In this edition of Us!...
- Annapolis Pride Parade
- Financial Coaching
- Associate Referral Program
- Career Growth
- Shout Outs
- Community Kudos
- Get Paid!
- A Note from John Hoey
Y ASSOCIATE UPDATES
Annapolis Pride Parade and Festival
The Annapolis Pride Parade and Festival is taking place on Saturday, May 31. The Y is participating in the parade and will have an information booth. We need your help!
If you would like to volunteer to represent the Y in the parade, welcome folks to the Y community at our information booth, or just be present to support your fellow colleagues, please fill out the interest form below. All are welcome!
If you have any questions, please email ZalankaJones@ymaryland.org.
Dollars and Sense
All Y associates are invited to participate in Financial Coaching webinar on Friday, May 30, 12 - 12:30pm. The webinar is hosted by TrustPlus, a financial coaching service designed to help working people achieve financial stability and reach their long-term financial goals.
To participate, simply go to your calendar invite for May 30th and click the JOIN button at 12pm.
Associate Referral Program
We are growing our Y associate community and need your help. If you know someone who may be a qualified candidate as an educator, lifeguard or other referral program position, please encourage them to apply. If the person you referred is hired, you can potentially earn up to a $500 referral bonus!
Y CAREER GROWTH
Grow your career and exposure within the Y! Job opportunities are currently available for a variety of positions including instructors, lifeguards, educators, and more. Browse open positions in Dayforce to see available career growth opportunities.
1. Log into Dayforce (open web browser > Cloud Bookmarks > Dayforce)
2. Click the menu icon in the upper left corner, select Careers, select Search Jobs
3. Browse the list of open positions or search by keywords (ex. "teacher")
GOOD VIBES
Y ASSOCIATE SHOUT OUTS
We have three wonderful only one Y Associate Shout Outs today. Organized around our four core operating principles: cleanliness, empathy, engagement, and safety, these are stories about pitching in, reaching out, showing initiative, being a great colleague, and going the extra mile: all of which are hallmarks of Y associates and our organizational culture.
Click the blue "Shout Out" icon above to read about Dorothy Foster, Laura Dunn, and Erica Lewis.
We know there are so many more incredible examples out there of associates living out the Y’s mission and core operating principles on a daily basis, so if you have a colleague you would like to “Shout Out,” please fill out the nomination form. We'd like to hear from you!
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!
Lianna's Parent, Y Preschool in Towson
"I love that the teachers are friendly, compassionate and loving. Every day I pick up my child and she is having the time of her life!"
Alexandra, The Y in Parkville
"Jim, yoga instructor, and Bonnie, body pump instructor: both are amazing, and the front desk associates are always super friendly too 💓"
Marshal's Parent, Y Before & After School Enrichment, Red Pump Elementary
"I absolutely love how well taken care of my son is at Before & After School Enrichment at the Y in Red Pump Elementary. Ms. Barb and Ms. Teresa are the best and the other teachers there are always so friendly. He is always well supervised. There are so many games and activities for him to choose from and he has a lot of friends and fun while he is there. They are flexible and accommodating and happy to assist with any questions I may have. Thank you for the opportunity to give my review."
Dai'Launie's Parent, Y Early Head Start in Baltimore County
"My son was originally thought to be non-verbal so it was very hard for me to let him go knowing he wouldn’t be able to verbalize if something bad happened to him. I have seen a dramatic difference in his ability to use his words since he’s been going. I also love how his teacher and teacher's assistant root for him and encourage him and are just as proud as I am with every milestone."
Charles's Parent, Y School Partnerships, College and Career Readiness at Forest Park
"Over the last couple of years the Y Enrichment program has been a very important part of my son life!"
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! The next edition of Us! will be published on June 12th. The submission deadline is Friday, June 6th.
OUR WORK TOGETHER
Dear Colleagues,
In the midst of the everyday “grind” that we all experience from time to time, it can be easy to lose sight of the true and profound impact we have on people’s lives every single day. So, next time you need a “pick-me-up" or reminder about just how important your work is, think about the story I’m about to share.
When Dr. James LaCalle was just nine years old, he fell into a lake while he was on a family vacation in New York’s Bear Mountain State Park. While exploring near the water’s edge as his father kayaked nearby, Jim slipped into the lake without knowing how to swim. Thankfully, there were enough logs nearby that Jim was able to grab and pull himself up onto the shore.
Now at 81 years of age, Dr. LaCalle, who retired in 2010 after 40 years of service to Harford County Community College, the final five and half spent as President of the college, is a devoted and longtime member of the Walter and Betty Ward Y in Abingdon. He previously served on the Y’s Harford County Community Leadership Board. And, I must say, he’s an exceptionally good person in every way.
Why? Because, as Jim says simply and poignantly, “the Y shaped my life; saved my life, really.”
Less than two weeks after the near tragedy, Jim’s father dropped him off at the side door of the Jamaica YMCA in Queens, NY for his first swim lesson. “That was the turning point in my life, as far as I’m concerned,” he shared. “Slipping into the lake led me to the Y, and I can trace everything else in my life back to that. It is a very clear path. The Y was my social life. It was the place I wanted to go; the place I had friends. It was absolutely critical for me.”
The Y has had such a profound impact on Jim’s life that he generously donates every year to our “Send a Kid to Camp" campaign, and recently he added the Y as a beneficiary in his will.
“People have to think about youth. A donation helps the Y expand and reach more kids. A donation means somebody’s life is saved. Mine was,” says Jim. “It’s a simple story, but the Y shaped me. I consider myself a very fortunate person. I went to the Y and it helped me grow, helped me become the person I am. The Y can help you become the best version of yourself and has the potential to impact people’s lives in a very significant way.”
Every single day at the Y, a Jim LaCalle walks through our doors, often not knowing what he or she will find. As he will be the first to tell any of us, what the Y does matters more than we will ever know. We shape lives in profound ways. This is great work that we all get to do, and we have a great team of associates to do it!
All the best,
John Hoey
President & CEO
The Y in Central Maryland