Active Living Program News
Ligonier Valley YMCA Secures Grant Funding to Add Healthy Eating Every Day Program
Cathy Graham is the director of marketing and project manager for Activate America at Ligonier Valley YMCA in Ligonier Valley, Pennsylvania. Cathy has been a member of the Ligonier Valley YMCA for 10 years and has worked at the Y in some capacity for the last 4 years. Cathy joined the Y as a way to become acquainted with the community when she moved here, and she was thrilled to find a YMCA in her new hometown. As a single mother, finding such a safe and genuinely caring place for her daughter to spend time before and after school was a tremendous relief.
Cathy has spent most of her professional career in marketing. She attended West Virginia University, where she studied broadcast journalism. Cathy was hired as a copywriter at WCLG-FM, where she completed her internship, in Morgantown in 1981. The first 13 years of her career were spent in radio, and she loved the diversity, challenge, and grassroots fabric of the job. Her move to Ligonier took her out of the radio business and into the hospitality business. After a close friend’s death, Cathy decided to take an entry-level job in a fitness center. Today she is a certified personal trainer, group fitness instructor, and Healthy Eating Every Day facilitator.
By Cathy Graham
As a personal trainer and group fitness instructor, I am often asked questions about dieting and caloric intake. I don’t have formal training in nutrition, so it was against the code of ethics for me to answer questions or give advice on nutrition.
However, I saw a very real need to be able to offer our members and the community sound information on the importance of deliberate nutrition. So I was very excited when I received an e-mail from a Healthy Eating Every Day representative.
With the guidance of the HEED staff, I applied for the 2007 Pepsi Healthy Living Grant, seeking the funding for facilitator training and implementation of the HEED program. Nutritional programming was not offered at our YMCA. Expensive commercial diets (Weight Watchers, LA Weight Loss, Jenny Craig) were the only options available in our area. It was a real boost for our community when the grant funding was secured for HEED.
The first HEED class was formed in January 2008. The class was originally designed for 18 people, but 23 signed up. I decided to take all 23 knowing that a few folks may not stay for the full ride. I started the first session confident and eager, believing 100 percent in what the program had to offer. The HEED Facilitator Guide is a fantastic tool. Each week I was able to prepare for class and follow the agenda with ease. The training for HEED facilitators delivers all the essentials for a successful program. As the weeks went by, I was amazed how the group started to take on a personality of its own. In the beginning I was definitely guiding the way. After about eight weeks the group started to really communicate, and the help they gave each other was incredible. Not only were they focused on the material, but they were focusing on each other as well. As a group they supported and nurtured each other. Throughout the course, laughter, applause, and hugs were abundant. It was structured but comfortable. Everyone who finished the program had a personal victory. Some participants lost weight, some lowered cholesterol, and some experienced very little change but gained knowledge to help members of their own families.
Graduation was held at a farm in out hometown. We had a tour of the farm, and all attendees listened intently to our guide on the nutritional benefits of eggs from free-roaming hens and beef allowed to graze peacefully on the hillside. We learned so much about the importance of respect and gratitude for our food sources. Our class agreed that the farm-to-table concept was an important one when considering the quality of the foods we eat.
We will start our second session in 2009. I will bring with me the experiences of the 2008 class. I know that the HEED course is exactly the right one for our YMCA. It parallels the work we are doing as an Activate America YMCA and is a key factor in our Activate Ligonier Valley strategy. The support from Bhibha was extraordinary. Having continual support through the conference calls and e-mails shows that the HEED organization cares about the entire program, not just the sales of the product. Any YMCA would benefit from associating with this product.
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