This spring I volunteered to help the Franklin County Y with their annual fund that provides financial help so that anyone can join. I did this after spending a few minutes in the hot tub talking to a man who had had his SNAP benefits cut. He was having a hard time, and his Y membership meant everything. There we were soaking our aching muscles, talking about how lucky we were when he sighed in gratitude because the Y had discounted the rate he has to pay. Until I met him, I didn’t know the Y subsidized some memberships. It’s like a good private school where no one can tell who is on financial aid.
On my way out that day I saw a notice calling for volunteers and signed up. It isn’t easy to ask people for money these days, but the phone calls I made for the Y were pleasant once I took a deep breath and made the first one. Not one person said no. Some thanked me for calling and said they had already donated.
The Y is a place that lives up to its mission and goes beyond. Everyone is made to feel welcome. I go to my gentle classes filled with gray-haired people, and often meet my daughter in the hallway, sweating from her vigorous class and heading for the weight room. Weak, strong, young, old, disciplined or erratic, black or white, gay, straight, non-binary, or transgendered, rich or poor; none of it is matters, and there isn’t a political hat or T-shirt to be seen.
I will continue to think about the man in the hot tub and hope he’s OK. In a time where anger has seeped into discourse on every level of government, I just want to say thank you to the Y and everyone who woks there. You offer community, care, and wellness for everyone.
Lee Wicks
Montague