DULUTH AREA FAMILY YMCA
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DOWNTOWN DULUTH YMCA - PAGE 2
YMCA AT THE ESSENTIA WELLNESS CENTER - PAGE 6
YMCA COMMUNITY SERVICES - PAGE 9
COOK COUNTY COMMUNITY YMCA - PAGE 13
ASSOCIATION UPDATES - PAGE 16
VOLUNTEER UPDATES - PAGE 17
DEVELOPMENT UPDATES - PAGE 18
BRANCH UPDATES - AUGUST 2023
Duluth Area Family YMCA
As we geared up for the new school year, we bid farewell and good luck to Reese and Emma, heading off to college. Meanwhile, we eagerly await new faces joining our team. Kalysta, our Head Gold, Platinum, and Diamond coach, welcomed her first child, Ryette! While she’s on leave, we're excited to support her in this new chapter.
Are you ready to hit the court and make some slam dunks or bump, set, and spike your way to victory? Our Fall Basketball League and Volleyball League are now open for registrations. Whether you're a seasoned player or just looking to have some fun, our leagues offer a fantastic opportunity to stay active, improve your skills, and connect with fellow community members. Gather your team and sign up today!
Downtown Duluth YMCA
The Downtown branch of the Duluth Area Family YMCA recently hosted the fifth annual Northshore Handball Tournament. This event, open to the public for free, showcased talented handball players from across the Midwest, including national and regional title holders. Participants enjoyed a relaxed, camaraderie-filled atmosphere while competing and bonding with fellow enthusiasts. Anthony Macias described the event as laid-back and enjoyable, emphasizing the fun of staying in shape and the thrill of competitive play. Standout players like Luke Sandy from Fargo, along with Dave Schiller from Minneapolis and Quinn Foley from Woodbury, showcased their skills, elevating the tournament's intensity. Aside from competitive matches, the tournament featured two introductory clinics, providing newcomers a chance to learn handball basics guided by experienced players.
Summer is wrapping up at Woodland, marked by our dynamic Aerials gymnastics Team Camp. Gymnasts enjoyed a blend of camp-style activities and gymnastics sessions, fostering skill growth and team unity. We capped off the week with our volunteer-powered Woodland BBQ, a beloved community event following Labor Day.
In her free time, Natalie enjoys gardening and exploring Duluth's outdoors. She proudly serves on the Environmental Justice Advisory Group for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Land Stewardship Committee for the Duluth Community Garden Program.
Exciting news! Our Women with Weights program now welcomes beginners and intermediate fitness enthusiasts. Join us at the Downtown Y, where Emily, our experienced instructor, guides you to build strength, confidence, and friendships.
Mark Your Calendars
Natalie Johnson, the Duluth YMCA’s MNsure Navigator, assists people in Duluth/Hermantown access health care plans, especially when they lack employer-based insurance. She recently organized the first-person meeting for the MNsure Insure coalition post-COVID, bringing together navigators from various organizations like Generations Health, Community Action Duluth, Lake Superior Community Health Center, and Minnesota Teen and Adult Challenge. Beyond her role, Natalie leads accessible yoga and meditation classes at four YMCA locations: Downtown, Hermantown, Woodland, and Gary New Duluth. She's dedicated to supporting well-being, starting a Juniper class for those with chronic conditions and soon offering tai chi classes for better balance.
The Home Run Derby was a hit this year! Carrie perfectly summed it up: 'Everyone's a contributor, a competitor, making an impact for those with athletic abilities.' With 24 batters, we raised $6,000 for the Y’s Twin Ports Miracle League, supporting youth in adaptive baseball.
Our 2023 Y Softball season ended with an intense championship game where the Village People triumphed over the CSS Saints. Thanks to all who participated; see you next year!
Join our Open House Welcome Week from September 5th-10th across all Duluth Area Family YMCA locations. Enjoy free events and, for potential members, a waived join fee all week!
We hosted 694 registrations across 10 weeks at EWC Day Camp. Activities included trips to Jay Cooke State Park, cheering at the YMCA's Sidewalk Shuffle, and our annual color wars. two YMCA camps came together and competed color group vs. color group. The Blue group took the crown again this year. We made s'mores as part of the EWC Block Party, played lacrosse with the UMD Women's Lacrosse team, and were visited by Animal Allies and the Snake Pit, and we even had a petting zoo at the Y at the Essentia Wellness Center! Add to that archery, swimming, games, crafts, forts, explorations, and friendships, and we've had one really fun summer at YMCA Day Camp at the EWC. We look forward to next summer when our adventures continue.
