7 Ways to Comfort Kids in Difficult Times

The YMCA of Greater Louisville is the largest provider of child care in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and we, along with the nation, watched in shock as the tragic events unfolded in Newtown, Connecticut.

Our hearts go out to every person that was touched by those events. We know that children will have questions about what happened, and we as the Y, feel that it is important for us to help parents communicate on this difficult issue.

Below are some guidelines that can be used if/when your child seeks answers:

1. Try to exhibit a sense of calm in the presence of children.
2. Create a safe environment and allow children to freely express their thoughts, feelings, and experiences without fear or consequences. Ask and discuss what makes them feel safe. 
3. If the topic arises, ask how they feel and let them know that you understand. Validate their feelings and let them know that how they feel is OK. Sympathize and empathize with them.
4.  Allow children to put their grief and/or emotions into action, i.e. write a letter or draw a picture.
5. Be age appropriate, but direct, when answering questions. If the topic comes up, families should be encouraged to take breaks from the media coverage. 
6. Take note of any behaviors that seem to be out of character for the child as this may indicate the need to seek professional intervention. Behaviors can include, but are not limited to, persistent nightmares, bed wetting, soiling, aggressive behavior, isolating, etc.
7. Maintaining normalcy in routines can also be helpful and comforting in these situations.

The Y will continue to work with our local experts to learn how we can continue to maximize the safety of our facilities and programs.

Outside the Box New Year’s Resolutions for 2013

The New Year is a time for new beginnings and to set goals that strengthen you and make your life better. When making New Year’s Resolutions, the YMCA of Greater Louisville wants to remind families that resolutions should also include family time.

Here are some simple things families can do at home to improve their health while spending more time together. The following are 5 New Year’s Resolutions the Y recommends for 2013:

1. Eat Together. Sitting down together for a meal is a great way for parents and kids to share stories, talk about the school day or share their favorite part of the day. Set aside time for your family to eat breakfast, lunch or dinner at least once a week to catch up.
2. Volunteer Together. Giving back and supporting neighbors benefits everyone. It teaches children and teens to the value of helping others while meeting new people or discovering new interests. Find an opportunity in your community that the entire family may enjoy, such as distributing food at a local food bank or cleaning your neighborhood park.
3. Unplug from Technology. Limit screen time (TV, video games, computer, etc.) and instead set aside an hour to play games, go for a family walk, take a bike ride, or a trip to the park. Make some family memories outdoors!
4. Be Physically Active. It’s important for kids to get at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day. And children aren’t the only ones who need activity – 30 minutes a day for adults too. Go swimming during Family Swim at your neighborhood Y or take a family exercise class.
5. Put Extras to Good Use. Do you have extra clothes or canned goods that could benefit others in need? Clean out your pantry, closet or attic and donate extra items to homeless shelters or community outreach programs. You can get the entire family involved and demonstrate the value of giving.

What are some of your New Year’s Resolutions?

Amped up for fall

Have you looked at the weather forecast this week? Temperatures are set to be in the 70s and 80s with loads of sunshine, and I am stoked! I felt like a whole new person this morning when I was able to walk out the door in short sleeves without shivering. Now as much as I love the cool crispness that fall brings–pumpkin lattes, sweaters, amazing colors–for awhile there it felt like we went straight from summer to winter on the thermometer, which is not okay with this lady.

Too many nice weather days slipped past me the last few months without running outside or hiking, so I’m determined to make my way out this week while I still can without adding on a ton of layers. I got a head start on Saturday when my fellow and I hiked for a couple hours at Jefferson Memorial Forest. The recent rain made all the colors pop so much that it was hard to get a good hike in; I kept stopping just to take in the scene.

We are lucky in Louisville to have such an expansive parks system, and if you haven’t spent much time at one lately, now’s your chance. The best advice I can give anyone this week is to block off a chunk of time to be active outside: go for a walk, go for a jog, go for a hike, just GO!

Don’t let life be the pits!

Rainbow mud. That’s how I would describe my appearance on Sunday morning after a few friends and I, along with 7500 other people, completed The Color Run 5k downtown. Now, this wasn’t so much a race as it was a colorful street party. For those of you who haven’t heard of The Color Run, the gist of it is that you start the run wearing a clean white shirt, and along the course, you get gently pummeled with colored powder; at the end, you look like something out of Willy Wonka.

I can say with total certainty that I’ve never had so much fun in a race! Our team–for PEACH’s sake–had one objective: get as colorful as possible. To accomplish this, we rolled around in color that had fallen to the ground at each station. STOP. DROP. ROLL. COLOR. It just goes to show, getting exercise and being active doesn’t have to be a drag. While this certainly wasn’t an intense cardio work-out, jogging and laughing at the same time with friends make for very fun physical activity.

You don’t have to be an Ironman competitor to complete a race. There are lots of runs and walks still left this summer and fall that would be great for the whole family to do, or if you’ve never completed a race before, there’s no better time than now to push yourself and do one! You can look at a fairly comprehensive list of races in and around Louisville here. There are a number of races for charity, so you can support a good cause and get in some exercise at the same time. Maybe you can even get a team together and make silly shirts for the race (“Don’t let life be the pits” was our team motto for The Color Run). However you go about it, I would highly recommend doing a race. Whether you run, walk, or do some combo of both, you’re going to feel great after you cross that finish line.

