This Week's Mission Moment
When I started this job roughly two months ago, I was excited to join the YMCA team. Why? Because of the Y mission, the community, vision, and impact the Y has on people’s lives.
Early on, when I was introduced to the staff I would be working with, I met Kenny Nguyen our head coach for all basketball programs at the Hale Family Y. Within minutes, I felt his passion and commitment to the YMCA mission and community. Kenny’s story is one that should be told because I believe his journey embodies what the Y is all about.
Kenny first found the YMCA back in sixth grade when his friend’s mother worked on the Membership Team at the front desk. He soon became a regular at the Y, purchasing his own membership and finding his purpose and passion playing basketball in the field house with others.
“I still remember first going to the Y when I was a kid. It was like a field trip!” said Kenny. He immediately felt that he belonged, with a drive to better himself. “I felt like the Y was such a safe place and a community,” he said. Soon, Kenny became a staff member at the age of 16, working Y camps and our Afterschool program, helping to foster those same experiences for others. Over time, Kenny found his way over to the Sports and Recreation department where he would be able to give to the community through his passion: Basketball.
After several years working at the Y Kenny knew this was where his brother Benny needed to be. Kenny and his mother started taking Benny to the Y summer camps at a very young age. However, after a few years of Benny attending the camps and loving the experience, their family would face their biggest obstacle yet. Their mother was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. The family quickly shifted all priorities to supporting their mother as she battled this horrible disease. This battle also came with a price. The financial struggles were going to impact their ability to resume their life as normal, including both boys attending summer camp. This is when, Kenny recalls, the Y changed his life forever and showed him the true purpose of the Y.
That summer, the Y Camp Director, Chrissy, was looking at summer enrollment and noticed Benny was not on the list. When she reached out to Kenny to ask why, Kenny explained their family’s situation. Quickly, Chrissy explained that the Y would provide the financial assistance needed for Benny to attend, to help Benny and their family during this challenging time. Benny says his family is forever grateful.
This encapsulates what the Y is all about, helping when others are in need and extending help to whoever is in need. The Y is about strengthening community. That summer changed Kenny forever and deeper engrained in him the Y mission and culture.
Years later, where are Kenny and Benny today? They are paying it forward and giving back. Both are current employees at the Y hoping to make the same impact on others’ lives, the same way the Y impacted theirs. Benny works in our Health and Well-Being department while Kenny is leading the largest sports program at the Hale Family YMCA in Quincy, Youth Basketball. Over the last few years as head coach, Kenny has worked with nearly 1,000 youth basketball players from ages 4 – college, impacting everyone he works with. Kenny loves his job and the work he does with the youth program, and it shows. The program has thrived under Kenny’s leadership, and he continues to utilize the mission of the Y as his motivation each day. He loves making an impact and works with each athlete not only on basketball skills but using the sport as a way to teach life lessons, improve self-esteem and help his players find a sense of belonging.
