This Week's Mission Moment
Several days a week, Sue picks up her brother Jerry and drives him to the Hale Family YMCA to work out. Each time they come in, Jerry stops at the desk with an enormous smile to say hello. Using the communication book Sue has created for him, Jerry shares news about his weekend, his family, and his housemates. He always makes a point of showing us what wonderful meal is waiting for him at home after his workout.
“Since Jerry first joined the Y, we have met so many wonderful people,” says Sue. “All staff are friendly, helpful, caring, and supportive. It’s a very inclusive environment where everyone can feel comfortable. His workouts have helped him manage his health.”
Jerry was a longtime participant in the South Shore YMCA Partnership Program, a non-clinical adaptive Y program that pairs individuals with physical disabilities alongside trained Y staff to assist with specialized exercise equipment, aquatics, and recreational programs. Jerry and Sue worked with the program’s coordinator, Sheryl Rosa, who trained Sue to assist Jerry with his exercise program. Jerry has seen marked improvement in his bone density tests, due in part to his regular strength training sessions at the Y.
Over the years, Sue has watched the South Shore YMCA play a major role in her brother’s life. “Jerry sees many of the people he has met at the Y out and about the community, and they always say hello. Everyone is so kind to him. Thank you for making a big difference in the lives of so many people, especially my brother!"