Take a Y Tour Online!

Our YMCA tour videos are done and posted on our site and we are so excited to share them with you! Today we are featuring our Bullitt County Family YMCA.

Take a tour of our Bullitt County Family YMCA!

My favorite day of the year ….

As a YMCA staff person, we all probably have tasks, assignments, and times of the year that we like more than others.  My favorite day of the year is the beginning of YMCA summer camp. It is filled with excited kids, nervous parents, well trained staff, and a (slightly anxious) Director.  It’s hard to explain my excitement and anticipation.  We started planning for camp last summer…… before the summer was even over.  We began putting together promotional stuff in December.  We began hiring in January and we’ve been full steam ahead since then!

The beginning of camp is an important day for our YMCA.  It’s a chance to live our promise to our community and that we will impact youth in a positive way.  We’ll help our camp kids learn and grow, with caring adults right by their side cheering them on.  We’ll teach them about healthy decision, make fitness fun, and role model good behavior.  We’ll help them make friends and find their missing lunch, all in the same day.

The day that camp starts is a great day. Hands down, the best day of the year.

I can’t wait to go to work!

Ending bullying is a shared responsibility

Earlier today, I had intended to write a blog post about this no sugar experiment my roommate and I are doing, but then I went to the movies. And I cried. I shook my hands at the movie screen a few times, laughed a few times, but I mostly cried. The movie that got me all worked-up is the documentary Bully. In short, it’s a wonderfully crafted film that follows five different families who are struggling with different aspects of the bullying crisis in America. There’s a family whose son ended his own life at age 17 after being harassed at school for years. A teenage girl whose whole family has been ostracized since she came out as being gay. And then there’s the 12 year-old boy, Alex, who has a heart of gold and a gorgeous smile, but he comes off as “weird” to other kids and is constantly physically and verbally bullied by classmates.

I’m not writing a movie review on the YMCA blog (though I will say it was amazing and powerful and worth seeing–check out the trailer here). I’m writing about this movie today because the parents and young people in the film, while they struggle and feel deep pain, are working to try to make change and to improve the lives of children in America, and that falls right in line with our work at the Y. One area of focus for the YMCA is Youth Development. We believe that all kids deserve the opportunity to discover who they really are and what they can achieve. Through our many different programs, from childcare to sports to leadership development, we work to cultivate values and skills in children that will help them make positive choices in their lives. But this work isn’t just the responsibility of the YMCA–it falls on us all.

The film tonight showed just how much power lay in our words and actions–how deeply they can hurt and how high they can lift. We may not be on the playground or the school bus anymore, but us adults can fall into similar patterns, like gossiping and forming cliques, that share the same elements of childhood bullying. I don’t have children and don’t know if I will ever have any, but I want to set a positive example for any kids I might encounter by living and speaking in a way that doesn’t demean or hurt others. Doing that won’t always be easy or comfortable (just flip on the TV or open a magazine; our media is often glorified gossip) but it’s something I think we could all stand to do.

To learn more about the movement to end bullying, please check out Stand for the Silent, an organization founded by the Smalley family after they lost their 11 year-old son to suicide.

Philanthropy…What It Really Means

Today we have a guest blog post from our fearless leader and CEO, Steve Tarver…

The last 10 days have been an incredible set of experiences both professionally and personally. Last Thursday, I returned from a 6 day trip to Hong Kong. I flew from Hong Kong to Boston and then drove to Newport, Rhode Island, where I watched my son graduate from Naval Officer Development School. Both experiences were unbelievable privileges to experience. In the middle of it all, our own community had to respond to the weather related needs.

I was able to spend time at the Hong Kong YMCA, a 110 year old organization with a rich history in this bustling city of 7.5 million people living in a very small area. It’s a very diverse city that has history, modern business, great wealth, and poverty all within blocks of each other. Hong Kong has the greatest wealth gap in the world.

I was there to share case studies on membership, youth development, and community health. (This was a result of the Louisville YMCA’s reputation in these areas. Thanks to all our staff and volunteers for allowing this to be the case.) Included in the group were representatives from the Asia Pacific Alliance of YMCAs made up of 27 countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Thailand, Cambodia, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines, among others.

During the presentation on community health, I was talking about diabetes, obesity, and tobacco policy, lifestyle for granted when the initial issues raised were malnutrition, malaria, and dengue (acute viral disease similar to malaria also called “breakbone disease”). The Y’s located there are doing amazing work in health, community development, education, and human rights.

