DULUTH AREA FAMILY YMCA
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
YMCA AT THE ESSENTIA WELLNESS CENTER - PAGE 2
DOWNTOWN DULUTH YMCA - PAGE 4
YMCA COMMUNITY SERVICES - PAGE 10
YMCA CAMP MILLER - PAGE 14
COOK COUNTY COMMUNITY YMCA - PAGE 18
ASSOCIATION UPDATES - PAGE 22
VOLUNTEER UPDATES- PAGE
BRANCH UPDATES - JULY 2023
As a bonus, when centers earn their 4-star rating, they receive $4,000 to help them purchase supplies, materials, or equipment that will help them achieve goals set in the process. By being star rated, children from income-eligible families are also eligible to receive up to $12,000 in scholarships to pay for high quality early learning programs.
YMCA at the Essentia Wellness Center
Three-Star Rating These programs have demonstrated all One- and Two-Star practices, AND: Uses a curriculum aligned with Minnesota’s early learning standards Teaches in a way that is organized, challenging and warm Helps children transition between activities and stay engaged Uses approved tools to track children’s development Commits to ongoing quality improvement by using some of these best practices: Responds to unique cultural customs and needs of children and families Offers activities that encourage family participation and help children transition to kindergarten Gives families opportunities to provide feedback about the program Shares child development updates with families to set goals together Makes accommodations for children with special needs and their families Has highly-qualified and trained leadership staff, teachers, and providers Creates a program-wide professional development plan Encourages healthy living through nutrition and physical activity, always evaluating to set goals for growth
Duluth Area Family YMCA
Families use Parent Aware Star Ratings to find programs using research-based best practices that prepare children for school and life. In June, both the Cook County Child Care Center and Early Childhood Development Center at the EWC earned the highest rating – 4 Stars! When a program participates in the Parent Aware Star Rating process, they are letting their stars shine. They volunteer for extra training and professional development to go above and beyond basic health and safety licensing requirements. Each rating level builds on the previous one, helping families easily identify which practices the program is using.
One-Star Rating These programs have demonstrated these best practices: Uses consistent routines to support children. Talks with children and families to better understand interests and culture. Shares important community resources with families. Learns about each individual child by observing and taking notes. Commits to and maintains professional ethics in the early learning field.
Two-Star Rating These programs have demonstrated all One-Star practices, AND: Evaluates learning activities, materials, classroom layout, and health-related practices to set goals for growth Plans school-readiness activities for children Guides families through their children’s transition to kindergarten Shares information with families in ways that meet their unique needs Plans for continued learning and professional growth
Four-Star Rating These programs have demonstrated all One-, Two-, and Three-Star practices, AND commits to ongoing quality improvement by using most of these best practices: Responds to unique cultural customs and needs of children and families Offers activities that encourage family participation and help children transition to kindergarten Gives families opportunities to provide feedback about the program Shares child development updates with families to set goals together Makes accommodations for children with special needs and their families Has highly-qualified and trained leadership staff, teachers, and providers Creates a program-wide professional development plan Encourages healthy living through nutrition and physical activity, always evaluating to set goals for growth
When the YMCA at the Essentia Wellness Center opened in the fall of 2019, Kelli joined the wellness team to personal train and teach a variety of fitness classes and programs. When the Y Closed the doors due to the pandemic, Kelli continued to teach TRX classes in her garage
During the challenging times of the pandemic, Kelli wrote many grants that brought much-needed programs and staff to the YMCA. When the Y was up and running, Kelli went from having a staff of 7 to 32 employees! Kelli advocated and wrote grants to bring on 4 full time employees that helped the Y start the ForeverWell program and other much needed programs and personal training. Kelli has also created many very successful programs such as Women with Weights, Queenex and Barbell Club. Kelli also hired and trained many new group exercise instructors that brought many new classes to our studios at EWC, the Woodland Community Center and Gary New Duluth Rec Center. Personal training has grown a tremendous amount during her time due to her leadership and guidance. Kelli was able to bring back the Diabetes prevention program by writing grants and hiring Val to oversee the classes. We have been incredibly fortunate to have had Kelli lead our Wellness Team. She created a fun, motivating and positive working environment for her fitness team. Not only has Kelli been a wonderful mentor and leader but she has been a friend to everyone. Kelli will be missed by the staff as well as her class participants and personal training clients. We can’t thank her enough for all the great things she has done for the Y, the staff, and the members. We hope to see her continuing to teach classes when she is able to. We all wish Kelli and her sweet family the very best in life!
