Y Stories | Charles River YMCA

“Six months ago, we awarded a family membership to a mom and her two children thanks to the Reach Out Campaign. They come in twice a week to swim, play in the gym and eat dinner in our conference room. As shelter residents, our Y enables this mom to give her kids stability, dignity and quality family time, just like every other family here.”

Yola, a single mother of four children, knew she needed to make a change in her life after being laid off from her job of 20 years at a nursing home. She discovered that her lack of technology and office skills made finding a higher-paying job difficult in a very competitive job market.

After graduating from YMCA Training, Inc’s 20-week intensive hands-on program, Yola wrote, “I now know Microsoft Word, Excel, I love PowerPoint and Publisher and other various skills that I have learned that will make me successful in the work place.” Yola is now employed as a Clerk for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

“My name is Rae-Jonay and I attended Y overnight camp in New Hampshire last summer through a Y camp scholarship. This was the first time I had ever gone to overnight camp and it would not have been possible without the scholarship. I can’t wait to go to camp again and I am grateful that someone gave me and other Y kids the chance to go to camp.”

“This program is so powerful and necessary for young men of color it must continue after we leave. Watching male role models that look like us inspired me to do something great with my life.”

“The decision to donate time and money was an easy one for me. The Y has given so much to us and I feel it is important to give back so that others may have the same wonderful opportunities.

I know that there are many worthy charities that need support, but the Y has so many programs, including camps, which help to strengthen the community as a whole, but also help guide young children and teens towards productive and healthy activities. And for those people who cannot donate money, there are many opportunities to donate time and volunteer. The opportunities to donate time and money are endless!”

"Shortly after joining the YMCA my daughter was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome and spent a good part of that year in hospitals and rehab. When this former healthy young woman was discharged in a wheelchair, we were just so overwhelmed. The Y became an integral part of her determination to get back on her feet. The Y is the only pool in our vicinity to have a handicapped access pool. We came on a daily basis and she worked very hard on her physical therapy program. I cannot say enough how much it meant after months of her hard work when she graduated to a walker. On that day, your staff gave her a standing ovation! The Y became part of our family... THANK YOU!”

When the Ayoub family moved to Needham in 1984, one of the first things they did was join the Charles River YMCA. Mom (Gretchen) considered YMCA programs to be integral to their family life – sports, summer camp swimming – not to mention the whole social network of friends that came with Y activities. And for Gretchen the YMCA social network became a lifeline she never expected to need.

The YMCA has had an overall influence on my family and I mostly because of multiple, convenient locations. We are members of the Needham Y where my children enjoy swim lessons and soccer, while my wife enjoys Yoga. Mostly I love the flexibility of being able to go to the Oak Square facility which is close to my job. Because of this convenience, it allows me to work out on my lunch break which makes me feel better throughout the day, splits my day in half, and also makes me more productive during my work day.

Here at the Charles River Y we have two working moms that are trying to fit wellness into their busy lives and to make a change for themselves. They paired up through our Fall Meltdown program, worked hard, and eventually won the 2011 Fall Meltdown.

Throughout the program, a great friendship formed and they met a Y trainer that they trust. Both women are now able to fit into the jeans they wore before their children were born! Donna has also passed on her newfound committment to wellness to her kids - they participate actively in our Fit Kids Club!