Even in Hong Kong, I became aware of the severe weather rolling in. Fortunately, our immediate area was spared, unlike our neighbors just to the north. Our terrific staff began to look at ways to help before the wind stopped blowing. Laurie Madden from challenged us to help. Melanie Cox made contact with a local church  in Henryville. Andy Pierce coordinated with the Red Cross. Within hours, each of our Y’s, had set up collection stations and lists of needed items. Many staff, members, neighbors, and volunteers contributed in many ways – communication, coordination, logistics, and delivery.

It started by providing 20 tables to a church so that meals could be served. Following were 3 trailer loads of supplies, mostly cleaning supplies and toiletries. One of our members, a five year old girl, however, donated her personal bible given to her as an infant…”I want those children to have it, Momma,” she said.

The Y family gave until being told that the need had been met. All done within about 72 hours. Do you see why I say so frequently what a privilege it is to serve with our staff and volunteers?

My son is now a Lieutenant in the US Navy.  He will serve as an audiologist at the 29 Palms Marine Base in California.  The Naval Station Newport is on a peninsula where it is very cold and windy this time of year.  My son told of training in the “Rose Garden” (a sand pit) and highly regimented procedures, meal times, and great honor in the work that is done.  I was able to observe some of the closing training activities including comments of the “Chief” – their drill instructor, and several of the staff officers.  Even though the Chief had frequently kicked their butts, woke them with whistles and bullhorns (sometimes after only 30-60 minutes of sleep), and took them to the Rose Garden, they loved the guy.

I was touched by a couple of things.  First was the amazing commitment that these men and women have to the protection of our freedom and rights – past, present, and future.  There are regular references to the willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice in these protections.  How many of us profess a willingness to die as part of our jobs?

Second were the comments made by Chief Hebert (pronounced a’-bear). He gave them 5 guidelines for success. The first was, “Integrity is everything. Without integrity, you have nothing and are lost.”

The second comment was, “There is no room for ‘drama’. You must maintain a focus on the MISSION!”

And this brings us to today. Our Annual Giving Campaign is not about drama. It’s about a passionate commitment to allowing those in our community that can benefit from a relationship with the YMCA to become part of the Y family. You have heard many stories of the impact of these experiences.

Philanthropy – from Greek, “to love people”. We are blessed to have such an attitude in our country. That’s all we are offering to our friends and colleagues –please focus on the mission!

Thank you for your PHILANTHROPY!

Pack your bags!

Teens from across the community will soon be venturing to India, and there is still time for you to get involved.  The YMCA has a program called Youth Ambassadors Abroad, this program hosts teen exchanges with other YMCAs.  One partner program that we work with are the YMCA’s in Mumbai and New Delhi.  This summer we will send a group of teens to India for July 17th to the 31st.  They will have the opportunity to meet up with teens from India, develop lifelong friendships, and observe and support Y community projects.  There will also be time for sightseeing and the opportunity to visit some of India’s cultural and historical sites.  This program is for teens age 15 to 19 (don’t worry parents, there will be adult Y chaperones too!)  The cost of the program is $2200 per person, and financial assistance is available for a limited number of teens.  The application deadline is April 2, 2012.  For more information contact Cindy at our association office cnordhoff@ymcalouisville.org  Don’t let this amazing opportunity pass you by!

Y VENDING GETS A FACELIFT!

Let’s face it, the vending machine has historically been a dangerous place for anyone trying to limit their heart attacks to one per lifetime.

“Hmm…should I go with the Snicker’s bar or the Doritos? I mean, it was a pretty tough workout, maybe I should go with something like that Honey Bun.”

But, fear no more! The Y is helping its members choose healthier snacks with less effort!  Not only are we applying a new, easy to read labeling system, but many branches are improving the very options they are providing. By decreasing the amount of total fat and added sugar in our vending machines and increasing the amount of natural energy sources like nuts, you will be provided with the nourishment you need during your daily visits to the Y!

Look for the green, yellow, and red labels coming to your vending machines soon! Stick to the green and yellow items for healthier choices!!!

Guest post by our Southeast Family YMCA Executive Director!

Wow, January is over now. What an amazing experience working at a Y is for the month of January. The volume of people in and out of our facility is tremendous with new folks joining and other members committing to life changes.

What a wonderful opportunity our new and old members present to us. The YMCA of Greater Louisville has 3894 over 8000 people that are now part of our family. Those people chose to join this YMCA, chose to trust us with the responsibility to help them accomplish a change or improvement in their life. Let’s face it, everyone has a reason for joining or continuing to be a member of the YMCA. If you are joining you have a need or dissatisfaction that you think the YMCA can help you solve. For each of our staff and volunteers the responsibility of being that “solution” is very important to us.

