January 2010

Moving Forward in Riverhead

Happy New Year! 2009 was another outstanding year for the YMCA of Long Island. Despite the slowed economy, the organization produced a $1.2 million surplus that will be reinvested in programs and facilities. Program and membership revenue were flat as compared to 2008 with annual fundraising and special events behind by 20%. This years financial success is primarily due to strong expense management…..The YMCA’s capital campaigns and related projects achieved great success. The Glen Cove YMCA opened its new Martone Children’s Center with the Patchogue YMCA scheduled to open in the fall of this year…. The Huntington YMCA expansion is also scheduled to be completed this fall…. Most importantly, over $2 million was distributed in free and subsidized services to over 20,000 recipients and no one was denied the opportunity to participate due to economic reasons…. Congratulations to Anne Brigis who has been promoted to Executive Vice President and to Bob Pettersen our new Executive Director at the Great South Bay Branch.

The following letter was addressed to the YMCA Senior Staff Team and to Eileen Knauer, the Executive Director of the Huntington YMCA and is being published with the permission of the writer:

Now that the New Year is upon us, and I am clearly on the mend, I would like to take this opportunity to express my boundless gratitude to each of you personally, the YMCA of Long Island, and of course my home at the Huntington YMCA. The fall of 2010 will begin my 19th year of employment with the Y. I have raised my family here on the words of our mission, on the songs of our summer camp and the grass of our soccer fields. When I found out I had a brain tumor in April 2009, I knew that my second family at the Huntington Y would be there for me because as I was raising my family, many of them were there, side-by-side with me raising theirs.

However, it was more than a pleasant surprise to experience the outpouring of support, love, and caring I received from my extended family through the YMCA of Long Island. The fruit baskets, cards, flowers, notes, emails, facebook messages, kind words, hugs, etcetera, were endless. From every branch, from every level, staff contacted me. Some were long communications, others just a quick word. Then there were the prayers, the endless amount of prayers that came my way from every branch. They were from Jews, Christians, Muslims and Buddhists, talk about covering your bases!
 

To be honest, some days I have left work frustrated, wondering if I am making a difference, I am only one woman, though loud as I might be. The days can be long, the task at hand sometimes difficult. The world is spinning so fast and our youth populous is facing such daunting odds. I was so blessed to find out how many lives I have touched through our programs here at the Huntington YMCA. The amount of program participants that reached out to me is amazing! Some of them are in their 30’s now; some of them are even leaders at the Great South Bay YMCA. I have been able to make an impact, to better the lives of our youth, to serve our community through our mission. One does not usually find these things out. It is usually revealed at their eulogy. Again, I have been truly blessed.
 

If ever I have questioned my life’s calling, it was answered this past year in 2009. Each of you has helped to answer it for me, through your support and kindness. I will never forget that in my darkest hour of fear and worry you stood by me and my family. I never had to fear what would happen after my surgery, if I would be blessed with a healthy “after”. Thankfully, I have been. My mind was able to focus on my getting well. It was a gift and a pleasure to return to work after only five weeks of recovery time. Again I could not have done so well without such a supportive executive.
 

I am looking forward to a happy, god-willing, and healthy 2010 for everyone at the YMCA of Long Island.
 

                                                      Warm regards,
                                                      Diane Harvey
                                                      Youth Director
                                                      Huntington YMCA
 

We wish Diane continued good health and thank her for sharing her thoughts with us.