In this edition of Us!...
- What Happens on Wednesday, May 24th?
- YUSA Professional Development Opportunities
- Exciting New Y Benefit
- New Y Associate Podcast Episode
- Hot Jobs
- Help Grow Our Team
- Shout Outs
- Community Kudos
- Payroll Information
- A Note from John Hoey
- Organization Announcement
Y ASSOCIATE OPPORTUNITIES
MAY 24th IS THE BIG DAY!
We look forward to seeing you next Wednesday, May 24th at the Y Associate Wellness Fair, 10am - 2pm at the Y Engagement Center at 1506 Joh Avenue, Baltimore 21227.
Stop by as your schedule allows and grab some refreshments, play some games, and talk to our Y benefits partners and other health and wellness providers.
It's not too late to make a reservation for day-of services including dental cleanings, Y Retirement Fund consultations, and biometric screenings.
Click below to book your day-of appointment(s) now! If you have questions about this event, please contact Megan Spencer.
YUSA LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
The Y of the USA has new opportunities for Y associates to explore professional development.
- 2023 Multicultural Leadership Development (MLD) Scholarships
The Carolyn Creager MLD Scholarship Fund for Y associates of color, and The Fred Hoshiyama Asian Leadership Scholarship Fund for Y associates of Asian/Pacific Islander ancestry, are now available. These scholarships can be utilized to work on Y leadership certifications, external leadership development trainings, some secondary education, and more. Both full-time and part-time associates may apply at Smart Simple. Learn more here. Both applications are open through June 5th. There are also scholarship applications open for non-Black Indigenous People of Color.
- YUSA National Employee Resource Groups
The recruitment window for new steering committee members for Y of the USA's National Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) is open through June 12th. The National ERGs lay the foundation for our Y in Central Maryland Associate Resource Groups (ARGs). If you are interested in applying for a National ERG steering committee, please review this Y-Link post before applying. When you're ready, go to bit.ly/ERG2023SCApps to apply. Five of the six fully formed ERGs have open applications right now (currently not the Hispanic Latino Leadership Network). Click here to learn more, engage and connect with YUSA National ERGs.
INTRODUCING REVIVE HEALTH
Revive Health is a new Y benefit that is available to all Y associates! It's a virtual health partner providing low cost supplemental care, including:
- No copays or deductibles
- 24/7/365 urgent telehealth care
- Same day telehealth appointments
- Over 425 medications with free at-home delivery
- And more!
Revive Health does not replace medical insurance, but it does help to increase access to affordable healthcare for both part-time and full-time associates.
Revive Health will be at the Y Associate Wellness Fair on May 24th! Be sure to stop by their table.
Click below to learn more. Questions? Please contact Megan Spencer.
Y PODCAST FOR Y ASSOCIATES
The All In Podcast brings you enlightening conversations with Y colleagues discussing what they are most passionate about in their work; the things they are "all in" on! Hosted by Riquelle Harris, Manager of Learning and Development, these entertaining podcasts are sure to make your day and give you new perspective on your work at the Y.
Click below to listen to episode four, "What's In It For Me?" with Megan Spencer, VP of Human Resources.
HOT JOBS! HOT JOBS!
We are actively filling the positions listed below with both internal and external candidates. To view these positions in Dayforce: log into Dayforce, select Careers > Search Jobs from the upper left menu, and search by keyword or requisite ID#.
- Camp Counselors (search Counselor)
- Y Head Start Teachers (search for Head Start)
- Lifeguards (search for Lifeguard)
WE NEED MORE PEOPLE LIKE YOU
If you know someone who would be a qualified candidate for our Y Head Start, Y Family Centers, or Youth Development teams, please refer them to the Y and potentially earn a referral bonus of up to $500 if they are hired. Click below for details.
Learn More and Make a Referral
GOOD VIBES
Y ASSOCIATE SHOUT OUTS
It’s an embarrassment of riches right now with Y Associate Shout Outs. These Y associates show initiative, compassion, teamwork and commitment to the community and the Y’s mission. If you see one or several of them, tell them “thank you for being you!”
Click the blue "Shout Out" icon above to read about David Burnham, Chanson Byrd, Shatia Jones, Jeremy Trimble, George Tyree, Devon Wilborne, Linda Schwartz, and Kurt White.
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!
Ann, The Orokawa Y in Towson
"The Y has so many classes for all abilities, and the people who come to the Y are diverse as well. The people I’ve worked out with are able-bodied, intellectually disabled, limited in sight, recovering from health conditions, to name a few qualities. I love that mix of groups who can come to one place to workout, hang out and be ourselves."
Jayden, Out-of-School-Time at Waverly Elementary/Middle
“Awesome program! Very engaging and wonderful associates who really care about our children."
