Page 7 - 2019 Annual Report YMCA of the Suncoast

The year 2018 was a rough one for
Dr. Ruth Hulbert Johnson. “That’s
the year my beloved husband of 49
years died and at the same time I
was diagnosed with breast cancer,”
recalls Ruth. “I was barely able to
function for months, but finally, I
found LIVESTRONG at the YMCA.
Initially, I thought of it as a program
just to strengthen the body. That
could not be further from the reality
of what this program provides. It truly is about strengthening the mind, body, and spirit and helping make survivors feel whole again and in control. Yes, we get into the Wellness Center and learn how to use resistance training and cardio to rebuild physical strength and vitality. We also learned about nutritional information especially
important to recovery. However, through interaction with staff, volunteers, and each other we learned that we all have our challenges that can be conquered through sharing and support,” shares Ruth. “There were
so many days I walked into the YMCA in tears and walked out believing
I could make it through another
day. Staff members meet us with encouragement at whatever point we
are in our journey. By sharing and cheering each other on, we are able to build new friendships and a support network. And it helps put one’s own trials into a new perspective when we hear about other’s challenges in surviving cancer treatment and recovery.”
STRONGER BECAUSE OF YOU
2019 IMPACT SNAPSHOT
100,000+
children, teens, adults, senior citizens, cancer survivors, chronically ill community members, at-risk youth, infants & toddlers across four counties were supported & guided to achieve greater health and well-being for their spirit, mind & body at the Y. Of those...
1,300+
improved their quality of life through our community integrated health programs like arthritis & Parkinson’s disease management, cancer survivor wellness & diabetes prevention.
YMCA OF THE SUNCOAST |
ANNUAL REPORT 2019 6