On July 20th we were able to kick-off Hermantown's Summerfest with the 3rd Annual YMCA Block Party. Besides having representation from most of our associations' programming, we also invited other local groups to be part of the festivities. As DJ Joel spun the tunes the block party started to rock! The Aquatics team and Advisory Council worked on the food line as 650 people enjoyed free hamburgers and hot dogs with all the fixings. Many more people walked around to check out Hermantown Police & Fire Department, St. Louis County Recuse Vehicles, City of Hermantown, Duluth Devo Mountain Bike Team, Proctor/Hermantown Community Ed, Essentia Health, AAD Shriners, Lauralloons, Animal Allies, the US Navy, Individual Nutrition, and the Arrowhead Bookmobile. Thank you for all that helped and participated in the 3rd Annual Block Party
Kelli Timmersman was hired at the Duluth YMCA Downtown branch on April 5, 2019, as a wellness coach, personal trainer, and group fitness instructor. Kelli quickly grew her personal training clientele and group fitness classes while making connections at the Y.
The YMCA at Essentia Wellness Center was fortunate to hire Kelli as the Director of Healthy Living in the spring of 2019.
2023 Block Party!
The Rock Wall is now open every Tuesday and Thursday, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. for weekly open climb sessions, offering a fantastic opportunity for individuals and families to experience the excitement of climbing in a safe and controlled environment. Whether you're an experienced climber looking to push your limits or are just eager to try something new, our Rock Wall is the perfect destination for adventure and fun. Our friendly and experienced staff are here to provide guidance and ensure everyone's safety as they explore the world of climbing. See you on the wall!
The Downtown and Y at the Essentia Wellness Center’s leadership teams competed in The Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce and Fuse Duluth's "The GREAT Duluth Race" at the end of June. This engaging event provided a one-of-a-kind opportunity for team bonding via an afternoon of healthy activity, competition, and exploration of Duluth businesses and history. To complete the innovative objectives our teams traveled around Lincoln Park, Canal Park, and Downtown Duluth, completing as many tasks as feasible in the allocated period. Each quest was worth points – the sky was the limit. As you can see from the photographs, lots of fun was had, memories were made, teamwork was strengthened, and connections with other community organizations and businesses were made.
Downtown Duluth YMCA
As we embrace the last stretch of summer our excitement is palpable for the upcoming Aerials gymnastics competition season. Summer is the athlete’s designated time to prepare before leaping into the bronze and silver competition season this fall. We can't wait to see the sweat and effort put into every practice pay off! The gym has been buzzing with energy as our athletes pour their hearts into every routine and every practice, pushing their limits, and aiming for greatness.
The Y was lucky enough to have a Midwest Energy Resources Company (MERC) crew pick our community project for the annual United Way Day of Caring. You may have seen the free items in the lobby at the Downtown Y in July as MERC cleaned out and reorganized two huge storage spaces for us. These projects had been on our list for a very long time, and we couldn’t be more grateful to them. A huge shout out to Jen, Dawn, Nick, Becky and Adam from MERC! If you or your company would like to do a volunteer project with the Y, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator anytime. gmiller@duluthymca.org
We are thrilled to announce that the Downtown Y’s Wellness floor will be receiving a fantastic upgrade. We will unveil a brand-new fleet of state-of-the-art cardio equipment. Here at the Duluth Y, we are committed to ensuring that you have access to the best tools to help you achieve your fitness goals. Whether you're into running, cycling, or stair climbing, these new machines will take your workouts to the next level. We are especially grateful for our outstanding coaching staff, whose expertise and mentorship have been the driving force behind our athletes' growth and achievements. Their dedication to helping each gymnast reach their full potential is truly commendable.
What a fantastic 15th Annual Sidewalk Shuffle! Not only did we have an impressive turnout of 317 registrations this year (27% increase over 2022!), but 286 racers successfully completed the course, covering a total distance of 858 miles along the Lakewalk! This was all possible due to the unwavering support of the Duluth Area Community! While 83% of our runners are part of a registered team, we had 54 individual runners out on the course this year with so many touching stories. From Willie (our first-ever racer in a wheelchair) to Jeff (who graduated from PT a month ago and walked the full course with his cane alongside his ARMS worker), to Ingrid (who is so proud to have completed her first ever solo 5k at age 5), the Y touches so many lives each and every day. Thank you to everyone who was a part of the Sidewalk Shuffle magic!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Mark your calendars For August 30th!