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!

Vote in Kentucky–May 22

Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your note is never lost — John Quincy Adams

If you want to get me riled up (and why would you want to do a thing like that?), you can tell me you’re not voting because your vote “doesn’t count.” Few utterances make me want to jump from my chair and shake a person like this one. When I turned 18, the most exciting thing for me was to register to vote, and I have voted in every primary and general election since. I love voting!

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that there is plenty that needs fixing in our electoral systems, from policies that disenfranchise citizens to confusion over what races to vote in, but even with these different problems, voting and having a say in who represents you in government is too important a right to squander. Seriously, I could go on and on and on about voting and the importance of civic engagement in and outside the polling booth (stop by the Southwest YMCA and maybe we can chat about it some more). Heck, it wasn’t all that long ago that women had to fight for the right to cast a vote in this country. That reason alone is compelling enough for me to vote–to honor the women who worked so hard to give me that right.

Kentuckians have a chance to exercise their right to vote next Tuesday, May 22nd in the state’s primary election. Voter turnout in primaries is often dismal, but this is an exciting year, especially for Louisvillians as many races for State House, State Senate, and Metro Council have multiple candidates running in both parties. If you’re unsure of where to vote, visit the Board of Elections site to locate your polling place and what districts you’re in. And take the time to educate yourself before voting. So often, especially with smaller local races, people may not know who is on the ballot until Election Day, so check out a sample ballot for your area and learn more about the candidates. I always appreciate this nonpartisan voter guide put out each election cycle that publishes candidates’ responses to surveys on issues impacting Kentuckians.

Polls are open 6am to 6pm next Tuesday, May 22nd–don’t forget to vote!

Zumba Experience

By guest blogger, Nina Walfoort

I had foot surgery last year and spent most of the following four months on the couch and limping around in my attractive navy blue Bledsoe Bunion Walking boot. When I could finally walk in a shoe, my foot felt like a brick in a wooden box.  I was pretty sure there wouldn’t be any tennis in my future.

But I did slowly return to normal activity. Feeling did slowly return to my enlarged toes. And the best thing I did to hasten my recovery was to start Zumba classes at the YMCA.

It really does keep you on your toes. All those little steps! All that toe-tapping!  All that lunging and squatting!  I was having a ball, learning some dance moves and immediately seeing much improved flexibility in my feet.

And now the Louisville Free Public Library is including a Zumba lesson in its How-To Festival this Saturday, May 12. The festival promises to teach you 50 things in five hours including how to make beer, start a conversation and raise chickens. Go to www.lfpl.org/how-to/ for the full schedule. I recommend the Zumba demo, featuring one of my favorite YMCA Zumba instructors Becky Griffin, at 2 pm in the downtown branch at 301 York Street.

So if you go and get the Latin beat and want more, come to the YMCA classes at your local branch if you are a Y member. And don’t forget, our schedules are available at ymcalouisville.org.  We have dozens of great instructors and classes at all hours. Come downtown on the weekend. The light-footed one in the back of the class is me!

Free outdoor event season begins!

Longer daylight hours, warm temperatures, parks bursting with vibrant colors: spring is definitely my season. There are few joys in life sweeter or more simple than taking a walk in the park with a friend on a sunny day, and with spring you get lots of opportunities for those walks. On top of spring being the season where we all come out of hibernation–farewell bulky winter clothes, hello shorts and sandals!–this is also when the city pops with a great variety of free events. Below are just a handful of events happening over the next few months in our grand city that I’m looking forward to. Feel free to share more in the comments!

Iroquois Amphitheater movie nights — While the summer movie series at Iroquois Amphitheater doesn’t kick off until June, I’m already stoked just looking at the schedule. I’ve been meaning to see The Help, now I’ll wait and enjoy it for free at my favorite park.

University of Louisville men’s baseball — I’ll admit I’m not a huge baseball fan (or sports fan, period), but when the games are free and the hot dogs tasty, I can get roused up and sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” with the best of them. Grab the kids or some pals and check out a free U of L baseball game.

WFPK Waterfront Wednesday — This concert series goes from April through September and is always the last Wednesday of the month. This is a great way to enjoy a view of the Ohio River and listen to some great music.

Volunteering — You can volunteer at plenty of places year-round, but if I can soak up some rays and fresh air AND do something good at the same time, I’d rather do that. Olmsted Parks Conservancy is a great organization to volunteer for if you’re a big fan of our parks system. It’s also a neat way to learn more the different vegetation in the park. And coming up the week of April 15th is Mayor Fischer’s Week of Service. Volunteer opportunities abound all over the community for this special week.

Shakespeare in the Park — This another one that’s a couple months off, but I’m already looking forward to seeing The Bard’s Much Ado About Nothing at Central Park.

Kentucky Derby Festival — Once March Madness ends, the city barely has a moment to recuperate before the Kentucky Derby Festival starts. From chow wagons to concerts to parades, and, of course fireworks, there will be plenty to do before the big day in May.

What are you and your family looking forward to this spring?

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!

Ryan tells his Y story

Ryan needed a change and we were here to help…