Our ForeverWell Day Camp Retreat at Camp Miller, took place on Tuesday, August 29th! It’s been a great summer of fun events, building friendships, and making memories!"
The Gary New Duluth folks had two summer socials: one at the Trophy for Breakfast and another on a pontoon ride in the bay. The pontoon ride was canceled due to weather, but the group stayed and celebrated birthdays. We had a Bonsai Garden Tour and Potluck social at the Severson’s. Dave and Kathie were delighted to have everyone there to enjoy their beautiful gardens.
On August 15th, the Essentia Wellness Center experienced excitement in the cardio room, leading to an 8-hour restoration process involving equipment relocation and extensive cleaning. We appreciate members who adjusted their workout routines during this period. Anticipate more treadmills and an additional Stair Stepper on the Wellness floor. However, we'll have two fewer ellipticals due to lower demand, now positioned by the windows, while an arm ergometer is forthcoming. A glute machine will replace the Hack squat in about a month. Your feedback drives our continuous equipment enhancements.
YMCA at the Essentia Wellness Center
The University for Seniors group did a fantastic presentation about all the classes they will offer this fall. Mike from Reliable Insurance Agency conducted a Medicare 101 presentation to help our seniors navigate the challenging process of choosing the best insurance. He will be back at the end of September for another Medicare 101 presentation.
Sandy from True North Americorps hosted a Coffee and Conversation for our seniors to provide more information about Americorps and how they might want to get involved. We organized hikes along Tischer Chester Creek with the opportunity for social time afterward.
Community Services
Mark Your Calendars to come Play with Us
Summer Out-of-School time (OST) programming has wrapped up with great success. Nearly 850 youth were able to join us at summer programs around the city. These programs included Summer KEY Zone sites, Duluth YMCA Day Camp, and programs at Harbor Highlands and the Gary Rec Center. Youth were able to experience many fun field trips, had visits from many community groups, and were able to enjoy the great outdoors. Summer programs help bridge the education gap that students see over the break months, and we are happy to provide safe and engaging places for our youth to spend their summer. There are 875 youth registered for our 2023-24 after school care programs. OST provides after school options at all 9 ISD709 elementaries, 2 Charter Edison schools, Harbor Highlands Community Center, and Gary Rec Center. We are in need of more youth mentors! Please share our youth specialist employment options so that we may reach more youth in our community.
We kicked off August with a History Walk/Talk led by tour guide Bob Berg. Bob graciously shared information about many of Duluth’s beautiful historic homes. The group had some fun social time at Blackwoods afterward to cool down!
We want to thank our event partners Sir Benedicts Tavern on the Lake and Bent Paddle Brewing Co, and those who donated prizes, Duluth Children's Museum, Bentleyville USA, and Duluth Playhouse. Congratulations to the winners of the Pints for a Purpose coloring contests! #1: Ginger Helstrom (entry #12) #2: Karen Tonnie (entry #21) #3: Mollie Meinhold (entry #8)
Harbor Highlands Youth Program would like to thank all of the families and participants for a wonderful summer! Last week we wrapped up the summer program with a block party at the community center which featured Lauraballoons, ice cream from Bridgemans, and the Duluth Fire Department. We had over 100 youth and parents attend the event! This summer we were able to go swimming at the Hermantown Y every week, go on many different educational field trips, and had many laughs. The School Year Program will begin on September 5th at 3:00 p.m. Our hours during the school year will be 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. Each day we will have a free snack and meal for participants and can't wait to build on the skills we developed this summer!
Thank you to the Y’s Community Services Branch Staff and Advisory Council Members for volunteering with our food access program at the Y’s Essentia Wellness Center! The Duluth Area Family YMCA is committed to year-round food access and provides thousands of meals each month. To learn more about our food access program and distribution sites, please visit duluthymca.org.
PINTS FOR A PURPOSE
Mark Your Calendars!
On July 27th, 8-year-old Adalyn Plummer from the Cook County Community YMCA, a branch of the Duluth Area Family YMCA and a member of the Northerns Swim Team, traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, to showcase her talents at the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) 2023 Junior Olympic Games. Adalyn's participation in the event etched her name in history as she became the youngest athlete from Cook County ever to compete in this event.
True North AmeriCorps is thrilled to introduce the new coordinator, Shae! She comes from an extensive background of service and we're excited to have her join the team. Here's a message from her! Hello! My name is Shae and I'm excited to be joining the YMCA team as the new TNAC Coordinator. My background is in leadership and service, having completed three AmeriCorps terms with programs in the Midwest and Southeast. I've spent the last few years leading volunteers in the outdoors to accomplish conservation and cultural resource management projects. I have been a part of the Duluth community for over six years and am looking forward to strengthening connections and being able to give back to the community.
