"I have been involved with the YMCA since I moved here from New England in 1998. The Lake Norman branch has been a blessing for me in many ways. For several years, I was a single father with full custody of all 5 of my children. The Y was like a second home to us and it would not be an overstatement to say the Y helped me raise my kids. I needed afterschool, sports activities, summer camps and every other opportunity the Y had to offer in order to raise my kids. My older children worked as camp counselors, volunteered in many activities including Outreach and ESL. The Y has been a savior to my family in countless respects. Now I am remarried and the Y remains an integral part of my family. While 3 of my 5 are out of high school and off at college, the youngest two still are actively engaged in Y services ranging from afterschool, summer day camps and Camp Thunderbird & Camp Harrison."

"As a volunteer, it provides me the opportunity to give back to the community and an outlet to accomplish great things through outreach and Y services. I have grown so much personally from the volunteer experience that I feel I have taken far more than I have given. The Y is a blessing to my family and the community. I am honored to be able to contribute even a droplet in the ocean of impact the Y has on countless lives."
 
Joseph Hunt, Board Chair
Volunteer Board of Managers
Lake Norman YMCA