As a result, participants leave with a better understanding of the components of a successful community, as well as how their leadership can create possibilities within a business and build a robust economy. During her time with Leadership Duluth Emily participated in a service project at Chum, Laundry Love, and also helped out with the Ready, Set, Ride bike project, benefiting the Harbor Highlands community. “I joined Leadership Duluth primarily to network and better understand the Duluth community and challenges it faces. I’ve learned so much about our community, and myself. Leadership Duluth has been an excellent learning experience.”
Home Run Derby & Miracle League Picnic: July 29th Welcome Week: September 5th-10th Woodland BBQ: September 9th
15th Annual Sidewalk Shuffle
Our Downtown Branch Executive Director, Emily Ranta, recently graduated from the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce Leadership Duluth program. This program is a comprehensive 10-month leadership development program that strives to unify, engage, and empower leaders to generate change in their workplace and community. Participants analyzed basic leadership characteristics, learned about Duluth's cultural and business history, and addressed contemporary concerns affecting the region throughout the program.
Gary New Duluth Rec Center: During bug week, the kids learned about how to identify insects, helpful and harmful insects in our garden, and different insect habitats. They also got to earn a candy prize during 'Insect Bingo'. The 'Bug Scavenger Hunt' through the woods was quite an adventure! We found dragonflies and a large friendly beetle that the kids nicknamed "Doug."
New forts and tribes were started in the woods. The 'Bean Club' worked together to lever rocks out of the ground to make fire rings in their fort. The 'Dragon Tribe' pulled a 30ft dead tree over to their fort and worked on breaking it into pieces they could reinforce their fort with. The newly founded 'Dragon Cats' group started building a new fort together and digging a fire pit. A very fun week in the woods!
One of the highlights this summer is the amount of youth who are receiving swimming lessons through the EWC aquatics department. The aquatics staff are helping several of our youth learn to swim this summer and they are having a great time. Thank you swim instructors! August will bring several family night events at our OST sites where we will highlight all of the fun we have over the summer. Some sites will have talent shows to showcase our fantastic youth and others will gather for treats and fun activities.
Our programs celebrated summer learning week from July 10-14th. We highlighted some of the many ways that our programs bridge the learning gap over the summer months. Youth are kept engaged and learning and this helps the youth to maintain over summer, so they are ready for fall learning.
Community Services
Harbor Highlands Youth Program has had a fun and exciting month of July. This month we have had many activities and field trips that have given the youth a chance to learn and grow. This month we visited the Duluth Aquarium, World of Wheels, Safety Around Water Swim Lessons, and went fishing on a boat with the Duluth Police Department. At Harbor Highlands we also did fun science experiments with skittles, made our own popsicles, painted with bubbles, and made many tasty treats in cooking club. This month we will be canoeing with the parks and rec department, visiting the planetarium, and riding bikes with Leadership Duluth. The Harbor Highlands Youth Program is a free program open to any youth K-18 Monday-Fridays from 12:00-4:00PM.
The Community Services’ Out-of-School Time (OST) and Day Camp programs have been busy exploring this summer. Sites are enjoying many field trips to local parks where they learn about rocks, habitats, and water. Some youth were able to go up the shore to visit Split Rock Lighthouse and Gooseberry Falls. Several sites spent a day at Leif Erickson Park to cheer on the Shuffle 5K participants, enjoy a day of games, and rock collecting. Day Campers participated in color wars where they battled amongst groups, which is turning into an annual event on this day.
The Cook County YMCA is receiving over $10,000 in funding towards financial aid for Day Camp fees to support access to this crucial child care program for everyone in our community. This funding includes private donations and grants that the YMCA has received..
Jump back into the swim season! The Cook County YMCA offers two preseason programs designed to help both new and returning swimmers get a head start on the 2023-2024 swim season! These programs are open to individuals aged 5-18 who can swim one length of the pool on their front and one length of the pool on their back. Registration for these Northern Preseason programs opens on July 3rd. For more information, contact Karen Runkle.
Pints for a Purpose Fundraiser: August 17th at Sir Ben’s from 4:30 -7:00 p.m.
