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Category: Volunteerism

Cheri’s Belonging Story

Posted on by Abbey McGee

Hello, my name is Cheri Larsen and I have been a board member at the Monroe/Sky Valley Family YMCA since March 2021. I have lived in Snohomish County my entire life, so you can imagine how special this community is to me.

The YMCA’s mission and values mirror my own: to inspire (I even have a tattoo on my arm to show), to nurture and strengthen vibrant communities through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. The YMCA core values are honesty, respect, caring and responsibility. In my personal life, I strive to have compassion and empathy for all. I love to celebrate diversity and create a sense of belonging. I also have a passion for building a healthy community through teamwork and partnerships. If you know me, then you know that I am very passionate about the YMCA. These amazing qualities of the YMCA are just the tip of the iceberg regarding what the YMCA has to offer.

In 2020, I came to the Monroe YMCA so I could start exercising and get healthy. At that time in my life as a single mom, I could not afford a gym membership. The Monroe Y offered me a subsidized membership with a monthly fee that I could afford. I met Tania Price at a YMCA fundraiser before I visited the Y, but it was at this point in time our friendship seed was planted. It wasn’t long before Monroe Y became my Y. Since then, my son, Jared started working at the Y as a lifeguard and then also became a swim instructor. My daughter, Sierra, was recently hired as a swim instructor also. And my 5-year-old cousin, Bella, who moved in with me last summer, attends the amazing YMCA School-Age Care program. For me, the term YMCA family is a very true statement for me in all aspects.

If I didn’t have that financial assistance to begin with, who knows where my family and I would be today. The term pay it forward comes to my mind. When someone does something for you, instead of paying that person back directly, you pass it on to another person. One good deed deserves another.

Funds raised through the Y’s Community Campaign help to ensure no one is denied access due to an inability to pay. A strong community benefits individuals, the community itself, and the greater society. People of all ages who feel a sense of belonging tend to lead happier and healthier lives. Helping to make your community better not only improves the way your community looks, but it improves the way that community feels to visitors and how the residents feel about their community as well.

This is my Y story!

The Y Honors Over 30 Volunteers of the Year

Posted on Updated on by Abbey McGee

EVERETT, WA. June 28, 2024 – The YMCA of Snohomish County hosted its annual Volunteers of the Year Awards Breakfast on Wednesday, June 12, 2024. Volunteers from all six branches, the Board of Trustees, and the Youth Leadership Board were honored and recognized for their service to the Y.

“Our success at the YMCA of Snohomish County is powered by our volunteers,” said Peyton Tune, President and CEO, YMCA of Snohomish County. “Their dedication is essential to our mission, and it’s an honor to recognize the valuable contributions they make every day.”

Volunteers were recognized in four categories: program, policy, youth, and philanthropy. The recipients serve in different capacities across the county, but they all embody leadership, commitment, and a heart for the Y and the community it supports. This year’s award recipients are:

Program Volunteers of the Year: Gavin and Laura Barre (Everett), George Appel (Marysville), Betty LaValley (Mill Creek), Jacob Adams (Monroe/Sky Valley), Scott Neuhaus (Mukilteo), Jerri Bartram (Stanwood-Camano), Eric Hanson (Youth Leadership

Policy Volunteers of the Year: Kelly Shepherd (Everett), Dr. Mary Lou Hatcher (Marysville), Andy Siguenza (Mill Creek), Joy Mueller (Monroe/Sky Valley), Mark Gregory (Mukilteo), Don Leak (Stanwood-Camano), Danen Barnhart (Trustees), Charles Miller (Youth Development)

Youth Volunteers of the Year: Noah Boies (Everett), Andrew Norton (Marysville), Robin Lee (Mill Creek), Clara King (Monroe/Sky Valley), Soni Lui (Mukilteo) Sean Bladek (Stanwood-Camano)

Philanthropy Volunteers of the Year: Roy Yates (Everett), Trish Johnson (Marysville), Kaylene Brewer and Tomoko Bryant (Mill Creek), Sara Capps (Monroe/Sky Valley), Marissa Clark and Sean Drought (Mukilteo), Lynda Buehring (Stanwood-Camano), Rich Olson (Youth Development)

“From board members to Mock Trial advisors, Community Campaign chairs to youth program volunteers, we are so appreciative of our volunteers who dedicate their time and talent to strengthen our local community,” said Tune. “They lead, inspire and support our Y family, making our work possible.”

For more information about volunteering at the Y, please visit ymca-snoco.org.

2024 MLK Day of Service

Posted on Updated on by Kiana Yerxa

Everett, WA. January 16, 2024 — On Monday, January 15, YMCAs throughout Snohomish County hosted “Make It A Day ON, Not A Day OFF” community service projects honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s servant leadership spirit. Despite the cold temperatures, the Y mobilized hundreds of volunteers who gave back to their local community through various service projects.

“Serving the community is at the core of everything we do at the Y,” said Peyton Tune, President and CEO, YMCA of Snohomish County. “It was incredible to see so many people come together and offer a helping hand. I love the collective ownership and community pride projects like this create.”

Four YMCA branch locations sponsored projects. From food bank projects to spreading bark at a local park, assembling care packages for seniors to trash pick-up, volunteers gave back to their communities in a variety of ways.

Marysville Family YMCA: Volunteers assembled gift packages to brighten the spirits of seniors and elders in the community. Over half of the packages were delivered to Grandview Village where residents were excited to receive a gift and also enjoyed the opportunity to fellowship with YMCA volunteers. The remainder of the gift packages were delivered to the Tulalip Tribes Senior/Elder Center.

Mill Creek Family YMCA: At the Mill Creek Community Food Bank, volunteers sorted and organized hundreds of pounds of produce, restocked and organized non-perishable food, organized storage containers, prepared food deliveries for households who can’t physically get to the food bank, and much more.

Monroe/Sky Valley Family YMCA: After coffee and doughnuts at the Y and a brief program commemorating the day, volunteers headed out to spread 40 cubic yards of playground chips at Rainier View Park. Upon completion of the projects, volunteers returned to the Y for lunch.

Stanwood-Camano YMCA: The Y’s Teen Leaders Club headed up the project at the Stanwood-Camano Y. Volunteers worked at the food bank taking inventory, rearranging the local thrift store, and assisting with the food bank’s backpack program that provides bags of food for teens in need. The volunteer team also conducted a trash pick-up in the community and neighborhoods surrounding the Y.

For more information about volunteer opportunities at the Y, please visit ymca-snoco.org/volunteer.