Committed to the Community

NDG Y
Newsletter
“
Committed to the Community
Our employees
and volunteers
are really
dedicated to
the community
and always
willing to put in
that extra time
and effort to
meet the needs
of our members.
”
October 2012
Issue #7
W
ith her big smile and just as big
of a parents and tots aquatics program. More
personality, Lindsey Whitelaw is a
recently, she helped secure the funding for the
fixture in community development at
new Homework Room, which was created with a
the NDG YMCA, coordinating programs at both
generous donation from Home Depot (see page 2
ends of the age spectrum.
for details).
Officially, Lindsey is the Y’s Coordinator of
What does she love most about the Y? “The
Senior programs, Day Camp, Homework and
strength of our employees and volunteers. They
Tutoring. Unofficially, Lindsey is involved with
are really dedicated to the community and always
every department except the front desk.
willing to put in that extra time and effort to meet
She somehow finds the time to help out with
the needs of our members.” To that end, Lindsey
the international committee, the aquatics depart-
hopes to one day add more programming to
ment, the newsletter, the Strong Kids annual
serve NDG’s growing immigrant population. “We
fundraising appeal, and represents the NDG Y at
have more ideas than we have space,” she laughs.
several community tables.
With a background in Psychology, Lindsey
started working at the Y as a day camp counsel-
While she loves working with the 80 seniors who
take part in the Rendez-vous program, working
with children is obviously her first love. “Working
lor in 2007. She had worked at other day camps
in so many departments has been a great oppor-
previously and realized that the community
tunity. I’ve watched the children grow from tots
atmosphere at the NDG Y suited her better.
in the pool, to day campers to participants in the
The transition from part-time job to career slowly
homework program. Who knows, maybe they’ll
evolved. “The Y became my home away from
stick around the Y long enough to become
home, “ she says.
participants in the Rendez-vous program too!”
Lindsey’s proudest accomplishments are within
the children’s programs, including the creation
Linda Bell
Did you
know?
This fall, the NDG YMCA renovated a new room to house our
growing Homework Help & Tutoring Program, courtesy of $5,628
in funding and the help of a team of volunteers from the Home
Depot Canada Foundation’s Renovating Your Community, C’est beau
campaign.
How the NDG Y changed my life
W
hen I think of the YMCA, I think of an
extended family welcoming me with
open arms. Indeed, throughout my
involvement as a staff and volunteer, I increasingly felt the warmth of the YMCA staff.
I discovered that there was a place where I could
share my ideas and where my initiatives and
creativity were celebrated and encouraged. It
is through the opportunities and challenges
offered by this organization that I developed a
passion and interest in community development
and social justice.
I remember my first interview in the Teen Zone
of the NDG Y at the age of 15. At the time, I was
hoping to work as a day camp councillor during
the summer. I had no previous experience but
was determined and motivated to learn. Without
Y
Mary in front of the Norman Bethune statue which she
can see from her office window. She greatly admires
Bethune, who was like a “Doctor without Borders”.
realizing, I was creating a path towards my future
academic and professional life. Following my first
summer, I began to get involved in the community programs. The latter allowed me to engage
in the international programs and to work at the
YMCA residence known to assist asylum seekers.
Through my role as an activity coordinator at
the YMCA Residence, I discovered my interest for
immigrant and refugee groups. My experience
at the YMCA allowed me to further engage in
social work which is today my profession and
continues to have an impact in my life. I continue
to be interested in community development and
will be engaging in research in order to better
understand the lived experiences of refugees
when trying to settle in Quebec.
Cecilia Sol Plotkin
Poetry in Motion
ou never know who you will meet at the
NDG Y Centre. Our members include
people from throughout the community
and from all walks of life.
Born in Italy, Mary di Michele moved to
Toronto as a child and lived there for most of her
life. She moved to Montreal in 1990, when she
was offered a position at Concordia University.
