When Jane McNally, Financial Development Associate for the YMCA of the North Shore asked me to tell my story for her newsletter I quickly agreed. "Sure," I said. "It will be easy to share how I feel about this place," I thought to myself.
Jane and I met at the Ipswich Y and sat across from each other at one of the tables amidst the campers and members milling around us as if we were invisible. Jane's kind eyes stayed focused on me as she listened intently to what I had to say. Turns out, I was able to summarize it all at the end. The words just fell out of my mouth when I said, "The Y has made me a better mother." I knew I was grateful but at that moment, when I heard myself say those words out loud, it was a revelation for me just how crucial it is to have such a community resource. See the newsletter article below!
A few weeks later, I got an email from Jane saying, "You probably thought you had seen the last of me!" She then went on to tell me she was working on filming a video to help raise money for camperships. How could I say no? "Sure I'll do it, It will be easy to tell my story again," I thought to myself. Well, telling my story in front of a camera was not as easy as I thought it would be. Jane's kind eyes were much easier to talk to than the camera! Watch the video here.
My story isn't unique or special in any way. It's the story of many. We are fortunate to have organizations like the Y and even more fortunate to have people, people who genuinely care and are motivated to take action and do something to help others. And while I have you, let me sing for one of the unsung heros, the "face I will never forget," Suzanne Hilyard is one of THOSE people. There are so many like Suzanne and Jane at the Y's on the North Shore. THEY make the difference. Otherwise the Y would be just another gym, instead of the community hub, kid central, parent oasis, supportive resource that it is. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
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