CREATIVE RIDGEWOOD Y NAME PRESS
RIDGEWOOD YMCA 69-02 64th Street , Ridgewood, NY 11385 November 2012 ymcanyc.org/ridgewood
THE RIDGEWOOD YMCA NEWSLETTER FOR MEMBERS, STAFF AND FRIENDS
In This Issue Y Plus TD – They Really Add Up! Thanksgiving Spinathon!
…THEY REALLY ADD UP! We are excited to announce the recent partnership between the Ridgewood YMCA and TD Bank through TD's Affinity Program, which helps nonprofit organizations raise money by receiving an annual cash contribution from TD Bank based on the average balance held by the organization’s participating members. The money raised will go towards Ridgewood Y's Strong Kids Campaign, which provides assistance to families who need us the most, allowing us to continue providing YMCA services and programs to the kids and families of Ridgewood, Glendale, Maspeth, and Middle Village. If you are interested, make TD Bank your bank today by simply visiting TD Bank on the corner of Fresh Pond Road and Metropolitan Avenue (or any other TD Bank) and tell them you want to open your account to benefit the Ridgewood Y through the Affinity Program. The customer service representative will link your account to the Ridgewood Y’s Affinity number. Opening an account or linking your current account in this way will help us help the community, and gives members a terrific and attractive new way to leverage their resources both generously and painlessly!
THANKSGIVING SPINATHON! On the Sunday before Thanksgiving — November 19th — you can burn off some extra calories along with any guilt about those you may take on at your Thanksgiving Day feast later in the week! Yes, our Thanksgiving Spinathon is happening in the Ridgewood Y gym on Sunday, November 19th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jessica will lead, and there'll also be a live DJ to guarantee you have high-energy fun the entire time! Come and bike the whole three hours if you like, or feel free to take breaks. Bike sharing may also be available. The cost to participate is $50 for members, $60 for nonmembers, and all proceeds go to the Ridgewood YMCA Strong Kids Campaign, which ensures that no kid or family is ever turned away due to an inability to pay.
Meet the Staff Diabetes Prevention – Get with the Program! P.S. 305 Afterschool Kids Celebrate Dance and Culture! From Our UPK A.M. and P.M. Students… Staff Jersey Fridays! And The Winner Was… Laughter – The Best Medicine!
Y Core Values It’s great to see the Y’s four core values of CARING, HONESTY, RESPECT, and RESPONSIBILITY in action. Here are some examples we recently noted. Tell us about some you’ve seen!
Responsibility – Ms. Amal has done
a great job with her RESPONSIBILITY of running the UPK and MLA programs while we are in a time of staffing transition.
Caring – Gabe showed CARING for
the Ridgewood YMCA with his new fitness center layout which gives us room for more equipment and stretching!
Enjoy This Issue? Please feel free to share this newsletter with anyone who you think may find it interesting or useful!
Questions, Comments, Ideas? Contact Caitlin Moonesar At: CDee@ymcanyc.org; Or Charles Geyer (Newsletter Editor) At: CGeyer@ymcanyc.org 1
MEET THE STAFF JESSIE MARTINEZ Q. Please share your current position and a little bit about what you do at Ridgewood Y? A. I’m the Business Manager and I oversee all financial and Human Resources responsibilities for the branch. Q. How long have you worked for the Y? A. Four years. Q. What do you like best about Ridgewood Y? A.
How the programs reach out to the community and help foster positive values and develop cognitive skills. Q. Best advice you received or would give someone who was considering moving with the Y? A. Always work on enhancing communication because it will promote teamwork. Q. Tell us something about Jessie that we might not know? A. I’m a diehard Yankees fan. Q. What is your favorite healthy snack? A. Smoothies!
DIABETES PREVENTION – GET WITH THE PROGRAM! Prediabetes affects more than 1 in 5 New Yorkers. If you fall into three or more of the following categories, you may be at risk for prediabetes or diabetes: Blood pressure of 140/90 or higher; Above-normal cholesterol levels; Inactive lifestyle (exercising less than 2x/week); Family history of diabetes; History of gestational diabetes; Obesity (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2); and Aged 45 years or older. If you fall into three or more categories, it does NOT mean you have prediabetes or diabetes. A blood test performed by a doctor is needed to find out. Check with your doctor to see if you are at risk of developing diabetes. The YMCA's Diabetes Prevention Program gets to the root of the diabetes epidemic by helping those at high risk of developing the disease make lifestyle changes. The program focuses on healthy eating, increased physical activity, and maintaining a healthy weight. Participants in the YMCA's Diabetes Prevention Program meet in a classroom setting as a group with a trained YMCA lifestyle coach for 16 core sessions to learn and practice lifestyle skills. During the sessions they learn how to make healthier food choices, how to incorporate more physical activity into their daily routine and how to manage a healthy weight. After the initial 16 core sessions, participants meet monthly for added support to help them maintain their progress. Studies show that lifestyle changes and modest weight reduction can delay the onset of diabetes by 58%.
PS 305 AFTERSCHOOL KIDS CELEBRATE DANCE AND CULTURE! On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, our P.S. 305 afterschool program had the great learning pleasure of hosting two distinctive artists from the Global Arts To Go program. These performers taught the children about the exciting culture and arts of Brazil. We learned a little Portuguese, danced, and even created our own music. The mission of Global Arts To Go is to promote a culture of peace and harmony through art, spreading a message of tolerance, understanding and non-violence.
STAFF JERSEY FRIDAYS! Thanks to staff suggestions, all Ridgewood Y staff are now supported and encouraged to wear their favorite team jersey on Fridays! Spot a team fave you share and cheer the staff on!
AND THE WINNER WAS…. Our Ridgewood Y softball team, the Blackhawks, congratulate our friends and rivals of the Long Island City Branch team, the Lightning, who beat us 7-2 on October 20. It was a beautiful day to play softball and good fun and fellowship were shared by all. Check out some great footage of the game on YouTube by searching for "2012 Ridgewood vs LIC YMCA Staff Softball Game". We thank all who came out to support us, and encourage you to stay tuned for future events. We'll get even!
LAUGHTER – THE BEST MEDICINE! A GRAB-BAG OF YMCA GOOFS, GAGS AND GIGGLES… A class professor was giving a lecture on company slogans and was asking his students if they were familiar with them.
Our after-schoolers had a blast and are looking forward eagerly to the rest of a year full of learning and growth.
"Joe," he asked, "which company has the slogan, 'come fly the friendly skies'?"
FROM OUR UPK STUDENTS…
Joe answered the correct airline.
Greetings to everyone from your pals, Universal Pre-K's a.m. and p.m. students! The weather has been changing rapidly, and we have been staying active and having fun. During cold or rainy days, we have spent time in the gym, playing and learning fun and exciting exercises – even practicing some simple yoga moves. This month, we look forward to dancing to different music genres, and hope to enjoy more time taking brisk community walks and visiting our parks. If you see us in the gym in the coming weeks and need to warm up, feel free to join us for a bit!
"Brenda, can you tell me which company has the slogan, "Don't leave home without it?" Brenda answered the correct credit card company with no difficulty. "Now, John, tell me which company bears the slogan, 'Just do it'?" And John answered, "Mom." 2
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