“The Y discovered me,” is how Heather explains her Y experience, a classic before and after story.
Most people start out as a participant or member before they volunteer at the Y. For Heather, it was the opposite. She first got involved as a volunteer, but the more she learned about the Y, the more she and her family wanted to participate in the programs.
“The culture at the Y is a community that we were immediately immersed in," she said.
TRANSFORM
Heather was 250 pounds when she began volunteering at the Y.
“I was chairing a campaign for healthy living, but I wasn’t really healthy,” she said. "The Y encouraged me to get healthier."
Since then, healthy living has become a lifestyle choice and she’s lost 110 pounds.
Before the Y, Heather and her family did not have an active lifestyle. Today, they stay active at the Y.
“We are doing things we were not doing before,” she said.
Heather not only donates to the We Build People Annual Campaign, she continues to volunteer as a campaign chair, because she has experienced firsthand how the Y transforms lives.
“In this world today, where there’s so much negative everywhere we go, there is this place – the Y – a positive, caring community open and available for anyone that needs it.”
GIVE
We’re celebrating 25 years of building people through the YMCA’s Annual Campaign. Help us inspire involvement, bridge critical gaps and create opportunities for all.
100% of every dollar given through the YMCA’s Annual Campaign is invested in the lives of people who need the Y.