Healthy Living • YMCA Health and Fitness • YMCA Volunteers
Volunteer Profile: Sidney Finkelstein
01 October 2018 - by YMCA of Greater Toronto
by Faiza Venzant
Each year on October 1st, the United Nations acknowledges the International Day of Older Persons. By 2050, people aged 60 and above will comprise 20% of the worlds populations and the UN is working across the globe to highlight issues that older persons face. In honour of this day, we celebrate Sidney Finkelstein and his decades of volunteering, diverse experiences, and consistent contributions to his community. Known fondly as Sid, he says that volunteering for the YCMA of Greater Toronto for the past 38 years is one of his great joys.
I had the chance to talk to Sid and learned that he has embraced many roles during his career as a YMCA volunteer, including past Board Member and Chair of the Auditing and Nominations Committees. He has also been part of the Leadership Council at the North York YMCA. When you talk to Sid, what he sounds most passionate about are his current roles as Group Fitness Leader and Group Fitness Mentor. Over the years, Sid has also taught group fitness classes at the North York, Oshawa, Scarborough and Markham YMCAs. He is certified to teach a variety of classes including Runfit, Boxfit, Pilates, Boot Camp, Muscle Fit, Muscle Works, and his current favourite, Arriba. “I love Arriba,” Sid says. “It’s new to me and it’s the most challenging.”
A lifelong learner, Sid also mentors up and coming instructors. He provides leadership and guidance and helps them to understand their role as an instructor while managing choreography and class dynamics. “I volunteer to help others grow” he says, and in his time so far as a mentor, he has helped to train more than 100 new instructors who also volunteer their time.
When asked about the staff partners that have stood out for him, Sid says that Sherry Perez, Manager, Group Fitness is an inspiration. General Manager Jorge Rojas, Programs Manager Erin Smith and the late Sherry Shaghayegh from the North York YMCA inspire him daily. He also admires Beth Morgan, General Manager of the Markham YMCA and remembers former YMCA CEOs Rich Bailey and Henry Labatt as being wonderful leaders. Sid says that his Y experience has made him a better leader in all areas of his life. “You will grow as a person and make a difference for yourself and others when you volunteer.”
For Sid, an unexpected benefit of volunteering has been meeting new people from all over the world who arrive in Toronto and want to volunteer. He lists off the countries that he is getting a glimpse of through volunteering: “England, France, Korea, Vietnam, China and Iran. I love recruiting and training new volunteers and getting to know everyone that is choosing to give their time to the Y.”
His commitment to community extends beyond the YMCA. At his shul, Sid leads a local Out of the Cold initiative where he manages 400 volunteers who see 100 guests each night over eight nights in the winter. While he tells me about this work, he mentions how supportive the YMCA has been of the Out of the Cold work often lending a hand when needed.
Just before I say goodbye to Sid, we talk about how older persons can often be seen as needing help and being a drain on resources, and I tell him that I feel so fortunate to be able to partner with older volunteers and staff who have such rich experiences and are willing to share and guide me. He laughs and says, “All I know is that volunteering keeps me out of trouble.”
Each year on October 1st, the United Nations acknowledges the International Day of Older Persons. By 2050, people aged 60 and above will comprise 20% of the worlds populations and the UN is working across the globe to highlight issues that older persons face. In honour of this day, we celebrate Sidney Finkelstein and his decades of volunteering, diverse experiences, and consistent contributions to his community. Known fondly as Sid, he says that volunteering for the YCMA of Greater Toronto for the past 38 years is one of his great joys.
I had the chance to talk to Sid and learned that he has embraced many roles during his career as a YMCA volunteer, including past Board Member and Chair of the Auditing and Nominations Committees. He has also been part of the Leadership Council at the North York YMCA. When you talk to Sid, what he sounds most passionate about are his current roles as Group Fitness Leader and Group Fitness Mentor. Over the years, Sid has also taught group fitness classes at the North York, Oshawa, Scarborough and Markham YMCAs. He is certified to teach a variety of classes including Runfit, Boxfit, Pilates, Boot Camp, Muscle Fit, Muscle Works, and his current favourite, Arriba. “I love Arriba,” Sid says. “It’s new to me and it’s the most challenging.”
A lifelong learner, Sid also mentors up and coming instructors. He provides leadership and guidance and helps them to understand their role as an instructor while managing choreography and class dynamics. “I volunteer to help others grow” he says, and in his time so far as a mentor, he has helped to train more than 100 new instructors who also volunteer their time.
When asked about the staff partners that have stood out for him, Sid says that Sherry Perez, Manager, Group Fitness is an inspiration. General Manager Jorge Rojas, Programs Manager Erin Smith and the late Sherry Shaghayegh from the North York YMCA inspire him daily. He also admires Beth Morgan, General Manager of the Markham YMCA and remembers former YMCA CEOs Rich Bailey and Henry Labatt as being wonderful leaders. Sid says that his Y experience has made him a better leader in all areas of his life. “You will grow as a person and make a difference for yourself and others when you volunteer.”
For Sid, an unexpected benefit of volunteering has been meeting new people from all over the world who arrive in Toronto and want to volunteer. He lists off the countries that he is getting a glimpse of through volunteering: “England, France, Korea, Vietnam, China and Iran. I love recruiting and training new volunteers and getting to know everyone that is choosing to give their time to the Y.”
His commitment to community extends beyond the YMCA. At his shul, Sid leads a local Out of the Cold initiative where he manages 400 volunteers who see 100 guests each night over eight nights in the winter. While he tells me about this work, he mentions how supportive the YMCA has been of the Out of the Cold work often lending a hand when needed.
Just before I say goodbye to Sid, we talk about how older persons can often be seen as needing help and being a drain on resources, and I tell him that I feel so fortunate to be able to partner with older volunteers and staff who have such rich experiences and are willing to share and guide me. He laughs and says, “All I know is that volunteering keeps me out of trouble.”
