in July 2021 as a Community School Coordinator for The Mount Royal School. We are excited for her to leverage partnerships she has built in her former role to bring to our Y family centers.
If you haven’t yet had a chance to meet Brianna, please reach out and congratulate her on her new role.