By Gale Hemmann
Have you ever wondered what Santa’s workshop looks like? Well, I think I’ve gotten a pretty good idea.
I recently visited the Olympia Downtown Branch of the South Sound YMCA to learn more about their upcoming Christmas at the Y event. Tucked away on the historic building’s third floor, you’ll find a Christmas “workshop” brimming with donated toys, gifts and gift wrap galore. From board games to toys for toddlers, there’s something for every child.
And that’s the wonderful thing about Christmas at the Y – there is something for every child and family. This community Christmas party is free and open to everyone. Now in its fifth year, the event has become popular because children can get a free photo with Santa, a free gift, and much more. There is a special area where kids can pick out a gift and wrap it for a family member, and activities and crafts in the gym. This local holiday event is unique in that every part of the event is free. Last year’s event drew over 500 people and this year’s is gearing up to be just as successful.
As every adult knows, behind the Christmas magic, especially an event this big, is a lot of planning and prep work. Behind the scenes of this year’s Christmas at the Y are two long-time YMCA volunteers, Barb Kuenstler and Carolee Johnson. The two have been planning the event since July. They’ve set up a “Giving Tree” in the lobby for members who want to donate gift items. They’ve coordinated volunteers, promoted the event around town, and spent hours organizing the donated new and gently used donations that have come in. “The community and our members have been incredibly generous,” Barb notes. “This event couldn’t happen without them.”
Planning the Event: A Labor of Love
As Barb and Carolee told me about Christmas at the Y and we perused the many donated gifts in their “workshop,” I learned a little about each of their volunteer experiences at the South Sound YMCA.
Barb Kuenstler has been involved with the Olympia Downtown branch since the 1970s. She originally began as a staff member, and then continued to volunteer over the years. “They called me and asked me to volunteer, and I never looked back,” she says with a laugh. She served as Board President in the 1970s and again in recent years (she continues to serve as a board member today). Kuenstler has been volunteering with the organization off and on for over 40 years, she tells me. Energetic and personable, she loves the positive energy and the people at the South Sound YMCA, and all the ways it brings the community together.
After retiring from RSM McGladrey, a local accounting firm, Barb has been enjoying organizing Christmas at the Y and helping with other events. She has spent many hours lovingly sorting through and preparing donated gift items for the kids. Carolee says Barb has a knack for putting items together in a way that makes them eye-catching (such as grouping smaller items in baskets and decorating them attractively). Clearly, both Barb and Carolee see this work as an absolute labor of love. Their goal is for each child and family member in attendance to have a positive Christmas memory, as well as gifts and crafts to take home.
Carolee Johnson became involved with the South Sound YMCA through her love of synchronized swimming – she is a long-time member of the adult competitive synchro program. She has also volunteered at the Olympia Downtown branch for many years, and was named “Fundraising Volunteer of the Year” in 2013 for her work on the South Sound YMCA’s Annual Campaign, which ensures that all kids, adults and families have access to Y programs.
Carolee, who radiates warmth and kindness, has taken on an amazing task for this year’s event. Along with some of her “helper elf” friends, she is sewing over 500 cloth tote bags for guests to take home as a gift and to carry their goodies. She has been working on it all year, she told me as she showed me an example of a lovely hand-made bag. I asked her what it was like to take on such a big project. She says the sewing brings her joy and is spiritually rewarding for her. In fact, she sews a tiny charm saying “Made with Love” onto each bag.
While many hours (and many stitches) have gone into the event, the two have had a great time working on it. Says Carolee of Barb, “We’re lifelong friends now. That’s what I love about being involved at the Y…it’s like family.”
The Y has a long history of service to the community, and Christmas at the Y brings in a truly diverse cross-section of the community. Carolee especially appreciates that kids can get gifts for their families, because she says that, since the Y serves all income levels, some kids may not otherwise be able to treat a family member. “For some kids, it may be the first time they’ve gotten to select a gift for their mom or dad,” she says. In fact, this truly free event is something that many families have come to count on. “For some families, this is their Christmas,” she notes. And she says the beauty of the event is that it’s truly open to everyone. “The inclusivity of the event is really important to me.”
“This is my Christmas too,” Carolee states. “This is what the holiday season is all about to me.”
She also loves the old-fashioned, family-friendly nature of the event. And it’s become a family affair – her husband, Jerome, is volunteering his time to take the Santa photos this year.
As adults, we know that Santa doesn’t come down our chimney at night. But events like Christmas at the Y – with hundreds of happy children and families – remind us that the magic of Christmas is real.
Christmas at the Y 2014
This year’s Christmas at the Y takes place on Friday, December 5, 2014 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Olympia Downtown YMCA. Barb, Carolee and the rest of the volunteers and staff are ready to welcome you for an evening of family fun.
Bring the family. The event is open to the entire community. Kids can get a free photo taken with Santa (kids get a print to take home) and an age-appropriate wrapped gift from Mrs. Claus. In the gym, kids will enjoy Christmas arts and crafts and games led by Y volunteers and Olympia High School students. Stop by the “Giving Room” for kids to pick out and wrap a gift for a family member – again, everything is totally free.
The South Sound YMCA plays a special role in our community. The Olympia Downtown branch recently celebrated 100 years in the heart of downtown Olympia. It brings Carolee and Barb great joy to know that, over a century later, the Y continues its mission of serving a broad cross-section of the community. Carolee says seeing the lobby full smiling kids and parents during Christmas at the Y brings a smile to her face. They often receive many thanks and even hugs of gratitude from parents at the end of the night. “Absolutely everyone is welcome here, and I think that’s what keeps drawing people back,” says Carolee.
Donations of non-perishable food are accepted at the door for the Thurston County Food Bank.
For more information about the South Sound YMCA, visit their website, “like” them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter.
Christmas at the Y
Olympia Downtown YMCA
510 Franklin Street, Olympia, WA 98502
Friday, December 5, 2014 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
