The South Shore YMCA is the largest employer of teens in the region, with a wide variety of jobs available from Quincy to Sandwich. As summer approaches, the number of teens at work with the Y will swell to include camp counselors, additional lifeguards at the Y’s pools in Quincy and Hanover, playroom attendants and more.
These jobs, like any others, come with their share of stresses. In the heat of July and August, which can be brutal at times, days can seem exceedingly long. September can seem years in the distance. And with vigilance the watchword in the care and protection of young children, camp counselors and lifeguards especially must always be on guard. Teens play an integral role in the development of local kids, teaching them how to be safe in water, keeping their minds engaged during the months between school years and providing them with role models that they can look up to.
There’s a selflessness to these jobs that requires that our teens put the kids first, and their needs second, if temporarily, each day. But teens face numerous added pressures at home, socially and even in regard to school in summer, as they await word about college applications, scholarships, loans and more. A temperamental or rowdy camper can compound stresses a teen is already feeling.
Meaghan Hilton, Director of Aquatics at the Emilson Y in Hanover, is all too familiar with the dynamics. Overseeing her own young staff, she has seen the manifestations of anxiety and stress on the faces and heard them in the voices of her lifeguards. That’s why she reached out to the Redwoods Group Foundation for an employee wellness grant. This spring, the Foundation awarded the South Shore Y $1,000 to partner with Aspire Health Alliance to provide training sessions early this summer – before camp starts and the outdoor center at the Emilson Y opens for the season – on resources available to teens who might feel overwhelmed in any way.
“We have so many teenage staff members who might not think they have anywhere to go or anyone to talk to, or who might just not know who to talk to,” said Hilton. “This grant will help us start summer on the right foot by giving our employees a resource, outside of school, to get help if and when they need it, and to be at their best mentally.”
Phil Gay, Director of the South Shore Y’s Camp Quirk in Quincy, is equally as enthusiastic about the upcoming trainings. “We are very excited to receive this funding, which will help our teenagers have the support tools needed to help reduce the stresses of balancing work, school and social activities,” he said.
“We are pleased to partner with the South Shore YMCA in this important effort to educate teens about the importance of emotional well-being to overall health,” said Antony Sheehan, President and CEO of Aspire Health Alliance, “and, when necessary, to connect them to the appropriate resources Aspire Health Alliance provides throughout the South Shore community.”
The South Shore Y has the health and empowerment of teens written directly into its strategic plan, challenging itself to “positively affect an additional 1500 teens through programs, employment and membership” between 2017 and 2020. Thanks to the partners like the Redwoods Group Foundation and Aspire Health Alliance, that work is going strong. To learn more about the partnership, visit www.ssymca.org.
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About the South Shore YMCA
The South Shore YMCA is a not-for-profit association of individuals dedicated to improving the quality of life for all through programs that promote healthy spirit, mind, and body. Serving the communities of Quincy, Randolph, Holbrook, Weymouth, Braintree, Milton, Hingham, Hull, Cohasset, Scituate, Norwell, Hanover and beyond, the South Shore Y provides the opportunity to grow, learn, and thrive through its services and programs. Financial Assistance is a Y community benefit available to all families in need, applicable to all Y programs and services. To learn more about the South Shore YMCA, visit www.ssymca.org. The South Shore YMCA. The Better You Belongs Here.