Our community needs our help!  Every day moms and dads are losing their jobs and wondering how they will continue to provide for their families.  The mission of the YMCA is to develop individuals and families in spirit, mind & body.  In this economic crisis, our mission is more important than ever.  To help these families in need, the Meadville Family YMCA is kicking off our 2009 Helping Hands Campaign.  The Hands Campaign provides a hand up-not a hand out-for families and individuals in need.  In every aerobics class, youth sports game, aquatics program and childcare classroom, our helping hands program is providing a scholarship to someone.  The funds raised from this campaign will be used to provide these scholarships.  Last year the YMCA provided over $90,000 in support to the Meadville community.  This year, we anticipate the need to be even greater!  Please join us in making a difference.   

Junior Ranger Day

Junior Ranger Day is April 25.  This is a day where special activities are held in national parks around the country for kids to learn more about those parks and their history. You can celebrate Junior Ranger Day in your home by completing this fun activity. Find a piece of paper and draw a map of your state. Ask a grown-up or parent for help in locating a picture of the state if you need help. Fill in your hand-drawn state using pictures, stickers or other forms of artwork to designate areas related to the great outdoors. Draw or create symbols for forest and parks. Make your own legend for this map and use a variety of symbols to show specific areas and the types of physical activity your family can participate in. For example: 

• higher elevation (mountains, hills): families hiking or skiing
• rivers and streams: families fishing or skipping stones
• lakes: swimming, sailing
• farm land: families gardening, feeding animals
• large cities: families walking
• running trails: Families biking, walking.

For more information about the National Park Service's Junior Ranger Day, go to http://www.nps.gov/npweek/junior.htm 

Y-Volunteer in Action

This month's volunteer in Action is Joy Jordan.  Joy has been a member of the YMCA for eight months.  She comes in Thursdays and Saturdays to help with the Youth Gymnastic programs.  She likes the YMCA because of the fun and friendly atmosphere.  We asked Joy what she would say to somebody who is looking to volunteer and she said "come in and see what the YMCA has to offer, you won't be sorry."  Joy is from Saegertown and has lived there her whole life.  She has a husband named John, a four year old son named Garrick, a two year old son named Gabriel, and is a expecting a third child in August.  She also has a Beagle named Penny.  During her spare time she enjoys playing with her children.  She's active in church, teaches at PENNCREST School District, and has a degree from Edinboro University in Health and Physical Education.  Joy also teaches and coaches at Erie Gymnastics Center, and  is a 4-H leader.   

Y-Childcare

"April showers bring May flowers" will hang from the ceilings of the classrooms.  We will also have some fun crafts such as coffee filter butterflies, foot bunnies for Easter, and even home made kites.  Diamond Park will be busy with an Easter Egg Hunt.  We also have a new floor in Preschool One and Preschool 2 that shines like the sun.  Along with swim instruction, the Preschoolers visit the Library, have their own morning Gymnastics session, express motor skills, and participate in performances at Juniper Village for the residents.  Children are encouraged to stay active, take turns, listen and follow directions, and become both leaders and supporters. After school care is a safe, fun, and exciting alternative for children who need a more challenging and stimulating environment while parents work, attend school, or job readiness classes. We provide a experienced, qualified, and caring staff.   Please inquire more about joining our child care family. 

And The Winners Are...

March 25th was the lucky day for three YMCA members!  For the past three months, our adult members have been putting their names into the fish tank for a chance to win a 3-Day Vacation Getaway and kids for a chance to win a trip to Chuck E. Cheese and a Pittsburgh Pirates Gift Basket.  On the evening of March 25th, one of our employees and a Y member pulled three names from the tank.  The first name to be drawn was Chuck Dolnosich, the second was Abby Lombardi, and the third was Tyler Shaffer.  Chuck was the lucky winner of the 3-Day Vacation Getaway to Myrtle Beach, Abby was the winner of the trip to Chuck E. Cheese, and Tyler was the winner of the Pittsburgh Pirates Gift Basket.  Congratulations to all of you!  If you are a YMCA member, you have a chance to be one of our winners too.  If you're not a member, get signed up today so you can have your chance!   

Y-Member Spotlight

Congratulations Christina Struski ! She is our YMCA Member of the Month.  Christina has been a member of the YMCA since December 2005.  She makes sure to fit in six workouts per week and uses the different machines.  We asked Christine what she enjoys most about the YMCA.  Her response was "the friendly staff, the new friendships I've made, the YMCA hours, and the equipment."  Christina is originally from Linesville but now resides in Meadville.  She is the youngest of nine children, married to Larry, and has two daughters, Natusha, 29, who lives in Peoria, IL and Kara, 24, who lives in Akron, OH.  Christina also has a granddaughter, Aubrey Rose, who is 11 months old.  When Christina has spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, visiting friends, reading, and gardening. 

Y-Program Of The Month

Coed Recreational Volleyball League is for anyone age 14 or over.  It begins April 8th and runs through May 27th from 7:15PM - 9PM every Wednesday in the Meadville Family YMCA Gymnasium.  Open play and team picks will be April 8th and the first game on April 15th. The remainder of the games will be April 15th, 22nd, 29th, May 6th, and 13th.  May 13th is the final regular season game.  May 20th and 27th will be a tournament and pizza party.  Registrations are due by April 8th.  The fee for YMCA Members is $10 and for Non-members $35.  For additional information call the YMCA at 336-2196.  Just a reminder, April 25th is the last day to sign up for T-Ball/Coach Pitch! 

Y-Employee Highlight

Homer Mack Jr. is the recipient of the R.O.S.E. award for the month of April.  He works in the evenings as a janitor in the maintenance department and has an been an employee of the YMCA for three years.  Homer enjoys working at the YMCA because of the nice staff and members.  He is from Meadville and has lived here his whole life. He has a daughter named Tylasha, a granddaughter named Tahjae. His girlfriend is Twila Young, and they have a dog named Tippy who is very special.  During Homers spare time he enjoys watching sports, fishing, listening to music such as R&B, Rap and the Blues.  He attends St. John Baptist Church.  When Homer was younger he attended Meadville Area Senior High School and played football for their team. 

Y-Fit Tip: Dave Says...

Exercise intensityWebster defines intensity as:The quality or condition of being intense; Great energy, strength, concentration, vehemence, etc. as activity, thought, or feeling: He went at the job with great intensity; The degree or extent to which something is intense; Physics, magnitude, as of energy or a force per unit of are, volume, time, etc. Intensity can also be used as a guideline to your strength training program. It may mean the difference between experiencing great results and getting very little from your program. But how do you know if your program is intense enough to create the desired results? The answer is in the overload principle of exercise physiology. This states that if a muscle is to change (adapt), the   workload placed upon it must make the muscle work harder than normal. This translates to: in order for you to see results in your program, the muscle should be taken to exhaustion. Muscle exhaustion is the point at which no further repetitions can be performed through a complete range of motion. Is it possible to train with weights and lose strength? The answer is yes. If your strength level allows you to lift 100 lbs. of weight and you are training with 70 lbs., it is only a matter of time before muscle strength matches the demand placed upon it. Does this take longer to do than being inactive? Yes, but it can happen. The bottom line is: if you are just going through the motion, there is a real possibility that you can lose strength. To maximize your results, follow this formula: Perform sets of 6-12 controlled repetitions. Perform 1-3 sets per exercise. Train each non warm-up set to muscular exhaustion. Perform no more than 20 working sets (to exhaustion) per workout.