COMMUNITY SERVICES YMCA - PAGE 7
ASSOCIATION ADMINISTRATION - PAGE 13
YMCA AT THE ESSENTIA WELLNESS CENTER - PAGE 2
BRANCH UPDATES - November 2024
COOK COUNTY COMMUNITY YMCA - PAGE 11
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DOWNTOWN DULUTH YMCA - PAGE 5
YMCA CAMP MILLER - PAGE 9
DULUTH AREA FAMILY YMCA
On November 1st, we held our monthly Family Night at the YMCA at the Essentia Wellness Center. Over 40 children from our Homecroft K.E.Y. Zone Out of School Time program and several families joined us for an evening of pumpkin fun, gym activities, and swim time. A huge thank you to Super One Foods for their generous donation of pumpkins to make our night even more festive. Another special thanks to our incredible volunteers who helped run all the different activities – we couldn’t have done it without you. Stay tuned for more details about our next Family Night coming up in January!
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The YMCA at the Essentia Wellness Center’s Scrabble Fundraiser was a resounding success. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, we exceeded our $15,000 goal, raising an impressive $15,400 to support the Y’s financial assistance program. Every donation makes a difference in helping provide access to vital programs like youth swim lessons, healthy meal kits, childcare, and memberships for individuals and families in need. We are so grateful to everyone who purchased Scrabble tiles or donated, ensuring that our Y remains a welcoming, inclusive space for all. Thank you for being a part of this impactful campaign!
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YMCA at the Essentia Wellness Center
Join us for this year’s Big Water Swim Challenge. From November 18, 2024 to May 17, 2025, Y members are tackling the 314 mile long Lake Superior Water Trail—starting at the Michigan border, following the shoreline, and ending at the Canadian border—all from the comfort of our temperature-controlled indoor pools. Participants can take on the challenge solo or with a team, tracking their progress on our poolside posters while enjoying the journey. There’s still time to dive in, join the fun, and claim your 2024–2025 Big Water Swim Challenge T-shirt.
“What the Y does for the community is amazing! Our granddaughter [Stella] is learning to swim here at the Y and we want other kids to have this same opportunity.” -Pops and Gamma, Stella’s grandparents
Our oval office has a brand new look to it! We were incredibly fortunate to have had artist Adam Swanson in here throughout the month to paint such a wonderful mural. He was able to take many pieces of our wonderful city and bring them into our facility, creating such a strong feeling of home in his artwork. We are incredibly thankful to Adam for his hard work. Find more of his artwork on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/art.of.adam.swanson
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March 3, 2025: Annual YMCA at the Essentia Wellness Center Chuck-a-Puck Event
Welcome, Emily!
Downtown Duluth YMCA
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Emily Ranta is thrilled to join the YMCA at the Essentia Wellness Center as the Branch Executive Director! Her Y journey began in 2007 at YMCA Camp Widjiwagan near Ely, Minnesota, leading canoe trips and teaching outdoor education while studying Exercise Science at UMD. After an unforgettable Arctic Circle canoe trip, she ventured to Montana and Colorado for grad school and mountain adventures, where she met her husband, Zach. Emily’s first full-time Y role was Director of Healthy Living in Wichita, and since 2016, she’s held various leadership roles at the Duluth Y, including Senior Program Director and Downtown Branch Executive Director. Now, she’s excited to lead the Y at the Essentia Wellness Center branch and further connect with the community. For Emily, the Y is more than a job—it’s a movement that fosters connection, growth, and belonging. She loves the outdoors and enjoys sharing adventures with her husband, daughter Ingrid, and dog Taiga. Stop by Emily’s office to say hello—she’s eager to meet you and continue making the Essentia Wellness Center a welcoming space for all.
On Friday, November 8th, the Downtown Branch proudly welcomed a group from ISD 709’s Head Start program. Over 70 fathers and their preschool-aged children joined us for an evening of learning, play, and connection. Together, they explored the importance of water safety, enjoyed swimming in the warm pool, played in the gym, and shared a delicious dinner. It was heartwarming to see our facility buzzing with laughter as dads and their kids created special memories together.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Our Wellness Center floors are now sparkling clean. A big thanks to our incredible Wellness staff and Nepsis Cleaning Solutions for their hard work and attention to detail in refreshing our second floor. Just in time for the holiday season, the space looks fresh and fabulous!
