Share Your Y Story

If you come to the Y, volunteer with us, work at a branch or give to a campaign, we want to know what it means to you.

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My Y Story: Ryan Terruso

RYAN TERRUSO: THE Y IS HIS HAPPY PLACE; ALWAYS FULLY ACCEPTED, A SECOND HOME Kristine Terruso loves talking about her son Ryan’s Y experience. 15-year-old Ryan started coming the Y at age 2. Kristine and her husband, John work full-time and needed childcare for Ryan.  Initially, Ryan started at an in-home daycare. After two years… Read more »

My Y Story: Rebecca Manning

REBECCA MANNING: COMING FULL CIRCLE, FROM CAMPER TO COUNSELOR Meet Rebecca Manning, one of our newer staff members, and self-professed Y kid that grew up through Y programs.  One of the first programs she attended was “Mommy and Me” classes at the former Y site on Prospect Street. “I was always doing something at the… Read more »

My Y Story: Laura McGowan

LAURA McGOWAN: I’M ALL ABOUT COMMUNITY. AND THE Y IS COMMUNITY Laura McGowan joined the Y in 1995, when it was located on Prospect Street in Nashua. “My children were age 5 and 3. I joined to stay ahead of the effects of aging. It was a physical and mental release for me. I was… Read more »

My Y Story: Matthew Brady

MATTHEW BRADY: FACING SERIOUS HEALTH CONCERNS FROM BEING OVERWEIGHT HE BEGAN A Y JOURNEY THAT CHANGED HIS ENTIRE FAMILIES HEALTH AND WELL-BEING When Matthew Brady relocated to Southern New Hampshire for his career, little did he know this would be part of a wellness journey that impacted his entire family. In January of 2013, the… Read more »

My Y Story: Marty Vowels

MARTY VOWELS: HAPPY AND SMILING ABOUT GETTING HIS STEPS IN BACK AT THE YMCA YMCA Welcome Center staff are ready for a hearty ‘hello’ and a big smile when Marty Vowels enters the Y. “I spend two-and-a-half hours at the Y daily. Before the pandemic, I would normally walk 7,500 steps on the track and… Read more »

My Y Story: Tim Sagear

TIM SAGEAR: HE TRAVELS NEARLY AN HOUR ROUND-TRIP TO VISIT THE Y; HIS GENEROSITY ALLOWS OTHERS ACCESS AS WELL “I smile going to the Y and I smile coming back from the Y,” said Tim Sagear. Tim joined the Y in 2014 when another racquetball facility in the area closed. He has a 25 minute… Read more »

My Y Story: Lucy Krieger

LUCY KRIEGER: THE Y IS HELPING THIS LIVESTRONG PARTICIPANT WALK INTO HER RETIREMENT WITH A LITTLE MORE EASE When Lucy Krieger received news that she would be battling breast cancer last year, her world was turned upside. She was due to retire from her job as a paraprofessional in the Dracut School system in June…. Read more »

My Y Story: Talita Silva

TALITA SILVA: YMCA CHILDCARE GIVES ME ‘PEACE OF MIND’ WHILE I WORK When Talita Silva’s daughter Alicia was having difficulty with remote learning, her first thought was the YMCA. Talita’s two daughters have flourished in Y childcare and afterschool care. Daughter Alicia is 7 and daughter Valentina is 3. Talita works full-time as a Licensed… Read more »