WAYS TO GIVE

Partner with Youth Scholarship Recipient:

"I view myself as part of the Y. Do I work there? No, but I work on myself when I'm there...spiritually, mentally and physically.

You see, the YMCA has taught me lessons over the years as a child, an adult, a parent and yes, even as a grandparent. I think back to my first swimming lesson and first real memory of the YMCA; I was 5 years old. I can almost feel the cool water wrinkling the skin on my toes; I can smell the chlorine in the pool and feel the butterflies in my stomach as I peer into the water below. I can still see the smile on my mom's face the first time I jumped off the side of the pool all by myself. It was swimming lessons that gave me the confidence to dive headfirst into summer camp at Camp Hanes. I was 12 years old. The beautiful mountains, the lakes...but most of all the people, made my first "away from home" experience still feel like home.

During some rocky teenage years, the YMCA was a constant source of comfort and familiarity. As an adult, it was a social outlet and physical necessity as I vowed to exercise and eat healthier. At the age of 31, I became a parent. Suddenly, all the things I had experienced at the YMCA as a child now represented new experiences that I could share and relive through my family. Cheerleading camps, soccer games, Family Fun Nights...all very special.

Today, I am 65 years young and the YMCA means as much now as it did then. However, I can appreciate it so much more. You see, my family couldn't afford swimming lessons or summer camp, and I couldn't afford a Y membership in my early adult years. Without the help and support of the YMCA Partner With Youth scholarships, I would be without these very precious life experiences and memories. Today, I am able to give back to the YMCA, both financially and as a volunteer with the Adult Literacy Initiative. I can continue to witness and participate in these wonderful life experiences time and time again with many people.

This afternoon, I experienced the most precious of all my memories so far. My 5 year old granddaughter standing on the side of the pool at the YMCA, flashing me a wide grin and jumping into the water with all the confidence in the world. To our Partner With Youth donors, who helped create that memory for me, I can't say thank you enough."