Supporting our Military Families

Giselle Schneider is being honored as a White House Champion of Change for her leadership and commitment to the ideals of the YMCA.

I have been inspired by Michelle Obama and Dr. Biden’s Joining Forces Initiative and all the work they have done on behalf of military families, so I am honored to be a White House Champion of Change. Upon reflecting about what service means to me for this event it all comes back to my son.  When my son enlisted in the Marine Corps right out of High School, in September 2005, I was so proud- nervous, but proud. I was so appreciative that he wanted to serve and give back to his country that had given him so much. It was not until I attended his send off at Camp Lejeune prior to a deployment, did I sense the true level of sacrifice and dedication it took from the entire family to support our service members in our Armed Forces.  I saw that I was not alone in my worry, and it was heartbreaking to see all the young children impacted by their parent deploying. Some children were too young to fully understand why mommy or daddy had to go and serve, and to see their anxious faces stressed and confused broke my heart. My family immigrated to this country from Cuba, my mother, brother and I came first, and two years later my father was able to join us. When I saw those children, I reverted back and remembered that feeling of separation and I knew I wanted to help comfort those children.  I will never forget those faces. They provided me with the motivation and focus to seek out an organization that was making a real difference in the lives of military children.

When I got home from Camp Lejeune, I researched online for programs that assisted military children to see where I could make the biggest impact.  I learned that the Armed Services YMCA was a top-rated military charity, with one of the highest Charity Ratings (top 2%) nationwide according to Charity Navigator.   The Armed Services YMCA depends on over 14,000 volunteers each year to make military life easier for our junior-enlisted military and their young families. These young heroes and their families are voluntarily serving and sacrificing daily so we can continue to enjoy our freedoms and way of life. The junior troops don't get paid very much and can barely afford the basics for their families. The ASYMCA, in close coordination with military leaders, focuses on fulfilling the highest priority gaps in these required programs and services. Our junior military troops and families deserve all the help we can possibly provide with low and no cost programs and the ASYMCA is able to impact nearly 500,000 young troops and their families each year with the help of volunteers and generous donations.  It is such a testament to the power of those that step up to help that they are able to help so many military families.

The Operation Kid Comfort program has many beloved volunteers, such as Kelly a lead quilter from Idaho. Kelly has been volunteering with the Armed Services YMCA’s Operation Kid Comfort program for over four years. She is self-motivated, creative and believes strongly in the program. Addie, a lead quilter from Florida steers a great group of quilters who have been making quilts for the program for the past five years. Three of our local quilters, Karen, Cheryl, and Stephanie have become my right hand ladies. They not only make quilts and pillows, but assist in our quilt-a-thons with local businesses such as our great supporter SAIC. These ladies are a sample of the fantastic dedicated volunteer quilters who are the heart of the Operation Kid Comfort program. Together we work as a team to help make military life easier for the children of our deployed military service members. These ladies have become my personal friends.  While I provide guidance, I give them total reign on their creativity, so those they recruit to volunteer with the program will never tire of the eight hours of sewing it takes to craft each and every personalized homemade quilt for a military child.

One of my favorite parts of the Armed Services YMCA program that sets it apart is that it is a tangible item for a young child to hold, touch and connect with that is tailored with favorite family photos and memories that are memorialized forever.   It also affords the volunteers the opportunity to get know each family that they are trying to help through their treasured photos and activities.

In 2012, I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and had to begin treatment.  I informed the families and volunteers expecting quilts to let them know I was in treatment, not so they would be concerned, but rather to explain my absence when needed, because the last thing I would want them to think is that I was unresponsive to their needs.  I found that in sharing my story took away the stigma of keeping it a “secret” and I discovered that some of the quilters were survivors, and people opened up and shared their story in turn with me. As I continue my cancer treatment, their shared experiences, concern, and prayers have helped give me strength, courage and healing. It is a tremendous feeling to have people rooting for you all over the country.

I have not let cancer dampen my spirit for military families.  On the contrary, I forge ahead with a positive outlook and a strong desire to continue and grow the program with the help of additional funding and skilled volunteers.

My advice to potential volunteers is to find a passion that connects with your experience or skill set.  Even if you are not skilled, take on the challenge to train yourself. We had a volunteer so passionate about the program, that she went to a local quilt shop and took a quilting class.  If you are passionate and enjoy the rewards of giving back, nothing will stop you from achieving your goal.

Giselle Schneider is the Operation Kid Comfort Program Coordinator at the Armed Services YMCA in Springfield VA

Taking Advantage of Our Privileges

Mike DeVaul is being honored as a White House Champion of Change for his leadership and commitment to the ideals of the YMCA.

