Taryn Buehring - A Giant YMCA Hero!

The Northwest YMCA has chosen Taryn Buehring as it's Community Hero! Taryn has volunteered for the Licensed Childcare once a week for many years without fail! He really knows how much the staff and kids appreciate his help at the end of the day when the kids are preparing to go home and staff is done for the day. He always has a positive attitude and really has a love for the Y and the lives it touches. He has also become very involved in the Y Partners and Capital Campaign over the past couple of years as well. Says Stephanie Thomas, interim Executive Director at the Northwest Y, "We love his sense of humor and positive spin he puts on all that he is involved with. Taryn will always make time for the Y and helps raise the funds needed to continue to support our community."

Once again, hats off to Taryn Buehring - a real Community Hero!

(Pictured: Taryn and friends)

Kara Kulda - Northwest YMCA Community Hero!

Kara Kulda was recently presented with the Community Hero award by the Northwest YMCA.


Kara is shown at the presentation ceremony with (left to right) Christa Getchell, VP of Financial Development, Greg Voss, Executive Director of the Northwest YMCA, and Krista Danner, formerly Financial Development Specialist and now Executive Director of the Ridgedale YMCA.

In making the presentation to Kara, Greg pointed out the many ways that she has contributed to the success of the Northwest Y. "Kara currently serves as our ’08 Y Partners Chair. She consistently displays high energy and enthusiasm and a passion for our Y Partners program. She makes herself available for presentations, Y Partners stories and Community Board and Committee reports. She has personally made a large number of Y Partner solicitation calls, and is a true champion for Y Partners in her community, at her workplace, and through her program participation at the YMCA!"

Congratulations, Kara - another YMCA Community Hero!

Northwest YMCA - Providing a Sense of Belonging and Community

We'd like to share with you a letter from a Northwest YMCA member receiving financial assistance:

I am so grateful for the opportunity to belong to the YMCA. Without financial assistance I would not be able to take advantage of all the wonderful programs, classes and opportunities the YMCA has to offer. During this past year, my life changed dramatically. I could no longer work and started receiving disability benefits. In order to make ends meet, I also had to seek assistance through the state and county services. This was a humbling and at times humiliating process for me and I felt very ashamed that I needed help and was embarrassed to even ask for an application for financial aid at the Y. However, from the moment I turned in my application to the process of interviewing, I never felt judged. I was so nervous about coming my first day. I thought everyone would know that I couldn’t really afford to be there, that they would think I wasn’t good enough to be there, that I wouldn’t be able to use all parts of the Y because I wasn’t a “real” member. None of that happened… from the first day I came, I felt accepted and like a member of a community.

Being a member of the Y has been beneficial to me in many ways. The first and most basic is that being able to be physically active has helped me to stay healthy enough to do what I need to do to continue on my healing journey. It improves my mood, helps me manage my anxiety and helps me feel strong and empowered. Another way the Y has benefited me is by providing a sense of belonging and community.

In the midst of everything else that happened over the last year, I lost my mother. She was a single parent and when she passed away, it felt like I lost my family. I have good friends, but no family. Coming to the Y every morning and being greeted, usually by name, means more to me than I can even express. There are days where getting out of bed or leaving my house feels too hard, but the Y is a safe and comforting refuge for me and is a wonderful place to start my day. It feels good to belong somewhere. Again, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to be a member of the Northwest YMCA.