November 19, 2024 • 6 mins
Jenny Garone, Major Gifts Director with the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids joins us for a Talk of the Town!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's talking the town. On news radio WOULD thirteen hundred
and one oh six nine FM, Steve Kelly and Brett
Bakeda from West Michigan's Morning News joined once again with
The Grand Rapids YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids. Jenny Garni,
thanks for dropping in today.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
You guys know, I love being here, love talking to
you guys, love talking about the Why.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
No Jenny for a long time, and the last time
you were here, we had an impressive conversation about Live
Strong with a good friend of mine who was diagnosed
with cancer and this transformal, transformative program really and continues
to help him out. How did that work out? How
is it working out?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
So? The Live Strong program is something that I had
no idea that The Why was a part of. It
is a recovery program for cancer survivors. It's free for
those survivors and a care provider. They get a three
month membership to the Y and we just help them
figure out ways to get back on track with our health.
So we had a goal last spring when I was
(01:00):
here to raise enough money to send more survivors through
the program, and we raised enough to send seventy more survivors.
So that's fantastic. We've got some great major donors who
have invested in the program and it just keeps growing.
I'm really thrilled about that.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Well, Jenny, let's talk about some of the things that
the Why now offers that people might not be aware
of because you forget about the basic concept of the
Why was to be a part of the community. I'm
talking way back when it started. And also it's a
place for people to go and meet right and go
through life together.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Yes, that is one of the biggest things the community
that you find. And we have a group fitness instructor
at one of our branches who was twenty eight years
old and had a stroke and she got to the
hospital within that golden hour. She I mean, you can't
(01:53):
see or notice any ramifications from the stroke, but she
said four days after she walked out of the hospital,
she was a the Why because that's where her people were.
She wanted to be walking the track with her community. Again. Wow,
that's the impact it has on people. You know, We've
got members and employees who have been with us for
twenty five years or more. It's just ingrained in who
(02:14):
they are and how they want to spend their lives.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
So like Livestrong, you have something called peddling. Peddling for Parkinson's.
Tell us a little bit about that.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
So this is an evidence based program where we're very
strategic with the time of day that the program is held.
It's at about ten thirty AM because that's when people
who suffer from Parkinson's are at their best. You know,
our instructors go through training to know how to teach
these programs so it's most effective for the people with
(02:46):
these diseases. And through generous supporters where we were able
to offer this program in the fall and the second
session will be kicking off after the first of the year.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Incredible.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
The other thing, obviously, you guys are growing across West
Michigan map more footprints, more communities to be in and
near and dear to my heart are youth athletics and
you guys are big with kids sports. I would highly
recommend the Why, especially if you're wondering because they start
them so young these days, at three years old, four
years old, and then people are like, what do you
think about should they be no? Just you know, go
(03:18):
to the introductory programs at the WHY. Now you have
in more advanced programs. But it's just so great how
you guys start kids in that right path.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Yeah. One of the greatest things is the Sports Sampler program,
so kids can get kind of a feel for all
of the different opportunities for them and see what they like.
And you know, we're changing with the time, so we've
got a lot of new programs available. We did cheerleading
this year. Volleyball is getting huge across the state. But
then there's classes like steam. You know, if you've got
(03:48):
a kid who's not really into athletics, I've got one
of those. Maybe the steam classes are a better fit.
We've got something for everybody. We also have a lot
of cooking classes, which people don't know. The why is
a great resource in the community for food access. We've
got our Veggie Van, which is a mobile food market
going out to the food deserts in the community to
(04:10):
bring low cost produce to people who really need it.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
Who knew, right, Yeah, exactly. The outreach to the community
in the y it's not a gym, right.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Right, it's so much more than a gym and swim
We've got that too, of course, which is fantastic.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
You may find out more at g R YMCA dot org.
Let's say I'm listening right now and it's year end.
People need a little help, and you're a not for
profit right exactly, Yes, how can we help out.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
G r YMCA dot org slash give. You can give
those donations online. You can give a donation in a
branch with a check or cash. Even on our website
there's some text to give options too. So yeah, definitely,
we are a nonprofit and we can only help the
community with help from the community.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Is there a denomination that's too big? Is there something
you won't take?
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Absolutely no, we will take anything. Nothing's too big or
too small.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Good to know, Jenny.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Also, different events come up throughout the year and different things.
Hen's brunch tell us about this now.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
So, I have a wonderful friend who has a huge
personality but a bigger heart, And in twenty eighteen, she
wanted to give back to the community at Thanksgiving time,
so she got some of our friends together. They provided
the Thanksgiving staples, the non perishable food items, created some
baskets and were able to give out twenty one that
first year. Last year, it's just her and her friends,
(05:31):
they gave out one hundred and forty four baskets. Yeah,
So as soon as I heard that, I said, the
why wants to get involved with us. So this year
we are. We've got a goal of two hundred baskets
to give out. You can get information on this at
GRYMCA dot org slash give there's a Hens Brunch link.
If you want to get involved by donating money, that's great.
(05:52):
If you want to get involved by donating food, we've
got the details there too.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
How about that gr YMCA dot org to find out
all the information you need with the YMCA of Greater
Grand Rapids Jenny Garoni, great information, Thanks for coming into
Thanks for having me. This is Talk of the Town
on news Radio with thirteen hundred and one oh six
nine FM.
