Gayle is a longtime FSPY member who volunteers as a mental health advocate with the Here 2 Help Mental Health Coalition, which includes our YMCA. “I started here as a member in 1989 when my oldest daughter was 2 years old. All three of my girls took swim instruction here and were lifeguards here, and my younger two swam competitively at the Y as well as in high school and college. I was the STPO (Swim Team Parent Organization) president for a while and I also taught swim lessons for little ones. My husband and I are still members to this day. Several years ago, there was a call for people to form a coalition around mental health awareness. I came in as a parent and an educator. From the initial small group, the coalition grew and grew and grew. As an educator, I see every day how more and more kids are going into crisis with situations of stress and anxiety. It’s kids in our community. It’s an important message to get out that mental health is an illness, too – but people don’t want to have the stigma associated with it. Through this group, I got my mental health first aid certification. The more I got involved, the more passionate I became. I just think when you volunteer and give of yourself, it makes your heart feel good and your soul feel good and it’s all part of keeping yourself healthy mentally, physically and emotionally.”