Meet Lilly Carroll, who has been part of the Homecroft Elementary K.E.Y. Zone team since April 2024! With over two years of experience with the Y in both aquatics and Out-of-School Time (OST) programs, Lilly brings passion and dedication to every aspect of her role. “My favorite thing about working for the Y is all the opportunities I have to serve the community and grow in my career. I feel integrated into the Duluth area in a very unique way, where I know the community in a professional and relational way due to the nature of the Y's work,” she shared. At Homecroft, Lilly is inspired by the collaborative spirit among staff, all of whom are dedicated to supporting students and giving them the best possible outcomes during their school years. One of Lilly’s greatest joys is creating opportunities for students to explore new and exciting activities. Whether it’s weaving paper birds, learning to crochet, or snowshoeing, she strives to inspire kids to see the world through a lens of curiosity and creativity. “This winter, I’m excited to focus on giving students the opportunity to tap into their sense of creativity and discover the amazing potential they have within themselves.” Thank you, Lilly, for your commitment to enriching the lives of students and fostering a sense of wonder and possibility at Homecroft KEY Zone!
Did you know that the Duluth Y hosts Health Realization classes at the Harbor Highlands Community Center location? Health Realization is a cognitive skills-based program that supports individuals managing stress. While it is effective for people managing addictions, it can assist with a wide range of issues. This program focuses on the nature of thought and how it affects one’s experience of the world. The class runs every Wednesday from 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. The Y provides meals and childcare to participants. Thank you to our amazing facilitator Richard Howell for all his hard work, connections, and support!
This month, community families can receive a free meal kit that includes a breakfast and dinner, free of charge, at the Y at the Essentia Wellness Center every Thursday from 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Youth in the community can receive a free snack and dinner at the Harbor Highlands Community Center Monday through Friday at 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Over Thanksgiving weekend, booking with a personal trainer at the Y became easier and quicker thanks to our new online purchasing and scheduling options. This new process allows Y members to book personal training sessions with select trainers directly from their computer or mobile device. This streamlined system replaced the previous multi-step process which involved paperwork, cross-department coordination, and multiple follow-ups. By shifting to a self-service (or membership services-assisted) platform, members will save valuable time and can now book sessions in just a few clicks. This improvement means less waiting, more control over scheduling for desk staff and members, and a quicker route to fitness goals, which makes it easier than ever to prioritize wellness at the Y and will capitalize on a member’s motivation to start with a trainer.
Community Services
Election Day was celebrated in our lobby to help spread awareness of this important civic duty. Various election-themed activities took place all day, consisting of an Election themed word search and a fun snack ballot (voting on your favorite snacks). Completing each of these entered you in a raffle drawing for the chance to win various prizes. There was also an assortment of snacks, fun “I Voted” stickers, and The Split-Rox Acoustic Project performed a set in the lobby during the day. To help assist families with children, Kids Club was available all day so parents could drop their young ones off on their way to vote. We had an amazing time celebrating Election Day and encouraging members to go out and get their voices heard.
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Out-of-School Time (OST) programs play a vital role in supporting families when school is not in session. On professional development days, conference days, select break weeks, and other non-school days, our OST team steps up to provide all-day care at select sites. This program is an invaluable resource for families, offering high-quality, safe, and fun experiences for youth. Our coordinators put a lot of effort into planning exciting themed days filled with outdoor play time, creative activities, and opportunities to play with friends—sometimes reuniting with each other from summer programming! Break Day Care is available to any family in need of care, offering a supportive and enriching environment for children while providing peace of mind for parents. Care is offered at a few Duluth Public Elementary Schools as well as the North Star Edison School on select dates in November and January.
2025 summer camp registration is open! The summer of 2025 brings some program improvements that we think our camp families will be excited about. Some of these changes include: Expanded ages to 7-14 years for our traditional overnight camp allowing campers to enjoy even more summers at Camp Miller. Teen Program Enhancements (watch our website and registration portal for the opening of an exciting new program for teens). Improvements to our Leaders in Training (LIT) and Counselors in Training (CIT) programs with new ages and curriculum. We look forward to implementing these changes into our work next summer!
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Exciting news- an additional week of summer camp is being planned for members of the Cook County community! This extra week will be dedicated to bringing Cook County youth together to be, belong, and become their best self at summer camp. A member of the YMCA approached us about helping with a “Fill The Bus” effort to get at least 30 campers to attend Camp Miller in August for a Mini Camp. A committee is being formed to help spur interest and collect donations in the community to make this happen. We are very excited for these kids to be able to experience the magic of summer at Camp Miller!
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The Challenge Incarceration Program (CIP) has held a strong relationship with Camp Miller for quite some time. We rely heavily on them for many tasks around the camp. In November, the program participants completed a total of 291 hours of volunteer time where they raked leaves, cleared trails, cleaned facilities, organized storage, and loaded over 1,000 pounds of “Camp Junk,” collected over the years, to be removed from the property. We are so grateful for their help and our partnership.
YMCA Camp Miller
As of the end of this month, there are 76 campers registered for summer camp, which represents 12% of our 2025 enrollment targets. We were thrilled to see so many campers sign up this month!
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Cook County Community YMCA
In 2025, we are excited to offer an even bigger opportunity for every generation of the family to experience the fun of Camp Miller. Our Family Camp will now include an additional day of camp activities, making for an extended weekend of adventure. Rent a cabin and bring the whole family out for a wild and memorable long weekend. Stay tuned for registration details coming soon!