This month we received two substantial donations from Essentia Health and Project Joy to ensure members of our community do not go hungry. We would like to thank all of our funders who ensure this critical work can be completed each month and for the difference they are making in the community! With the additional funding we are going to start giving out weekend meals to young people in our care to ensure they do not go hungry when youth programming is closed during the weekends. Meal kits are available Wednesdays from 4:00-5:30 PM at the Downtown Y, 4:00-5:30 PM Thursdays at the YMCA at Essentia Wellness Center in Hermantown, youth meals at the Gary New Duluth Recreation Center Tuesday-Thursday at 12:00 PM, and Monday-Friday at 12:00 PM and 3:30 PM at the Harbor Highlands Community Center.
Summer Day Camp is serving 45 kids in our community! As kids enjoy the excitement of Day Camp, they engage in new activities and forge new friendships. Programming includes weekly sessions with Anne Brataas and the Story Scout program and several field trips to North House Folk School where they had the opportunity to create origami boats and wood crafts. We extend our gratitude to community partners like North House and Minnesota Children's' Press for providing educational and enjoyable programming for the Day Camp kids.
Mark your calendars!
YMCA Camp Miller
True North AmeriCorps is focusing on friendship this month with July 30th being friendship day! Members help youth build relationship skills through intentional group work and fun activities. Support Team Members shared lesson resources in their monthly newsletter that focused on positive relationships, self-coping, and creativity. We love seeing our members implement this quality programming across Duluth! Support Team Members also hosted an in-person coffee hour for fellow True North Members! Coffee hours are an opportunity for peer support and solidarity because the connections made during service last a lifetime! Way to go Team TNAC!
Cook County Community YMCA
Recruitment for fall positions is has started and we are already seeing an influx of applicants for a few of the positions. Visit https://www.duluthymca.org/work-that-matters to see what positions are currently open.
This month the committee organized a baseball game and another food truck for staff & volunteers to enjoy. The Rambler Food Truck joined us during the middle of the month and about 145 staff and volunteers were able to enjoy a delicious lunch. On July 11th, about 100 staff and volunteers attended the Duluth Huskies baseball game and enjoyed a meal and cheered on the Huskies as they beat the Thunder Bay Border Cats 13-6.
Association Administration
Fun Committee:
This month, we're sharing statements from members Adam Dettman and Ben Nichols about their experiences with Yoga practice at the Y. "Amanda's yoga class is a crucial part of my week; it has been for a few years now. She does an excellent job of challenging those familiar with yoga while also creating a comfortable, encouraging atmosphere for newcomers to the practice. Her demeanor is calm and sincere, yet she also infuses a light sense of humor into her practice, which is refreshing. Both Amanda and her classes hold a special place for me. I'm extremely grateful to have her as a guide in my yoga practice, and the Y is fortunate to have dedicated instructors like her who willingly share their dedication with others. Thank you so much, Amanda!" - Adam Dettman "I eagerly anticipate Amanda's class every week. She teaches with intention, flexibility, and a joyful spirit. Her knowledge and experience enable me to challenge my body and mind while soothing my spirit. She pays close attention and is mindful of her students' progress. I genuinely feel that she deeply cares about her classes." - Ben Nichols
Marianne Morton, a Kids Club Attendant at the YMCA at the Essentia Wellness Center is celebrating 10 years at our Y! During her time at the Y, she has worked in a couple of different positions including being a housekeeper and also a director at the membership desk.
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We had a large group of volunteers come out to help with the Sidewalk Shuffle this year. Volunteers helped with everything from cutting bananas to filling the sidewalk with pictures and inspirational words and quotes. Volunteers consisted of Downtown Advisory Council members, a group from the Lighthouse Center for Vital Living, a staff team from Central Services, high school students from Marshall and Y members who didn’t want to run but still wanted to participate. It took quite a team of people to pull off this event and we simply could not have done it without help from this amazing crew of people.
Volunteer Update
Y with Pride The Duluth Area Family YMCA and Superior Douglas County Family YMCA are once again proud sponsors of the Duluth-Superior Pride Festival over Labor Day Weekend, September 3rd & 4th. At the festival on Saturday, September 3rd, our Ys will be tabling together and facilitating a family-friendly area complete with a bounce house, interactive exhibit, and other activities. On Sunday, September 4th, we’ll walk in the Pride Parade behind the Y’s FOR ALL banner and hand out goodies to the spectators. Volunteers can sign up for 2-4 hour shifts at the festival and/or walk with us in the parade. As allies of our members, staff, and all individuals in our community, we hope to have a strong Y presence on both days. Everyone is welcome at the Y, and we invite you to join us as we walk in support of all our neighbors.