“The people at the Y are always nice. They are my family! When the outside world becomes a little hard, I can walk through the doors and it’s like walking into a piece of heaven. Smiles and friendly faces. I tell everyone that this is my happy place. Thanks for being there for me!”

– Y member comment from a recent Listen360 report

One can never under-estimate the power of what it means for the Y to be a welcoming, warm and friendly place. Whether it’s called “going to your happy place” (as our TV ads used to say) or going to your third place (as our strategic plan calls for) or just called “going to the Y,” in all the many ways and places that happens across all our programs and communities, the net result is safety and comfort, confidence, belonging and a sense of being cared for.

As we approach Thanksgiving, it’s so incredibly important to take heed of this comment. It says so much about the importance of what we do in so many ways. It tells us that we are serving a tremendous need. We are respite from stress. We are a safe haven. We are family and community.

Thank you all for all you do to build a tighter, more caring, more inclusive and compassionate community…For a Better Us.

All the best,

John

John K. Hoey
President & CEO
The Y in Central Maryland