The Northerns Swim Team took to the waves twice this month, swimming in meets against the Superior, Brainard, and Itasca YMCA Swim Teams. The team traveled to Grand Rapids on Saturday, November 2nd for their first meet of the month. They then traveled to Superior on Saturday, November 16th for their second. It was a great month of swimming and competing, we are looking forward to showcasing our skills again next month!
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Between now and the beginning of next spring, you will find a Camp Miller staff member visiting one of our K.E.Y. Zone sites. While there, these staff will be available to answer any and all questions you might have about Camp Miller.
One frequent question we get asked is "What's new at camp this year?" We like to combine "new" and "improved" as one in the same. This year was a busy one spent upgrading several facilities to enhance the camp experience. Major improvements completed in 2024 include: New flooring in the Norm McLeod Lodge (McLeod on the Lake). Bowman Pavillion was stained and concrete was laid underneath, helping make this space and Camp Miller more accessible for all. Camp Miller continued to clean up from the 2023 storms as we dealt with facility/grounds issues caused by last winter. The new archery shed was completed. Maintenance was done on the sauna. New fencing was put in at the Target Sports area. Improvements made at the waterfront.
During November, our Executive Director, Alex Gugala, was able to travel to the Ventura Family YMCA in Ventura, California to complete the requirements to become a YMCA Swim Lesson V6 Faculty. The Duluth Area Family YMCA is committed to water safety and ensuring access to life saving skills. With this certification, Alex will now be able to train more Water Safety Advocates within Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. Congratulations on the certification, Alex!
Our Scrabble Campaign was once again a hit this year, going above and beyond the $10,000 goal of raising funds toward our Annual Support Campaign. This Annual Campaign ensures that the Y is never forced to turn anyone away from membership and programming due to lack of financial ability. Through this, we are able to create a safe and welcoming space for all in the community. Thanks to all who donated!
This month, the Emerging Leaders and the LGTBQ+ Employee Resource Groups were able to attend a class at the Duluth Folk School located in Lincoln Park. The class centered around how to make a birch bark bird taught by staff. The group learned about how to sustainably collect birch bark off of trees and to utilize the bark for multiple purposes.
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VOLUNTEERING
The Cook County YMCA hosted Parents' Night Out twice this month. The first on Thursday, November 7th and the second on Tuesday, November 12th, to support students, parents, and teachers during ISD 166 conferences. Offering these events allowed us to provide 8 hours of afterschool care to both the families attending conferences and others in the community. We are so grateful to be able to supply our space and help out our community.
Hayli Martinson- 5 Years at Homecroft K.E.Y. Zone
November started off with North Shore Bank lending us a huge helping hand to take down gymnastics equipment at the Woodland Community Center. The Woodland Community Center is home to both the YMCA Gymnastics Program and serves as a polling place during General Elections. Moving the equipment out of the way (and then back in place after the election) is a big job and they really came through for us.
HUMAN RESOURCES
Work Anniversaries:
Association Administration
DEVELOPMENT
We had our largest group of volunteers help with the Laundry Love program in November. Laundry Love is a national organization dedicated to providing laundry services to people with no and low income. Volunteers staff a Spirit Valley laundromat for three hours at a time, offering people the chance to wash up to two loads of laundry per week. Laundry Love volunteers provide snacks, check people in, plug quarters in the machines, and visit with customers. This opportunity is more than just providing a place to help people clean clothes, but an opportunity to build and celebrate community. Thanks to the group of volunteers!
The Fall Giving Drive has been a success! So far, we’ve achieved a 119% increase in gifts during the same timeframe compared to 2023. Here are some highlights: All membership branches—The Cook County Community YMCA, YMCA at the Essentia Wellness Center, and Downtown Duluth YMCA—not only met, but exceeded their Scrabble campaigns on the same day, finishing ahead of schedule. Fun Fact: In 2023, the EWC had a yearly total of 54 donations. During the Scrabble fundraiser (2.2 weeks) they activated 245 donations! YMCA Community Services afterschool site thermometer fundraisers are going well with many locations surpassing their goals. As we approach the end of the year, we are focusing on renewing past contributions and raising as much money as possible for the Y’s financial assistance program, ensuring we can help even more people in our community in 2025. Thank you to the incredible staff teams, volunteers, and donors who are working tirelessly to make more possible for all!
Volunteer with Fun Days at the Y Fun Days are for kids ages 5-11 during the school breaks. We’re looking for volunteers who enjoy hanging out with kids and like keeping them engaged. Activities include gym games, board games, outdoor activities, swimming along with arts & crafts. Minimum age to volunteer is 16. Volunteer shifts are available between 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. at the YMCA at the Essentia Wellness Center. Monday, December 23rd Thursday, December 26th Friday, December 27th Click here to sign-up for a volunteer spot.
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