FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2021
My Y Story: There's a place for everyone to belong.
The Y has been a constant for me. I've been a participant, member, volunteer, and employee at different stages of my life. My early experiences began before clear memories were even formed, in childminding while my mom was taking care of her own wellbeing in fitness classes. I went on to take swim lessons in the Y pool, and as I grew up, the Y became 'the other place' we went. If we weren't at school, at home or with a friend, we were at the Y.
Saturday mornings were spent taking craft and cooking lessons and training with the swim team. During the teacher strike in the 1990s, I had the opportunity to begin developing my leadership skills through volunteering in the daycare centre - even though I was only 11 years old. I attended camp every summer, and credit CQE's leadership development program with some of my own successes.
My first paid job was at the old Mitton Street Y in Sarnia where I worked as a lifeguard and swim instructor. I also worked as a camp counsellor at CQE; having that experience and level of responsibility at that age has had a huge impact on my life.
Why is the Y so important to me? It's a community where there's a place for everyone to belong. This is why I still volunteer, no longer leading week-long canoe voyages or working from the pool deck, but as a volunteer on the Board of Directors. My own children have benefitted from the Y community in childminding, swim lessons, and spending Saturday mornings in the gym. So it's important to me to ensure we preserve these opportunities and make them available to others.
Alison, Board Member and Lifelong Sarnia Y Member
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