As a Champion of Change focusing on the importance of global service and inspiring global impact, I am proud and privileged to promote and serve the Greater Charlotte community.   The YMCA in Charlotte has a rich 160- year history of service.  Our community has exponentially changed over the last ten years.  We are a global community with a number of Fortune 500 companies anchoring their global headquarters here in our town.  We have schools where more than 20 languages can be heard in the hallways, so we literally have global communities in our backyard. Our city was founded by German immigrants and named after the German Queen, Charlotte. In order to remain relevant in our mission to serve all we must continue to expand our global lenses.

I was extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel for the YMCA early in my career.  Visiting YMCAs in Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Bangladesh, and England, it was my responsibility to come back and develop a plan to infuse what I learned into a local plan. It was in this early experience that I found the importance of integrating our work into everyday Y activity. It was also here that I realized we have much in common with our Y friends across continents, and our responsibility to align and engage.

I am a believer and champion of the catchphrase ‘Think globally, Act locally’, and I am often reminded “You don’t have to leave the country to have a global experience.” With business globalization, immigration, and refugee resettlement, Charlotte has experienced significant demographic changes over the past 15 years. Our Association has seen the Global Center of Excellence strategy as a way to ensure that all community members in Charlotte feel welcome at the Y. We have worked hard to collaborate with organizations like the Latin American Chamber, Gantt African American Cultural Center, Asian Chamber and the Mayors International Cabinet to enrich our approach and help ignite our teen global service program. 

Our recent service learning trips focused on literacy, and have captured the hearts and empowered the voices of our teens and young adults about the critical nature that illiteracy anywhere leads to poverty everywhere.  These experiences are important for teens as they develop to become our future global workforce and community leaders.

I am often reminded of the enormous privilege we enjoy living in a country like ours, and if left unchecked, not given away, these privileges can turn toxic. We see the global strategy as one that helps to cement hope to impact.  Our work has been centered on the importance of one’s national origin, insisting everyone has an immigration story to be told. By emphasizing our lineage and history, we embrace the story of building our own global community. This is what makes a YMCA and a country likes our great!

Mike DeVaul is the SVP of Organization Advancement, YMCA of Greater Charlotte (NC)

Investing in the Next Generation

Scott Menzel is being honored as a White House Champion of Change for his leadership and commitment to the ideals of the YMCA.

As a Superintendent for the past eleven years (in three different communities), I recognize the critical nature of community partnerships in order to advance our mission of improving achievement for all students.

During the course of the past two years I have been actively involved in the work of facilitating the consolidation of two neighboring school districts in an urban area on the east side of Washtenaw County, Michigan. The districts were both in deficit financially (a combined $13 million at the end of the last year school year) and struggling academically with test scores far below state averages.  Students were leaving the districts by the hundreds and the decline in enrollment resulted in the need for dramatic action.  Rather than wait for the State to appoint an emergency manager to take over and unilaterally implement changes to address the financial problems, each community decided they wanted to retain control of public education and agreed to vote on consolidation.  This vote was approved by 61% of the residents in both communities in November of 2012.

Since that time we have been working on reinventing the school system by building it from the ground up.  Our focus has expanded beyond the traditional K-12 system to include children and families from birth through kindergarten entry as well as guaranteeing every graduate an opportunity to earn college credit and/or a career credential.  This cradle to career system is not just the purview of the schools. It is the responsibility of the entire community.  Fundamentally we know that in order to improve achievement for all students in an urban setting we have to focus on the whole child.  Children who come to school hungry are not able to achieve their highest potential.  Children who are overweight and do not exercise regularly also do not perform at their highest level.  Healthy habits impact academic achievement, and the educational and social cost of doing nothing is too high to ignore.

Unfortunately, the resources available to schools for promoting these necessary services are limited.  However, partnerships with community-based organizations like the YMCA result in reaching out to students who otherwise would not have important opportunities to enhance their nutrition, develop healthy eating habits, and learn the importance of regular exercise.  The Ann Arbor YMCA has been that critical partner in Ypsilanti.  They have provided after school and summer school programs for more than six years in the community, reflecting their deep commitment to this work.   As we were making decisions about facility utilization in the consolidated district, there was some concern that space wouldn’t be available to continue offering the summer programs that benefit more than 700 students each year.  For me, it was not even a question that we would make the space available.  Our children need and deserve to have these opportunities and our schools cannot succeed without partners like the Y who are ready and willing to make that important investment in their lives.  This new school system will succeed with the assistance of community partners who will help serve the whole child.

Scott Menzel is Superintendent of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District