Building Lifetime Relationships
My first experience with the YMCA was as a financially assisted member. Recently having graduated from University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and Movement Studies, I was working as a struggling performance artist. Like many Contemporary Dancers, I was working freelance performing with various companies, teaching dance and fitness and trying to make ends meet while tackling my student debt. It had taken a bit of a toll on my body, and I was nursing some injuries. I wanted to find a gym where I could workout and maintain my strength training and physio homework and I toured the newly built Scarborough YMCA. I had been working with private fitness facilities teaching for a few years, and I marvelled at how much space and equipment (especially beautiful wood sprung floored dance studios). The facility was impressive, and the staff seemed nice. When we got to the end of the tour I asked about the price for a membership and realized I could not afford to join. I thanked the staff for the tour and went to leave, but she stopped me in the doorway and told me that the YMCA never wanted anyone to be turned away due to an inability to pay – and she invited me to apply for financial assistance. That staff person was Laura Palmer-Korn, and I would later learn that Laura was one of the first female staff to work for the Toronto YMCA and would go on to become a Senior Vice President for that YMCA and for YMCA Canada. I joined that day and really enjoyed my experience- and I made good use of the studios for rehearsal.
It did not take long for another staff person to approach me to ask if I might like to volunteer to teach fitness and dance classes and before I knew it, I was teaching three time a week. That person was Jim Weller, someone I would come to have as a friend and colleague for more than 20 years. Jim also referred me to a job opening at the downtown YMCA as an Assistance Fitness Director Coordinating Group Fitness and Dance Programs. I applied but was told that the YMCA was only hiring Physical Education Graduates – it was their standard and nobody have ever heard of a bachelor’s degree in “Dance and Movement Studies”. The General Manager, Medhat Mahdy decided to call my university to find out more about these qualifications and determined that I would be well qualified to the role, and he hired me. That was more than 25 years ago, and I can honestly say that this experience totally changed my life.
I have worked for the YMCA full-time, scaled back to part-time to study business at university, or switched back into volunteer roles while I opened my own business and worked in other fields, but I never left entirely. In 2001, I was recruited back to a full-time role with YMCA Ontario and never looked back.
It has been a privilege to work in many distinct roles over the years. Fundraising for capital campaigns to building new centres of community, leading teams and running local branches, launching new programs, hiring and building teams to open new YMCAs, training and developing leaders for YMCA Ontario and YMCA Canada and navigating challenging times for YMCA that struggled in the face of competition, leadership change and the pandemic.
I have benefited from so much learning and opportunity; and built lifetime relationships with people from each experience. These people are more than colleagues and members to me, they have become my extended family. Each community where I have worked has felt like home. Today, I have the privilege of being able to raise and direct operations for the YMCA of Oakville where we can extend programs, services and financial assistance to so many people in our community. I can attest to the fact that the YMCA does change people’s lives, building stronger people and a more meaningful and connected community.