Jamal, Y Head Start in Baltimore County - Back River
“The teachers are great, the kids actually learn a lot of skills and are Kindergarten ready before grade K. Everyone is courteous and helpful. Thanks, you all rock at Back River!"
Lianna, Y Preschool in Towson
"I love the teachers. They are very reassuring and compassionate. The preschool has a safe and clean environment. My daughter loves it here!"
Warren, Y Before & After School Enrichment - Windsor Farm Elementary
"This is our first experience with Before and After School Enrichment. We are happy so far. Mrs. Mary Lou is wonderful with the kids and she keeps them on track."
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 May 18th. The submission deadline is Monday, May 8th.
RESOURCES, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
GET PAID!
| PAY PERIOD | PAY DATE |
|---|---|
| May 7-20, 2023 | May 30, 2023 |
| May 21 - June 3, 2023 | June 13, 2023 |
| June 4-17, 2023 | June 27, 2023 |
OUR WORK TOGETHER
Dear Colleagues,
Last Friday, over 200 leaders from across our Y gathered for a half day retreat focused on “Building Community from the Inside Out: The Y Associate Experience.” Given that our entire strategic plan and mission as an organization rests on our ability to build truly connected, welcoming and inclusive communities, it’s especially important that we ourselves feel connected to each other as we go about this work.
In an organization as large, complex and dispersed as ours, and in light of the rapid societal and economic changes we’ve been experiencing in the recent past, this is no small task. There is not one person who can make it happen, nor is there one thing that we can all do to build the kind of culture that will make us one of the premier “go to” workplaces in this region (which is one of our strategic objectives). Life is not that simple, unfortunately. It takes hard and sustained effort on the part of all of us. So that’s what we’re doing.
For those of you not in attendance, here’s a brief synopsis of what we focused on in an effort to make collective progress:
- I spent a few minutes providing an overview of how we’re doing, providing some key metrics and financial information. In short, we are experiencing tremendous momentum in terms of membership and youth development program enrollment, which is incredibly encouraging. However, we are challenged by the impact of rapidly rising labor and other costs (such as energy and facility upkeep), which continue to make it a challenge to recover financially. Our financial model is changing, and so we can’t and won’t be returning to the “good old days” of pre-COVID. But that’s okay; the future can cause trepidation, but it can also be exciting if we all remain open to change.
- We then had a fascinating panel discussion with three Y Board Members: Stephanie Baker, Pam Grey and Kera Ritter. These impressive folks have significant professional experience in executive positions across multiple industries. Their insights and advice were both wise and practical. Among other things, each emphasized the importance of our focus on community building as both a needed antidote to many of the ills in society today, as well as a practical business building necessity. They also advised our leaders to be better listeners with those they manage, recognizing that people have different needs and ambitions. One size doesn’t fit all. I could not agree more on all counts.
- Then Keisha Sitney, our Chief People Officer, shared the latest Gallup results. Simply stated, Y associate satisfaction and engagement remains significantly lower than it needs to be. With all of the organizational changes we’ve been going through, the workforce shortages we’ve been experiencing, and the (happy) challenge of a surge of community re-engagement, this is understandable, but that doesn’t make it acceptable. We need to make meaningful improvements, and I know we will. We then spent time in smaller groups talking through practical things that supervisors across the organization can and are doing to ensure that we are appropriately engaging all Y associates. In spite of all of the challenges we face, Y associates remain profoundly motivated by our cause. To me, that’s the bedrock that we need to build upon.
- Dr. Lisa Williams, Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), led a dynamic and spirited discussion about ways we can accelerate our DEI journey toward the shared vision of better serving our increasingly diverse community. I shared with our leaders my view that DEI work isn’t a “check the box” exercise for us, or an attempt to create a politically correct “woke” workplace (and I’m not even sure what that grammatically challenged term actually means). Our DEI journey is about recognizing that our mission and values compel us to be “for all,” and to do that, we have to first admit that we come up short in that effort all too often. Not because we aren’t trying, but because we all need to push beyond our comfort zones to understand how dynamically our communities have and will continue to change. What we’ve done in the past isn’t going to be sufficient as we move into the future. We need new tools, new perspectives, and new lenses. To me, that’s exciting. That’s about achieving our vision and fulfilling our mission into the 21st century.
- Finally, I joined our Chief Operating Officer Derryck Fletcher in a free-wheeling question and answer session. That’s always the best part of the day, in my humble opinion.
While we obviously have many challenges to deal with, I believe we can meet the moment because I believe in all of you, and in the power of the Y to serve the community in ways no one else can. If the energy and spirit in that room was any indication, then I have no doubt but that we will accomplish truly amazing things together.
All the best,
John Hoey
President & CEO
The Y in Central Maryland
ORGANIZATION ANNOUNCEMENT
We have one organization announcement consisting of many exciting career growth developments across the association!