We go about that in a variety of ways:

- We continue to be told via both surveys and anecdotal comments that we have the friendliest staff around and that is not an accident. We do want the environment here to be friendly, welcoming and genuinely supportive. But it is not just a staff thing, our members have in large part created that as well. Watching new folks embraced and adopted into the group is gratifying to see; it reflects the environment here.

- We are following up in writing, electronically and on the phone with all of our new members to check on the progress they are making. Also, we are encouraging each new member to have an individual appointment with a member of our staff team in an area they are interested in such as: aquatics, wellness, group exercise or family programming. These meetings will help set realistic goals and help our staff do a better job of following up in a personal and meaningful way. We really do want to help every one of our member achieve and succeed.

- New member survey’s and member satisfaction survey’s are a tool we really rely on to learn how people feel about the experience and what we can do better to help our members reach their individual measures of success.

Hopefully we can see continued success and many of our newest members will be with us for a long period of time and what we do the YMCA can help them.

 

INTRODUCING…..

INTRODUCING….Brad Longazel!! An exercise physiologist with his Masters from the University of Louisville, Brad has come on board as our new Association Youth Wellness Coordinator. Splitting his time between the Y’s youth obesity initiatives and the University of Louisville’s Health for Life Clinic, Brad will be helping the youth of our community live happier, healthier lives.

With his IPod blaring We Were Promised Jet Packs, Brad is an avid fitness enthusiast with a passion for weight lifting.

We recently sat down with Brad and asked him to get personal with us! Check out how it went!

What is your favorite comedy?: The Hangover

What is your favorite place to eat?: Qdoba

What is your favorite place to shop?: Amazon.com

Where is the coolest place you have ever visited?: Venice, Italy

What is your biggest pet peeve?:  People not saying thank you after you hold the door

What are you the worst at?: Cooking

What is your favorite pass time?: Weight lifting

What are you most excited about when it comes to your new job?: New challenges

Please help us in welcoming Brad to our Y community!

From swim lessons to camp leader – a lifetime with the Y

Hear Andrea’s story of growing up with the Y and how she is still involved now!

Would You Like Some Milk With Your Sugar?

Newsflash: your mother was right. Eating breakfast really IS just that important.  In fact, we’ve been told that 20-25% of our calories for the entire day should be consumed within 30-40 minutes of rolling (or forcing yourself to roll) out from under those cozy covers. I love to eat, sounds like a party to me.

Oh, but wait. Eating breakfast is hard. Wait, scratch that. Rolling out of bed is hard. If I have to eat breakfast I have to set the alarm for 15 minutes earlier. Can someone invent something that can make my husband’s coffee, make my breakfast, pick out my clothing, pack my lunch (don’t forget to wash some grapes, please), pack my gym bag, oh, and give me a shower, all in, say, 10 minutes? That’d be great. Let me know when it’s available. I’ll be waiting right here.

My husband and I don’t have children yet, but I can only imagine this whole hectic morning scenario escalates with some little tots in toll. Enter: The Top 10 Most Sugary Cereals.

Did you know, there are at least 44 cereals that contain more sugar in one cup than three Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies? One cup of the top sugar-containing cereal, Honey Smacks, contains more sugar than a Hostess Twinkie. Holy morning sugar coma.

Without further ado (ranked by percent sugar by weight);

1. Kellogg’s Honey Smacks (55.6%)
2. Post Golden Crisp (51.9%)
3. Kellogg’s Fruit Loops with Marshmallows (48.3%)
4. Quaker Oats Cap’n Crunch’s Oops! All Berries (46.9%)
5. Quaker Oats Cap’n Crunch Original (44.4%)
6. Quaker Oats Oh!s (44.4%)
7. Kellogg’s Smorz (43.3%)
8.  Kellogg’s Apple Jacks (42.9%)
9. Ouaker Oats Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries (42.3%)
10.  Kellogg’s Fruit Loops Original (41.4%)

So, what’s the dealio? Somehow reading a nutrition label and seeing that Honey Smacks has 20 grams (nearly five teaspoons) of sugar per serving doesn’t have the same impact as slapping a label on the box that reads “Warning: Equivalent to Eating a Twinkie.” Um. Gross. I’ll pass, thank you very little.

Oatmeal, anyone?