"I’ve been struggling with my weight for YEARS and this is the first time in a long time that I have been able to stick to my workouts… I’m doing things I didn’t think I could do and things I know I would not be doing if I was on my own. The trainers make me feel comfortable, push me, and are aware of everyone’s levels… My kids have seen me fail so many times… The last program I tried, I told my son that he would be able to put his arms around me within a month, which didn’t happen. But now, he IS able to and HE was as happy about it as I was!"

"With the help of the Y’s Open Doors program, our family has had an eventful year. Our vacation included experienced swimmers, thanks to Y swim lessons. Our children gained an immense amount of confidence, courage, and strength, and we have been able to become heathier adults through our Y involvement. We adults even ran our first 5K with the Y this year! We look forward to continuing to grow as a family within the Y community."

One day as one of our BackPack Program volunteers was walking into the school, a parent came up to her and gave her a big hug with tears in her eyes, thanking her for the program and how much it means for her children. She told her it was a relief to not have to worry about having enough food for her children on the weekend, since they are struggling financially. It made the volunteer feel even more committed after seeing first hand what a difference the BackPack Program has made.