I would like to invite you to JOIN ME in contributing to the Rye Y's 2014 Annual Campaign so together we can help others begin their Y Story!!

My Y story started when my Mom took me to the Jersey City YMCA for swimming lessons as a toddler. Eventually she became an active parent volunteer when I joined the swim team! 

After living in Pittsburgh, PA for 13 years, I moved with my family to Westchester County a couple of weeks before 9/11.  As you might imagine it was a stressful move made more difficult by the terrorist attack.  I immersed myself in settling my children into a new home and schools, while my husband settled into his new job.  Everyone was adapting to these changes – everyone but me.  I was lost – I lacked connections to the community and longed to belong.  That’s where my Y story took a turn.  I learned that the New Rochelle Y was looking for an Aquatics Director so I decided to apply for the job and they hired me. It didn’t take long for me to realize that in my new job I had finally found a connection to the community, as well as a group of supportive friends in the staff and members of the Y!

Eventually I reduced my role at the New Rochelle Y to part-time head swim coach – and then the Great Recession struck leaving my husband unemployed.  It was time for me to find full-time work.  I discovered that the Rye Y was looking for an Aquatics Director so I applied for the position and was hired six years ago.  This became another turning point in my Y story.  At the Rye Y I have not only found a community and caring friends among our staff and members, but I have also been given an opportunity to make a difference in the health and wellness of our members and the community-at-large.  

Each day I get to see firsthand the IMPACT of the Y – from the young children learning to swim, to the campers discovering their inner-confidence, and adult cancer survivors reclaiming their health during or after treatment.  My Y story has truly come full circle – from experiencing the benefits of the Y, to contributing to it’s mission.

Each year the Rye Y reaches out to our staff, our members, friends and family, and the community for support during our Annual Campaign.  Through the Annual Campaign the Rye Y raises money to help those who might not otherwise afford membership or programs due to financial constraints.  In 2013 our Y Cares program distributed $625,000 in financial assistance to individuals and families in need. 

You too have the opportunity to be a part of our cause and contribute to our mission work. Thank you for your gift!