It's talking the town. On news radio WOULD thirteen hundred
and one oh six nine FM, Steve Kelly and Brett
Bakeda from West Michigan's Morning News joined once again with
The Grand Rapids YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids. Jenny Garni,
thanks for dropping in today.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
You guys know, I love being here, love talking to
you guys, love talking about the Why.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
No Jenny for a long time, and the last time
you were here, we had an impressive conversation about Live
Strong with a good friend of mine who was diagnosed
with cancer and this transformal, transformative program really and continues
to help him out. How did that work out? How
is it working out?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
So? The Live Strong program is something that I had
no idea that The Why was a part of. It
is a recovery program for cancer survivors. It's free for
those survivors and a care provider. They get a three
month membership to the Y and we just help them
figure out ways to get back on track with our health.
So we had a goal last spring when I was
(01:00):
here to raise enough money to send more survivors through
the program, and we raised enough to send seventy more survivors.
So that's fantastic. We've got some great major donors who
have invested in the program and it just keeps growing.
I'm really thrilled about that.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Well, Jenny, let's talk about some of the things that
the Why now offers that people might not be aware
of because you forget about the basic concept of the
Why was to be a part of the community. I'm
talking way back when it started. And also it's a
place for people to go and meet right and go
through life together.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Yes, that is one of the biggest things the community
that you find. And we have a group fitness instructor
at one of our branches who was twenty eight years
old and had a stroke and she got to the
hospital within that golden hour. She I mean, you can't
(01:53):
see or notice any ramifications from the stroke, but she
said four days after she walked out of the hospital,
she was a the Why because that's where her people were.
She wanted to be walking the track with her community. Again. Wow,
that's the impact it has on people. You know, We've
got members and employees who have been with us for
twenty five years or more. It's just ingrained in who
(02:14):
they are and how they want to spend their lives.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
So like Livestrong, you have something called peddling. Peddling for Parkinson's.
Tell us a little bit about that.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
So this is an evidence based program where we're very
strategic with the time of day that the program is held.
It's at about ten thirty AM because that's when people
who suffer from Parkinson's are at their best. You know,
our instructors go through training to know how to teach
these programs so it's most effective for the people with
(02:46):
these diseases. And through generous supporters where we were able
to offer this program in the fall and the second
session will be kicking off after the first of the year.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Incredible.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
The other thing, obviously, you guys are growing across West
Michigan map more footprints, more communities to be in and
near and dear to my heart are youth athletics and
you guys are big with kids sports. I would highly
recommend the Why, especially if you're wondering because they start
them so young these days, at three years old, four
years old, and then people are like, what do you
think about should they be no? Just you know, go
(03:18):
to the introductory programs at the WHY. Now you have
in more advanced programs. But it's just so great how
you guys start kids in that right path.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Yeah. One of the greatest things is the Sports Sampler program,
so kids can get kind of a feel for all
of the different opportunities for them and see what they like.
And you know, we're changing with the time, so we've
got a lot of new programs available. We did cheerleading
this year. Volleyball is getting huge across the state. But
then there's classes like steam. You know, if you've got
(03:48):
a kid who's not really into athletics, I've got one
of those. Maybe the steam classes are a better fit.
We've got something for everybody. We also have a lot
of cooking classes, which people don't know. The why is
a great resource in the community for food access. We've
got our Veggie Van, which is a mobile food market
going out to the food deserts in the community to
(04:10):
bring low cost produce to people who really need it.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
Who knew, right, Yeah, exactly. The outreach to the community
in the y it's not a gym, right.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Right, it's so much more than a gym and swim
We've got that too, of course, which is fantastic.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
You may find out more at g R YMCA dot org.
Let's say I'm listening right now and it's year end.
People need a little help, and you're a not for
profit right exactly, Yes, how can we help out.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
G r YMCA dot org slash give. You can give
those donations online. You can give a donation in a
branch with a check or cash. Even on our website
there's some text to give options too. So yeah, definitely,
we are a nonprofit and we can only help the
community with help from the community.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Is there a denomination that's too big? Is there something
you won't take?
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Absolutely no, we will take anything. Nothing's too big or
too small.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Good to know, Jenny.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Also, different events come up throughout the year and different things.
Hen's brunch tell us about this now.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
So, I have a wonderful friend who has a huge
personality but a bigger heart, And in twenty eighteen, she
wanted to give back to the community at Thanksgiving time,
so she got some of our friends together. They provided
the Thanksgiving staples, the non perishable food items, created some
baskets and were able to give out twenty one that
first year. Last year, it's just her and her friends,
(05:31):
they gave out one hundred and forty four baskets. Yeah,
So as soon as I heard that, I said, the
why wants to get involved with us. So this year
we are. We've got a goal of two hundred baskets
to give out. You can get information on this at
GRYMCA dot org slash give there's a Hens Brunch link.
If you want to get involved by donating money, that's great.
(05:52):
If you want to get involved by donating food, we've
got the details there too.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
How about that gr YMCA dot org to find out
all the information you need with the YMCA of Greater
Grand Rapids Jenny Garoni, great information, Thanks for coming into
Thanks for having me. This is Talk of the Town
on news Radio with thirteen hundred and one oh six
nine FM.
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