Ambassador/Volunteer Application

Volunteer Letter from the CEO

Volunteer Code of Conduct

Volunteer Time Sheet

Volunteer Dress Code

Volunteers of the Month - Awarded for Service 

 

July 2010

Jill Ficke

Gymnastics Team

 

Jill has two daughters on the Countryside YMCA Gymnastics Team. Jill herself competed through her college career and is now giving back by donation her time and energy to the team here at the Y. She volunteers three days a week from 6-8:30 and is such a joy to work with. She does it all with our Level 5 Team! She has a smile and an encouraging word for all she comes into contact with. Jill will be going to Nationals with the team this year to help coach. Jill not only helps coach the team, but she also reaches out to the parents and forms connections with them as well. She helps set up for Fun Meets and other events and is always there when help is hard to find. Due to loss of coaches recently, Jill has really stepped up and dedicated her time to the team. We would not have been able to compete this year as well as we have in the past without her time and support!

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June 2010

Holly Saunders

May 2010

Steve Renie

Steve Renie has been a Countryside YMCA member for the last 5+ years.  He was a member of the YMCA in Louisville, Ohio while growing up and used it frequently as a child.  He has been volunteering here at the Countryside YMCA for the past 5 years in our sports department working with the flag football teams and running the football speed and agility camp at Countryside.

Steve is married with four children ages 11, 9, 8, and 7, one of whom swims on the Countryside YMCA Torpedoes Swim Team.  His other children play flag football and have also played basketball and baseball at the Y.  His second oldest daughter is involved in soccer.  

Steve’s passion for football and the experiences he’s had are some reasons why he volunteers.  He played football from 3rd grade through high school and also played some in college before an injury forced him to stop.  Since then he enjoys playing flag football seasonally and plays on an adult flag football team as well.  He also dedicates his time to KYO, this Kings Football program.

Steve really enjoys coaching kids for football, helping them build confidence as well as skills in the sport.  He truly believes that a sound body helps contribute to a sound mind, and applies this to his coaching.  Has taken love for a sport and turned it into a gift that he can share with the kids participating in the Countryside YMCA flag football program and camp. 

Volunteers of the Year

Awarded for Service in 2009

Anita Clayland

Anita Clayland and family joined the Y in 1986.  Anita has been in the volunteer/ambassador program since in began in 2004. She was our very first Ambassador. Ruth approached her and asked if she would be a test volunteer. At that time her duties were to just be available to anyone if they had any questions, such as the location of a class, and to help out in general.  The following spring the Ambassador program started with fitness ambassadors. At that time Anita became an ambassador for her Circuit Training class (which became Strive, and is now Total Body Conditioning) and for Power Core on the Ball.

Anita also volunteers in the Welcome Center giving tours to prospective members. She likes to stay busy, so instead of sitting idle while waiting for a tour to come, she assists with other tasks such as entering information from the tour cards, addressing envelopes, filing, or whatever else might need to be done.

In addition to those areas, Anita enjoys helping with other Y activities such as the Apple Fest Run, Ronnie’s Run, Healthy Kids Day, and school fliers. She has even delivered the fliers that went to a school near her home.
Anita has taken a wide variety of classes during her time as a member. As much as she appreciates the value of exercise for her health and will being, it is the friendships and companionship that has meant the most to her.
This is another reason that she volunteers, to get to meet and interact with all of the great people at the Y.

Bob Hiller

Bob is an assistant swim coach currently with the senior group of the Torpedoes swim team.  He has been a volunteer coach for Countryside since 1993.  He has also been a head coach of summer teams in 1970 & 1971, and 1974 & 1975.  He also has been assistant coach in 1976 & 1977 for the Cincinnati Marlins.  Outside of his work as an attorney and time spent with the Torpedoes he has also completed the Ironman Triathlon.  Bob has three kids that have also swum for the Torpedoes. 

Bob brings a passion for swimming and life to our kids.  He not only coaches them to succeed as swimmers, but he truly cares about them being good successful people.  He gives his time to the Countryside YMCA Swim Team because he loves the sport of swimming and loves the opportunity to impact these kid’s lives in a positive way.  He also truly enjoys being around the kids and what they offer him in their enthusiasm for the sport.  He is always telling stories of his amazing experiences and these stories always bring a life lesson to the kids.  In his many years hundreds of kids have been positively impacted by Bob whether it is through improving them as a swimmer or more often as a person not one ever forgets him and something they have learned from him.

Diana Smith-Knight is a YMCA Member who dedicates a good part of her time volunteering for the Senior Center, and the Senior Pool garden.  She also volunteers for special events such as our Veterans Day Celebration and the Visions Gala.

Diana Smith-Knights’ strength is her ability to put anyone she is talking to at ease from the moment they meet her.  Her artistic ability and flair is enjoyed by our members and visitors when they enter the double doors to the Senior Center.
 
Diana has taken care of the large flower garden that is outside the Senior Swimming Pool for 1 year.   Our resident birds are also happy that Diana keeps food all year round for them.   Last year she began decorating our Senior Center Lobby.  Each season brings beautiful surprises with her special decorations. 

Educational background
Diana graduated from Bowling Green State University.  She received a  Special Education Degree certified in 5 areas of Special Education.  She received her Masters degree in Early Childhood at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.

She did Post Graduate work at University of Auckland, New Zealand, focusing on reading & writing.

She also taught in the Education Department at Wilmington College.

Diana taught children for 35 years.  18 years of her career was teaching in special education and the remaining years were in teaching kindergarten.

Diana was born in Toledo, Ohio.  She grew up in the suburb of Maumee with her mom and Dad, 3 sisters and 1 brother

Honors and Awards
Graduate student of the year for Wright State University Education Department
Special Education of the year, Hillsboro, Ohio
Teacher of the year, Hillsboro City Schools
Jennings Scholar Award

Hobbies that Diana enjoys are scrap booking, sewing, gardening, decorating and she loves to travel.

Diana’s husband Gene Knight taught Chemistry at Lebanon High School prior to his death.  Diana now lives in the country enjoying nature’s best on her farm with Josie, her special little dog.