Tag Archives: scholarships

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Y Throws Caregiver A Lifeline

When a spouse faces health issues, it’s extremely hard on the “well” spouse who is thrust into the role of caregiver. Not only do they face worries about their loved one’s well-being, and the fear of potentially losing them, but there are often financial concerns if the caregiver has to cut back hours or quit outright in order to meet responsibilities at home. The stress, strain and hard work means the person caring for their spouse can suffer their own serious health problems, because they either don’t notice or don’t feel they should take the time to care for themselves.

That was the situation facing Vassel Lewis. He had been caring for his wife Judy for four years, through eight major surgeries. He had to quit work to care for her, so money was tight. And both were facing major weight gain and other health issues.

They spoke with Tasha, the membership director at the Boll Family YMCA, where they had previously been members, and she worked with them on a scholarship plan so they could rejoin. It was an investment in their well-being mentally and physically, and it’s one that’s paid off. “I believe we are obligated to do everything in our power to utilize this great opportunity to regain our health back and since we have joined the center we have been committed to this task,” Vassel wrote in a note thanking the Y staff.

And have they ever jumped on the opportunity. Vassel keeps track of the time he spends exercising, calories he’s burned, and miles he’s walked. In just one month he worked out for 1,829 minutes, burned 17,673 calories, and walked just short of 100 miles. That’s in addition to water and land Zumba classes and weight training. And it’s paid off; Vassel has lost 45 pounds since joining and Judy has lost 17.

Their connection to the Y goes far beyond simple exercise, however. They know they are part of a community where people care about them and want them to thrive despite their challenges. “The consideration given by the front desk staff and the constant friendliness my wife and I both experience each and every time we visit the center truly a especial moment that make us feel like the Y is for our life,” Vassel says.

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Y Is the Place for Mom and Daughters

It’s not always easy to get an exercise program started, but it’s easier with a friend or loved one–and it’s much easier in an environment where you feel accepted and cared for. That’s what  Gloria Fauer discovered when she joined the Birmingham YMCA with her daughters, Chamra and Corie.

Both Chamra and Corie have lost a significant amount of weight — 43 pounds for Chamra and 39 for Corie. Both go to aerobic swim once a week, and hit the Wellness Center at least twice a week more, using the bikes, treadmills or rowing machine. They even got a medal for participating in a 5K swim in their aerobic swim class.

“The coach is fantastic, and all the women who take the class have just accepted the girls,” Gloria says. And the acceptance is important, because both Chamra and Corie have Down syndrome. Gloria adopted them when they were newborns.

Gloria herself has been able to control her high blood pressure because of the exercise they do at the Y, she says.

Their family receives a Y scholarship so they could belong to the Y and participate in programs, something that’s very important to Gloria. The welcome they have received at the Y has been very meaningful to their family and has provided them a real sense of belonging. Her daughters have become much more excited about their exercise programs over the time they have belonged at the Y, Gloria says. “In the beginning they griped and complained,” she says with a laugh. “Now they can’t wait.”

They also have changed their eating at home, with fast food maybe once month or less, and pizza, pop and ice cream limited to a Friday night treat.  But it’s the Y that has made the biggest difference in their new healthy lifestyle. “Everyone here is so nice,” Gloria says. “They’re all encouraging them to do what they can accomplish.”

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Single Mom Gets a Sanity Break

Taking care of small kids is exhausting. When you’re the only parent, only breadwinner and the person in charge of everything, that only increases the pressure. Finding positive ways to take care of yourself is crucial in those situations.

That’s what Kristen Kaszeta did when she and daughter Ella first came to the Y about three years ago. She’s a runner and could no longer run with her in the jogging stroller, and wanted a place where she could have even a short half-hour break from the constant grind of child care, work, and household duties.

“It was my only 30 minutes alone in a day,” she says. “Even it was only one time a week that I could get in there, it was pretty critical.”

They settled in, with them both taking classes and Ella making friends at Childwatch. Ella bonded with all the caregivers there. Mike Wilcoxon in particular was a positive role model for Ella, although all the staff were people she felt good having her daughter around. “She got quality time with quality people,” Kristen says.

When her membership ran out, she looked over her finances and realized the membership fee was more than she could handle. The Y had become such an important thing to her, however, that she decided to go in and ask about scholarship help….something she’d never done before.

“I had a really rational and logical plan to present to them  in the membership office,” she says. “Instead, I ended up bawling for like five minutes!”

Membership director Jon Otzman listened patiently and then set about making sure Kristen and Ella were able to continue coming to the Y. They were able to receive a scholarship from the Strong Kids Campaign, and they have been members ever since.

Getting help to remain a member, and being treated with dignity and respect when asking for that help was really meaningful, Kristen says.  Her daughter has access to great Y people and programs, and she has a vital break in her busy day that allows her to maintain her energy and strength and benefits both of them.

One strength of the Y is its diversity — everyone from single parents of young children like Kristen to seniors to huge families can find a place to belong here. And the Strong Kids Campaign helps assure that they will be able to make it happen.

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Exercise Instructor Goes from Wheelchair to Water

Anyone who has spent some time at the South Oakland YMCA has more than likely seen Pam running water exercise classes. But many people may not know the story of how the Y has affected her life.

Pam has a degenerative bone disease that had her relying on a wheelchair to get around. In 2006, two weeks before she was due to have surgery that would restore her ability to walk, her husband lost his job and with it the insurance that would have covered the procedure. Everything was canceled, and Pam was left to figure out how to attempt to get some mobility back on her own.

She thought swimming would likely help, so she and her husband came to the South Oakland Y in 2006. Since neither she nor her husband were working, they needed financial assistance to join, which the Y was able to provide them.

Thanks to her own determination and hard work, and some pushing from aquatics director DeShawn Wallace, Pam went from using the chair lift to get into the pool to swimming the length of it. Eventually, she was asked to volunteer as a teacher for  some of the water exercise classes, and now is part of the Y staff, helping other people who are facing the same kind of challenges she overcame.

Most remarkably, she can walk on her own, which she attributes mostly to her exercise at the Y. People come to her classes with all kinds of physical challenges, and she can serve as inspiration and example to them, she says.

With a degree in nuclear medicine, Pam could likely be making more money working elsewhere, but the Y is a special place and she wants to be part of it, she says. “It’s where I am supposed to be,” she says. “Once you realize what you are doing makes you happy, that’s what you should do.”