YMCA Camp Miller
The Duluth Y is excited to partner with the Glensheen’s Concerts on the Pier every Wednesday night until September 13. The Y is providing fun youth activities, Y swag, and information about our programs. Come join us in the fun. Gates open at 5:00 p.m. and the music starts at 6:30 p.m.
Adalyn Plummer stood out as one of the participants during the Games, competing in various events, including the 50-meter freestyle, 50-meter backstroke, 50-meter breaststroke, and 100-meter freestyle. Her dedication to practice and unwavering determination as a young athlete earned admiration from her peers, coaches, and parents alike. The Duluth Area Family YMCA and the Cook County YMCA Northerns Swim Team, together with Adalyn's family, extend heartfelt gratitude to the AAU Junior Olympic Games organizers for providing this exceptional platform to showcase the talents of young athletes and nurture their love for sports.
Y’s DiffeRUNce 5K at Ursa Minor October 28th starting at 10:00 a.m.
Cook County Community YMCA
The Y and ISD 166 are collaborating to reintroduce the after-school program and offer care for children in Kindergarten through 6th grade. The program will be accessible Monday to Friday from school dismissal until 5:30 p.m. on days when Sawtooth Elementary is in session. Students from Great Expectations School (GES) can enroll and will be escorted by a GES staff member to the program location. The curriculum features a mix of recreation, artistic crafts, games, and STEM projects.
Katie Paige joined the YMCA Leadership team in July and is now coordinating the childcare center, the day camp program, and the afterschool program starting this fall. She recently moved back to Cook County with her husband, Hudson, and her dog, Curly. In January, she joined our team as a Youth Specialist and Early Childhood Teacher. She brings her extensive school-age program experience and her background in Early Childhood Education to maintain quality programming for all youth. Let's welcome Katie to our programs and our Y community!
Cook County Public Health and Human Services has covered the cost of 400 youth passes to the Y this summer. This initiative is funded by a grant that focuses on substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery. Through this county-led prevention effort, providing local youth with safe and accessible options to spend their summer days is a crucial component of promoting protective factors that aid in preventing and reducing substance use. There are still many passes available for use in August! Youth aged 10 and older can visit the Y and sign in. For youth under the age of 10, a supervising adult can also sign in and use a pass. This approach ensures that all kids are eligible for healthy fun at the Y!
AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM STARTS SEPTEMBER 11
The Duluth Area Family YMCA received over $150,000 from state, federal, and regional grants to support programs and services in Cook County. These grants helped improve facilities, expand programs, increase wages and benefits for employees living in Cook County, remove financial barriers for participants, enhance quality, purchase new supplies and equipment, and sustain youth services in Cook County.
Six youths from our community volunteered with our Day Camp program this summer! They enrolled in the Youth Volunteer Program through Cook County Extension Services and chose the YMCA as their site. They supported kids in the program by guiding them through transitions, modeling respectful behavior, playing and demonstrating games, and having a lot of fun together. Almost all of the youth volunteered for 50 hours or more with the program. We are incredibly thankful that they joined our team and dedicated their time to supporting our community's children. A big thank you to Elisa Maldonado, Cole Pederson, Payton Quaife, Liam Smith, Aubrey Williams, and Elliot Zimmer.
Mark your calendars!
Association Administration
“I have absolutely adored spending my Saturday mornings with those kiddos. I want to thank you again for being such a friendly and welcoming person! The Y is in great hands with you! I cannot believe truly how long I have been volunteering for Miracle League!" -Hannah
This month the committee finished out the Food Truck Series with the Bridgemans Food Truck visiting both the Downtown Duluth and YMCA at the Essentia Wellness Center Branches. This truck was by far the favorite out of the three this summer and the truck provided an amazing 224 meals to our staff and volunteers.
As the Miracle Leage wraps up another successful summer season, our Miracle League volunteers end their time with us as well. Over the course of the season, we had 58 individual volunteers spend 227 hours with the Miracle League program. Volunteers help with everything from serving as buddies for players in the program to pitching and catching to being a mascot! The Miracle League continues to be one of our most rewarding volunteer experiences available. Below is an email we received from a long-time Miracle League volunteer named Hannah. Hannah has been volunteering with the Miracle League since 2016, when she was 13 years old. She is now 20.
