Healthy Living • Y Stories • YMCA Volunteers
International Day of Charity: How the Y gives back to its volunteers
05 September 2016 - by Emily Cichonski
Happy International Day of Charity! Here at the Y, charity comes in all shapes and forms. When we think of charity we usually think of donating time or money; rarely do we think about how the organization we are giving to can give back to us. Here is a story from one of our former volunteers, who talks about how giving her time to the Y also changed her life for the better:
When I was in college, I volunteered at an Employment and Community Centre. I was very nervous because all my life, I had been shy. My first few weeks were very difficult because I was still learning the ropes. I soon started to interact with the staff and become more comfortable — and eventually started to interact with the members, which I was scared to do before. My supervisor and the YMCA staff members at the centre were amazing. They all genuinely believed I could do things that I thought I couldn’t. They welcomed me with open arms, were very supportive of everything I did, and taught me how to break out of my shell and to always believe in myself. I not only grew on a professional level, but on a personal level too.
The YMCA is a positive place that will help you grow as a person. If it was not for my supervisor and the rest of the staff, I would still be in the same shell that I have been in for all those years. Volunteering at the YMCA was a great experience, and it changed my life for the better.
When I was in college, I volunteered at an Employment and Community Centre. I was very nervous because all my life, I had been shy. My first few weeks were very difficult because I was still learning the ropes. I soon started to interact with the staff and become more comfortable — and eventually started to interact with the members, which I was scared to do before. My supervisor and the YMCA staff members at the centre were amazing. They all genuinely believed I could do things that I thought I couldn’t. They welcomed me with open arms, were very supportive of everything I did, and taught me how to break out of my shell and to always believe in myself. I not only grew on a professional level, but on a personal level too.
The YMCA is a positive place that will help you grow as a person. If it was not for my supervisor and the rest of the staff, I would still be in the same shell that I have been in for all those years. Volunteering at the YMCA was a great experience, and it changed my life for the better.
