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14 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday February 8, 2006 As a B oard m e m b e r o f th e O a kville H isto rica l Society, Y m e m b e r B arbara Savage is tru ly d e d ica te d to th e h is to ry o f th e O a kville co m m un ity. OAKVILLE H e a lth -re la te d ! tip s a n d s to rie s Y M C A o f O a kvil February 8, i MB 2005: Dollars raised Our Mission The YMCA of Oakville is a charitable associa tion open to all, dedicated to providing life-long opportuni ties for health enhancement and personal growth. Our Vision The YMCA of Oakville creates opportunities j that inspire people to grow, develop and learn through its leadership in building a healthy and caring community. Five o u ts ta n d in g v o lu n te e r y o u th re ceived bursaries on b e h a lf o f G iv e K id s th e C h a n c e d o n ors: fro m le ft to rig h t, C hristine Cossentino, Lauren Box, M ic h e lle TonerCalmusky, C a itlin Cross, L ib b y A latas. J like working with the kid s... they're about 6 to 12. And the people that I work with are like my friends." Michelle Toner-Calmusky: Y Summer Camp Volunteer and Pool Attendant: "People don't understand, but with the people at the Y it's like a family. When teers to add to the fun at camp: "We look for youth aged 14 and up who really love to play with kids and be outside in the sum m er... .it's a win-win situa tion because the volunteers and counselors have such a great time with their campers and with each other." Brandon McGuire, Commu nity Program Coordinator, has great admiration for his vol unteers for the Y Sports in the community programs like youth soccer and the popular basket ball leagues. "We look for an individual who is going to be that person to promote fair play and work hard at developing positive experiences for every player. Sport is always competi tive, but the kids are learning about healthy competition... not winning at all costs. I look for youth that recognize that difference and help the kids to learn it." Brandon stressed the value of the time that the volunteer can offer: "The volunteers get the opportunity to be a very im portant and pivotal role model that can shape a child's future. Being a volunteer is one of the most important contributions that you can make to your com munity." He also commented on the importance of volun teering to a resume for today's youth: "It's what the employ er looks at first, because vol unteering demonstrates strong values and dedication. Sim ply having a job does not mean dedication. And volunteer expe rience with children and youth is a major factor in many post graduate university applica tions, especially teaching." The bottom line is that being a youth volunteer helps young people to develop the assets they need to find a meaning ful purpose in life and become a contributing member of soci ety. What more could we wish for our kids? For more information on help ing youth to build assets, and on youth volunteer opportuni ties at the YMCA of Oakville, go to w w w .y m c a o f o a k v ille . c o m and look for `Opportunities', or call Pat Broughton at the Y at 9 0 5-84 5-5 597 extension 236 Y M C A o f O akville No doubt there are young folk out there who just can't understand the government initiative to jyde volunteer hours as Requisite for a high school diploma, but at the YMCA of Oakville, we applaud this program... and then some. Building 'assets' in our youth is a central theme at the Y concrete, common sense, positive experiences and qualities essential to raising caring, competent young people. Being a volunteer fits right in. In 2005, the Y was fortunate enough to receive the assistance of over 600 volunteers - a mas sive group of wonderful people that offered their time, talent and treasures to make us what we are today - a thriving chari table association that is dedicat ed to the health and well-being of the people of Oakville. Over 30% of those volunteers were between the ages of 16 and 19Many of those outstanding young people were driven to the Y by the need for that commu nity time, but have decided to stay, long after completipg their mandatory 40 hours. As Tim Clarke, Volunteer Chair of the Y's Annual Giving Campaign put it, "The goodness of the Y keeps going o n .. .people are friend ly and caring in many ways and you want to be part of that." On January 26, 2006, the1 Y recognized the dedication, commitment and caring shown by 5 outstanding youth volun teers aged 16 to 18 who made a difference to the children and youth that they worked with. Each youth received an edu cational bursary on behalf of a Champion Level Donor to the Give Kids the Chance Annual Campaign. Listen to what those young people had to say: Libby Alatas, WBC basket ball league volunteer refer ee and coach: "I like the half court shots.. . .they look over at you and smile and give you a thumbs up and it just makes your day." The girls love to have Libby as their coach - they ask to be on her team! Lauren Box, Y Climbing & Adventure Centre Volunteer: "I I sprained my ankle, everyone was there for me right away." Caitlin Cross, Y Summer Camp Counselor and Volun teer Soccer Coach: "It's excit ing to watch the kids when they first com e... .they don't know anything and they really learn to play the game. Some kids won't even step on the field for a week or so." Christine Cosentino, Y Climb ing & Adventure Centre Volun teer: "It's really fun. I help the kids to get their climbing har ness on and I belay them and tie their knots. In Kids Can Climb, they can play games as well, but they still climb and they like being in the climb ing gym." Lynne Evans, Manager of Y Community Programs and Sum mer Camp, depends on volun