This Is Y

After 15 years as President and CEO of the First Coast YMCA, Eric Mann is entering retirement and in this episode, Eric looks back on his time leading the YMCA & look forward to what's next.

Every year, the First Coast YMCA puts on the First Coast Games, a fun sports competition between Jacksonville area companies. In this week's episode, we put a wrap on the latest season, with some of the long-term participants and sponsors, as well as a company who participated for the first time.

Session Description: A critical component of operations at the First Coast YMCA is the Board of Directors at each branch. Comprised of selfless community leaders, these boards provide crucial guidance in the direction of each branch and ensure each location is empowering their immediate community with the unique resources they need to thrive. On today’s episode are two of those leaders – Dan Fritz and Matt Frahm- along with Vice President of Operations Delonyx Cortez, as they all discuss the importance of giving back to the First Coast YMCA through service.

One of the signs of a healthy and growing community is when organizations come together to serve the common good. The First Coast YMCA and the Jacksonville Jaguars have had an established relationship for years, which was seen recently in the announcement of the Downtown YMCA at One Tower Court across from the Jaguars’ stadium. Joining this week’s episode of This is Y are Courtney Weatherby-Hunter, Senior Vice President & Chief Development Officer for the First Coast YMCA; and Whitney Meyer, Senior Vice President and Chief Community Impact Officer for the Jacksonville Jaguars, to discuss how their partnership is constantly evolving to meet the needs of the Northeast Florida community.

One of the biggest issues our community is facing is the struggle with mental health. It impacts nearly every population, especially young people, and the First Coast YMCA is making sure it’s providing programs and services that meet people where they are, including in May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month. Connie Smith, Senior Director of Healthy Living at the First Coast YMCA, provides valuable insight on today’s episode about mental health programming at the Y, and is joined by a mother and daughter who recently got plugged into a program dedicated to teenage girls.

In addition to its natural beauty and variety of fun activities and resources, Camp Immokalee in Keystone Heights provides the perfect setting for adults and kids to disconnect from modern technology like phones, tablets, and laptops, and reconnect with their inner child. This week’s episode dives into the benefits of unplugging from technology and includes valuable insights from Allison Krabill, Associate Vice President – Overnight Services, First Coast YMCA; Ashley Smith, Camp Immokalee Board Member; and Dr. Mark Tillman, Dean of the Brooks Rehabilitation College of Healthcare Sciences at Jacksonville University.

Take Stock in Children is a program that disrupts the cycle of poverty and helps children find a path to attending college.

This episode explores the Day Camp program the First Coast YMCA provides during the summer for children, primarily from 5-12 years of age.

Nassau County is home to two branches of the First Coast YMCA and in this episode we talk about the unique features of those two branches as well as the programs and events they are involved in.

The First Coast YMCA has a number of programs for teenagers in order to support the positive cognitive, physical, and social-emotional growth of teens to set them up for success in their careers. One of those programs is called, Leaders Club, and that is the focus of this podcast.