YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg 3rd Annual Celebration of Impact

Strengthening community has always been the Y's purpose, and through times of crisis, the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg has always found a way to help people not only survive but thrive. This past year has been no exception as described in the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg's 3rd Annual Celebration of Impact event on February 24.

Y staff, along with volunteers and Board Members, tuned in to the virtual event to reflect upon the outcome of the Y's efforts to meet the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and celebrate the many individuals who excelled at serving the community this past year.

"It's important to recognize outstanding performances at any time, but especially during an extremely difficult year," said Jane Ferguson, chair of the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg volunteer Board of Directors. "Y employees and volunteers faced tremendous challenges and we can learn from our collective achievements. That way, together, we can elevate the impact our YMCA has on the community in even bigger ways in the future."

The YMCA's ability to serve the community requires collaboration across employees, donors, and many volunteers. The shining stars who were recognized during the annual celebration include:

Pictured from top to bottom: Sue Heron, Barbara White, Roy Freeman, Heather Vanderbeek

Pictured from left to right: Sue Heron, Barbara White, Roy Freeman, Heather Vanderbeek

Volunteer of the Year Award Winner

Sue Heron
Jim & Heather Gills YMCA Branch Council Member

Sue Heron has been a friend to the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg for over 19 years and has served on the Jim & Heather Gills YMCA Branch Council since July 2016. As a very active member and volunteer, Sue is always willing to offer new ideas and isn't afraid to roll up her sleeves to put ideas into action.

One of her many talents is helping to connect people to the Y's cause, spread the enthusiasm and inspire others to give. She has participated in several fundraising event committees over the years including YMCA Spin-A-Rama and Amp It Up. She leads by example by personally donating to support Y initiatives like Send a Kid to Camp, YMCA Spin-A-Rama, and the YMCA Neighbor to Neighbor Christmas Program.

This year, with the impact of COVID-19 on our operations and philanthropic efforts, she didn't hesitate to ask "What do you need?" and "How can I help?" The contributions of her time, talent and treasure have meant a lot to the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg -- but her spirit and unwavering support is priceless.

Unsung Hero Award Winner

Heather Vanderbeek
Marketing Manager

Heather Vanderbeek received multiple nominations for this award due to her high-quality output, which was critical to the Y's business given this past year's extraordinarily difficult circumstances. Heather's work has been critical during the pandemic, keeping our members, children and employees "in the know" on safety protocols and service updates. She managed countless details across digital marketing and creative design efforts. Her colleagues have noticed and called out that, "The quality of her work is excellent. Heather always strives for not just 'better;' she strives for the 'best.'"

Impact Award Winner

Roy Freeman
Youth Specialist in the YMCA Before-and-Afterschool Program at Azalea Elementary School

Roy Freeman has worked for the YMCA for more than twenty years and is currently the Youth Specialist at Azalea Elementary School. Roy is fun, energetic (you know when he enters a room) and patient. He works diligently with every youth group he has and brings out the best in them through praise and music.

His love for music has made a HUGE difference with engaging the children. He sings, raps, dances and even writes songs with his group. He is one of the most requested group leaders during camp and will go above and beyond to provide the best afterschool and camp experience for our youth. As described in his nomination, "Roy is an impactful person and the Y is better because of individuals like him."

Leadership Award Winner

Barbara White
Executive Director of Youth Development

Barbara White has been a leader in the Y community for the past twenty years. She is incredibly passionate about the Y's mission, which was evident during the YMCA Relief Care for Essential Workers in spring 2020. She led her team through the opening of a new campsite at the Lealman Exchange (LEX) while also sharing her staff resources at the other camp locations to support their teams. She worked hands-on at LEX every day with her team and stayed in communication with the other sites on a regular basis.

In the fall, Barbara led the efforts to reopen our Y's before and afterschool program in coordination with Pinellas County Schools. Her team succeeded in getting students back in the program, while also keeping them safe.

Barbara works long, hard hours to make sure she is a good leader and example to staff. Her peers and staff noticed that, "Despite the challenges experienced in the last year, Barbara often had a smile on her face and always offered a hand to those of us who needed it."

The event was perhaps best summed up by David W. Jezek, President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg. "2020 may have been a uniquely challenging year, but I see it as a year that we as an organization really proved ourselves. With a continued commitment to those we serve and an aspiration to always do better for them in our sights, I believe we are well positioned to come out even stronger in 2021."