There is an in-person Volunteerism coming up for September 20th from 9:00a.m.-5:00p.m. located in Hermantown at the YMCA at the Essentia Wellness Center. This is a great opportunity for those pursuing their Team Leader Certification! Register Here: https://lcdc.yexchange.org/Catalog/Class/Detail/291525
In an effort to get camp ready for the winter season, we have an annual work weekend. Groups or individual volunteers are encouraged to spend time at camp assisting with facility and property projects. There are never shortages of projects and maintenance needs including building, repairing, cleaning, raking, organizing & painting. Join us for a fun day down at camp! There is no minimum age to volunteer, however, we ask that youth under 12 have adult supervision.
UPCOMING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Jacob Sass celebrated his 5 year anniversary with the Y! Jacob started at the Y as an AmeriCorps member and currently is the Harbor Highlands and Food Access Director. We are thankful for Jacob’s continued leadership within the community center and overall community.
Fall recruitment and onboarding is in full swing. The positions needing the most staff at the moment are KEY Zone Youth Specialists, Member Services Representatives, and staff for our Early Childhood Centers in Hermantown and Cook County. The HR team plans to attend several upcoming career fairs at local colleges to recruit those cause driven individuals. Visit https://www.duluthymca.org/work-that-matters to see what positions are currently open.
July 31st was Lifeguard Appreciation Day, and we gifted the 80 lifeguards between our three gym & and swim branches a note of appreciation and a few treats. Lastly, we were able to secure a few tickets to local music events to raffle off to staff. To enter the contest, staff had to tell us what their favorite band/ music group that played locally was. 90 team members answered the question and we selected a few to win the prizes!
Volunteer Update
Olivia recently moved up to Duluth this summer after graduating from Purdue University. She has loved living near Lake Superior and is excited to explore all the hiking opportunities up the North Shore! While getting acquainted with her position this month, Olivia began making trips to each branch to meet our team members and take a tour of our facilities! In the coming months, she will be launching a few fundraising initiatives for staff members to engage in, and had the opportunity to introduce those ideas to staff members at their branch leadership meetings. Additionally, she began reaching out to local grocery stores to get involved with round-up programs and set up an online round-up opportunity with Walmart! In the coming months, she will be launching a few fundraising initiatives for staff members to engage in.
Subject:Re: FW: Black Lives Matter! I appreciate the actions the YMCA have taken and will continue to support organizations like these that stand up to injustices.
Subject: Thank you for saying no to racism! I was so happy to read your post in support of the swimmer wearing a BLM suit!! Our youth are struggling with the pressures of racial inequality and they are vocalizing this stress via activism. Thank you for supporting her and all of us! You made my day and you make me proud to be an American. -A mom from Oakland, CA
Subject: Proud of you!! I’m proud of you for your swift action and supporting the teen and their family. Your action sent a strong message that I needed to see in this world….and in Minnesota! Way to go!
This was a voice mail which was transcribed; Hi Sara, my name is Drew and I stand with the student at the swim meet and I just read your response and it was awesome. I just wanted to say thank you and tell you how happy I am to see a positive story and seeing people standing up for protecting the thoughts, feelings and experiences for those who are often overlooked and marginalized. Thank you so much for doing that!I really appreciate it!I also hope you are getting plenty of these messages and not so many of the other kind. God Bless.
Subject:THANKS I hope all the YMCAs in Minnesota have leaders like you
To add the Duluth Area Family YMCA to your round-up, visit
As a Board Member of the Metro Detroit YMCA and a lifelong member and supporter of the Y’s mission, I wanted to applaud your quick and decisive action regarding the recent swim meet in Duluth. When community leaders like yourself stand up for inclusion and against injustice it makes our country and communities a better place. Stay strong and continue to lead by example. Ben
Subject: Thank you for taking a stand You don’t know me and I am sure you will get a lot of hate mail but I just want to THANK YOU! for taking a stand against the discrimination of Leidy. And so impressed that you put your contact information there to reinforce it. GREAT JOB! These individual acts all coming together are the only things that will create long lasting change. Proud Minnesotan here! Tammy
Development
Subject:Thank you for your leadership Thank you for doing the right thing. Your swift action and public statements were important. May others model your behavior and anti-racist action and leadership. Sincerely, Nicole - from Phoenix, AZ
Responses received from the public to Sara Cole in regards to the swim meet incident which took place on Sunday, February 6, 2022:
www.walmart.com/.../6f44f0c8-adde-4ccf.../profile
Olivia Coughlin stepped into the Development Coordinator role this past month on August 1st.In this position, she will be assisting the association in building relationships with partners in our area, developing opportunities for staff and board members to engage with our fundraising initiatives, and assisting in the planning and execution of our annual campaign to ensure all community members are invited to participate in the Y’s impact.
Your small change can significantly impact youth development in the Duluth area! It's as easy as rounding up your total to support the Duluth Area Family YMCA when you check out at Walmart.com!