She has been a member of the NDG YMCA for
almost ten years.
A poet and writer by profession, Mary has
published several collections of her poetry, as
well as two novels. In her writing, she has often
explored the Italian-Canadian experience. Last
year, she published The Flower of Youth, a collection of poems about the coming of age during
WWII of Italian writer and film director Pier Paolo
Pasolini. Her most recent novel, Tenor of Love,
was published in 2005 and is a story of three
women in love with opera great Enrico Caruso.
With a busy schedule, Mary says she focuses
on her own writing in the summer, jotting
down ideas as they come to her but waiting
until she has the time to flush them out further.
However, she still manages to find the time
to work out six days a week.
“I try to find a balance,” she says, mixing up
group classes with individual workouts.
Her favourite classes though? “Judith’s muscle
toning class on Sunday mornings! She is so
fantastic, a great instructor.” Mary also singled
out Steven’s Wednesday night spinning class.
“Spinning is a great way to blast the fat and
Steven really puts you through the paces.”
“You may not know people by name, but the
Y feels like a community place..... It’s a neighbourhood gym with a neighbourhood feeling.”
Linda Bell
Did you know?
The Rendez-Vous Program was the recipient
of $5,000 in funding from Desjardins Caisse
populaire de Notre-Dame-de-Grâce to put
towards programming such as cooking,
painting courses and outings for participants 50+ years old. The Teen Zone received
$2,000 in funding also from Desjardins
Caisse populaire de Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
for the Career Action Planning Program,
which offers teens workshops on CV
building, interview skills, post-secondary/
vocational study options and fieldwork
experience.
Caisse populaire
de Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
Association News!
YMCA Haiti Youth visit
Peace Medal. The YMCAs of Québec has annually
been celebrating ordinary people who demonstrate a vision, creativity and an extraordinary
commitment to making our communities, our
country, or our world more peaceful and just.
These individuals and groups are models for
their community. These people are peacemakers
and they inspire us.
The official ceremony to celebrate the 2012
peacemakers will take place in Montreal on
Thursday, November 22, and will be publicized
throughout Québec. To mark the event, an
honorary medal will be awarded to Michèle
Thibodeau-DeGuire, President and Executive
Director of Centraide of Greater Montreal.
Witny and Stéphanie
O
n August 27th, 2012 three youths
from the YMCA in Port-au-Prince, our
partner at Y-NDG, came to Montreal for
a month to take part in the International Youth
Participation Program (financed by CIDA) and
the International Engagement Youth Summit
(planned by the YMCA of Quebec Association
youth).
Coralie Norris, 16 years old, is involved in
the YMCA Port-au-Prince as a volunteer in the
fundraising and philanthropy department,
Stephanie Pierre, 19 years old, is a volunteer
for the after school program. She organizes
activities for young children and helps them
with their homework.
Witny Etienne, 20 years
old, is also a volunteer for
the after school program and
organizes sport activities for
children.
In Montreal they had a
chance to visit the different
YMCAs and to meet youths
from other YMCAs partners
overseas. Witny, Stephanie
and Coralie participated in
a diversity of workshops to
enrich their knowledge and experience, such
as first aid, fundraising and philanthropy,
animation 101 and entrepreneurships and
project launching.
They participated in the International
Engagement Youth Summit at Camp Kanawana.
They also got to discover the cities of
Montreal and Quebec, accompanied by YMCA
staff and volunteers as their tour guides.
Our partnership with the YMCA of Haiti
consists of communication online, exchanges
of ideas, financial support, providing for certain
needs such as equipment and books, and a
IYPP exchange every two years.
Galia Benatuil
Volunteer helps seniors work out
L
ouise Marzinotto is a familiar face at the
NDG YMCA. Having joined our center 15
years ago on the advice of a friend, Louise
has been very involved with the fitness department ever since.
