April is National Volunteer Month. Meet one of our fantastic volunteers, Donna, a longtime Y member and our volunteer Pickleball coordinator
Donna joined our Y as member around 20 years ago when her daughter was in the preschool program here. She started taking aquatic fitness classes, which she continues to take to this day. Through the years, her daughter also took dance classes and participated in the 7th Grade Initiative at our Y.
When her daughter was in middle school, Donna was introduced to pickleball. “My daughter said, ‘mom, we tried something new in gym class and I think you’d like it,” Donna says. “Then, the Y brochure came out and it said they were offering pickleball. I decided to try it and have been playing ever since.”
Donna explains that she likes pickleball because although typically not as intense as tennis, it still offers a good workout. Plus, “it’s a fun group,” she says, adding that you’ll find all levels of players at the Y, from beginners to more advanced.
As the volunteer coordinator, Donna sends out emails before each pickleball session to ensure there are enough players, and keeps rosters of the players. She helps with setup and cleanup of the court, and acts as a liaison between the pickleball players and the Y staff.
Outside of the Y, Donna has also been an active volunteer with the Girl Scouts. Her daughter was a Girl Scout for 13 years and Donna served as a Girl Scout Leader when her daughter was in middle school. Donna also volunteered to help with trips and arts and crafts. Additionally, she served on the Parent Teacher Student Organization (PTSO) at her daughter’s high school, the Academy for Performing Arts.
Thank you to Donna and all our volunteers for being a part of our Y community!