Find Your Y: A season of gratitude and community connection
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, November 12, 2025
By Jodi Minker
November is a season for gratitude, community, and giving back.
As the days grow shorter and we gather to give thanks, we’re reminded that generosity doesn’t just live in our hearts, it thrives in the places we share.
The Olympic Peninsula YMCA is one of those places — a cornerstone of community where neighbors support neighbors and everyone belongs.
Though the Y operates on a membership model, its mission goes far beyond gym access. It’s about fostering well-being, inclusion, and connection for all.
Member Sandy Boren, 80, shares that her husband passed about a year ago, and though she was already a member, she started coming more frequently after that.
“The biggest gap when he passed was the lack of social interaction,” she said. “Jen (Y staff member) gives me a hug every time I come in. The social aspect at the Y is wonderful.”
The impact of those gifts can be seen every day. Member Adrienne Christian says her daughters’ Y experiences have been life-changing.
“The Y has helped my middle schooler grow from a little girl into a confident young lady,” she shared about her daughter, who comes to the Y after school every day. “She’s now a strong swimmer with dreams of joining the high school swim team.”
The Y’s impact
The Y’s commitment to inclusivity depends on the generosity of local businesses and community members.
Unlike many nonprofits, the Y doesn’t host large fundraising events.
Instead, it depends on personal giving — from planned gifts and family donations to members who quietly “pay it forward” by covering the cost of a class or program for someone else.
Gary Huff, a longtime member and board member, has been one of the Y’s most passionate advocates since the Y started in Sequim in 2016.
“I count my blessings that the YMCA came up in my early life,” he said. “I learned to swim at the Davenport Y in Iowa, discovered wrestling, and spent summers at Y camp.”
Today, Huff channels that gratitude into person-to-person fundraising.
“I know what the Y does,” he explained. “I just can’t stand to see any kids go without. Raising funds so that they can participate despite their ability to pay is something positive I can do, something that I have control over in times when we might feel like we have such little control over what happens in our lives. So I just ask my friends and hiking buddies, ‘Would you consider donating?’ People are generous; most will give if you simply ask.”
As Olympic Peninsula YMCA CEO Wendy Bart explained, “We will never turn anyone away due to inability to pay. Whether it’s a child enrolling in swim lessons or a senior joining a hiking group, we make sure cost is never a barrier — and we rely on community donations to make that possible.”
Both Boren and Christian are on some level of Y financial support.
“I used to be a very generous person when I could afford it earlier in my life,” Boren said. “But my income was reduced very much with my husband’s passing. The Y reduced my dues so that I could continue to come.”
“The Middle School Initiative (free membership for all middle school kids) has made it possible for my oldest to pursue her swimming passion,” said Christian. “The fact that the Y has offered us a reduced price for programs has meant that my youngest can participate in camps and after school programs, which is important, because she’s nine and I still need to work when school is out.”
Giving Tuesday
Every year, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving marks Giving Tuesday — a day dedicated to generosity and community spirit.
For the Olympic Peninsula YMCA, Giving Tuesday isn’t just a single date; it’s a reflection of what happens here every day.
Each gift made to the Y stays in the community, helping neighbors access swim lessons that teach lifesaving skills, senior fitness programs that build strength and friendship, and the Middle School Initiative, which gives all middle school students a free, safe place to belong after school.
When you give to the Y, you’re helping a child feel confident in the water, a senior find purpose and connection, and a young teen discover a place where they truly belong.
Your generosity turns the spirit of Giving Tuesday into a movement that lasts all year long — one grounded in gratitude, kindness, and community.
What we do at the YMCA would not be possible without our members, donors, volunteers, and participants.
From babies in Play Care to seniors staying active with friends, every person who walks through our doors is a vital thread in the tapestry we call the Y family. Together, we can ensure every neighbor feels they belong — because at the Y, community isn’t a privilege, it’s a promise.
To participate in Giving Tuesday or to make a donation any day of the year, visit olympicpeninsulaymca.org/give, stop by our Sequim branch at 610 N. Fifth Ave., or mail a check to the same address (98382). For planned giving inquiries, email jodi@olympicpeninsulaymca.org.
All donations are tax-deductible and help ensure no one is turned away due to inability to pay.
