The Rye Y Community

Gregg Howells, Executive Director


I was recently asked to submit a quote answering the question “what is community?” for an exhibit at the Rye Arts Center.   It wasn’t easy even though I experience community every day—here at the Y, at Rotary Club luncheons, at my son’s cross country meets—I was hard-pressed to define it. 

Then, I found just the right quote from organizational consultant Peter Block, who said “We are in community each time we find a place where we belong.”

In early November, Y staff members spent two days interviewing members, volunteers and each other as part of the first Voices from our Community: The Rye Y Story Project. We were touched by the stories we heard--stories of hope, determination and gratitude for the community so many have found here.  One person stated “I consider the Rye YMCA to be a second home.” Another commented “When I found the Rye YMCA, it was like a homecoming.” 

Re-charging and using WiFi during Hurricane Sandy

This sense of community was never more evident than in the days following Hurricane Sandy. With no power or heat, members and local residents flocked to the Y where they found warmth, hot showers, activities for kids, Wi-Fi and a place to re-charge (in all senses of the word).  Our building could have been chaotic, filled with stressed and worried adults and bored children. Instead, there was a palpable sense of camaraderie, friendship and relief (and just a little chaos!)  As one local mom wrote afterward “The Y has been a life saver for our family. Our apartment is cold and there is really nowhere to go because we cannot drive and risk running out of gas.  My boys are able to stay warm, shower and be active.  I really do not know what we would do without the Y.” 


If it sounds like I’m bragging, well… perhaps just a little.  I’m proud that every member of our staff—from the swim instructors to member services, child care to maintenance—works hard to create a welcoming experience for everyone who walks through our doors.  You could say that’s just good business sense.  But it’s so much more than that.  Giving people a place where they feel they belong is part of our mission. 

From the health-seekers to the athletes, young and old, we welcome you all.  This is your community.

What I'm Thankful For

A blog post from the Rye Y staff

I am thankful for having the opportunity to work at the Rye YMCA where we change lives each and every day. I am thankful for the dedicated staff team that makes the spirit of the Y resonate through our community and beyond. I am thankful for good health that allows me to tackle every new day with a refreshed sense of purpose…And most of all I am thankful for a great family who I can laugh with, hang with, celebrate with and count on to support me in all I do.

- Gregg Howells, Executive Director


I am thankful for having my hair back after Chemo.

- Ann Ivan, Fitness Center Director


I’m thankful for the days so light
I’m thankful for the nights so bright
I’m thankful for the music I hear
And the friends so dear.

I’m thankful for the husband that has kept me safe
For the children who I love and have filled my days
But most of all I’m thankful for the breath I can take
That I’m here to see every day for my sake.

I’m thankful for the faith I have joined
And new friends I have made
They bring me such joy and peace
And a place to be together and meet

I’m thankful for my place of work everyday
That has lifted me through many happy days
For the people we serve
And the values we can preserve.

I’m thankful for all the family and friends
That have been and will be in my life!

- Penny Cozza, Fund Development Associate


I’m thankful, most of all, for the love of family. I am grateful to be given an opportunity to arrive at a new village, filled with people full of energy, passion and humor!

- Eileen Barber, Chief Operating Officer


I am grateful for my family. We have an intact home, undisrupted by Hurricane Sandy. My grown sons are both still willing to regularly beat me in tennis and Scrabble. Nobody makes me laugh as hard as my husband. I have a job that I enjoy and feel is making a positive difference in our community. I have shelves full of books that I can’t wait to read, a running car, two tickets to the upcoming Bob Dylan concert and good friends that amaze me. I am very, very fortunate.

- Lisa Tidball, Director of Communications


This Thanksgiving I am especially thankful for the wonderful family and friends that I have in Rye and the surrounding communities. We have had two major hurricanes impact our area in the past 14 months and our home, which is located in a flood plain, has suffered significant damage in both. Not only have we had to evacuate our home before the storm, but we have had to find other places of shelter for 10 days after the storm. Whatever feelings of displacement we experienced, however, was quickly abated when our friends and relatives opened up their homes to my family of five. They provided warm meals, hot showers, shared their washers and dryers and made sure our three boys had plenty of activities to keep them out of trouble or danger. We laughed over stories we shared from our past and enjoyed spirited discussions of the politics of the day. We are now back in our home and while there are still many repairs that need to be completed, I will always be so thankful for the kindness and generosity bestowed on my family by our dear relatives and friends in Rye.

- Lisa Urban, Community Relations Coordinator

I am thankful for all of the different aspects of my life that seem to come together. A husband who balances me. Parents who are proud of me. Sisters who confide in me. Participants who are inspired by me. Co-workers who support me. Friends who are loyal. And I’m grateful that I can be all these things for the people in my life too.

- Tanya Stack, YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program Coordinator

I’m thankful for new beginnings. Last Thanksgiving I was unemployed, having been laid off in June. I was optimistic however, that the next great thing was just around the corner. And it was! On Valentine’s Day, I was hired by the Rye Y and have never been happier to come to work each morning.

- Denise Woodin, Director of Community Impact and Social Responsibility