For Louise, the YMCA represents community
and support for all. After being a participant in
many fitness classes and gaining her FIT certification, Louise felt the Y had given her a lot so
she signed-on as a volunteer to give back.
Currently Louise volunteers on Saturday
mornings, introducing seniors to training in
the cardio room and weight room. Louise is on
hand to supervise their workouts, assist them
in using the machinery/equipment and provide
guidance for their training.
The end goal is for seniors to feel confident
using the weight room and cardio room safely,
effectively and independently.
Having worked her entire professional career
in the education system, Louise is not afraid to
assign her students homework. She suggests
exercises and provides instructional handouts
to permit the students to continue their training
at home.
While speaking with Louise, she is quick to
point out the hard work, resilience and courage
of her clients who make the effort to work out
each week; however it is clear that Louise is
gifted at supporting, motivating and educating
her clients so they feel empowered to keep at it
week after week.
Lindsey Whitelaw
Did You Know...
Terri has become a familiar face around the
NDG Y since joining us in January. As well as
aqua boot camp, she also teaches aquafit,
boot camp and cardio cycle.
New this fall, aqua boot camp is an intense
workout in the water! Through cardio
training and muscle conditioning using
the resistance of water, instructor Terri will
get your heart pumping and your muscles
working in this Thursday evening class.
Staying fit during pregnancy: Move it baby!
W
hile pregnancy seems like the perfect time to kick up your heels and
relax, staying active will help your
body through the changes ahead.
By maintaining a regular exercise schedule,
your body will have an easier time working
through all the ups and downs of pregnancy.
Why exercise during pregnancy?
• it boosts your energy levels (really!!)
• it will prevent excess weight gain
• it strengthens your muscles, resulting in
fewer backaches, ankle swelling and less
fatigue in general
• it increases your stamina and strengthens
the muscles needed in preparation for labor
• it helps you sleep better
• it boosts your mood and reduces stress
• and may help in an easier labor and delivery
What exercises should I do and what is safe?
• always begin and end with a warm-up and
cool-down to prevent any muscle strains
• moderate aerobic activity such as walking,
swimming, yoga or gentle aerobic classes
• include strength training using free weights,
F
• stay hydrated before, during and after an
exercise session
• listen to your body and stop to take breaks!
• stay motivated! Hire a personal trainer to help
you along the way.
And just remember, it’s never too late to
begin!
Mélanie Hugill Bourque
medicine balls, or machines, just lower the
intensity
• finish with gentle stretching to decrease
muscle soreness
Most exercises are safe and quite beneficial to
do such as squats and abdominal exercises.
Just don’t overdo it and push yourself to
exhaustion.
Strong Kids
Campaign
Goal:
$32,000
The key is to maintain your strength!
Tips and things to remember......
• always consult a health professional before
beginning a new program
Fraser-Hickson Library to partner with NDG Y
raser-Hickson, our neighbourhood library,
has accepted an invitation to partner with
the NDG Y. The Pilot Project will begin in
November with the library progressively
providing for Y members, materials for
Local advisory board
Pierre Beaudry
François Bertrand
Ross Chechile
Prasman Gabriel Felix
Franceen Roll
Tricia Vanderwalde
John Vincent
pre-school, after school homework programs
and seniors.
Both parties are ecstatic! Fraser-Hickson’s
mission to excel as a friendly library that encourages the spirit of exploration, the joy of reading,
and the pursuit of knowledge for all ages and
cultures starting with the very young, fits very
well the Y’s “raison d’être” whose projects are
intended to help their community.
Editor
François Bertrand
Design
David Bouquet
Contributors
Linda Bell
Galia Benatuil
François Bertrand
Oksana Korobeynikova
Lindsey Whitelaw
Publisher
Notre-Dame-de- Grâce Y Centre
4335 Hampton
(514) 486-7315
MISSION The YMCAs of Québec is a charitable organization that contributes to the development of spirit, mind, and body, and to the well-being
of individuals, families, and communities.