The Y believes in the power of inspired young people. With over 14,000 staff and 2,000 volunteers dedicated to inspiring them through a range of services, incredible things happen every day at Ys around the country.
So, we created A Million Moments to shine a light on those stories.
The ‘A Million Moments’ campaign is the Y’s national campaign in 2019-20. It is focused on sharing the stories of the ‘every day’ heroes of the Y across Australia, who impact positively on the lives of young people and children, whether they are young people themselves or empowering young people and children.
Meet our WA everyday heroes, Carole (YMCA Narrogin), Nelson (YMCA HQ) and Jarrad (Base@Belmont).
Meet Nelson
22 year old Nelson Mondlane oozes energy and passion for art and music, and helping other young people express themselves through art.
With a big smile, big voice and a big heart to match, the lead singer of Perth band Superego also works part-time at the Y’s HQ in Perth, West Australia, an all ages live music venue and youth arts, performance & enterprise. He runs HQ’s Art Gallery, while also studying drama and arts at Curtin University.
Every one of Nelson’s interactions with the youth who come into the Y at HQ is just one of a million moments that positively impact the lives of young people, a million moments that give the Y reason to continue doing what they do best.
Meet Carole
The Y offered Carole the independence and opportunities for personal growth, crucial for any young person. Through the Y Carole was able to further her education with TAFE courses, learn to write a solid resume, earn her learner’s permit and provisional licence, find stable employment as a Customer Service Officer, and achieve certification as a lifeguard through the Bronze Medallion program. All of these initiatives may seem small, but for Carole their combined impact was life-changing.
Carole has progressed from her role as Customer Service Officer to Lifeguard, and now Duty Manager at the Narrogin Regional Leisure Centre after recently completing her pool operations course allowing her to further continue to progress her career in the health and wellness industry.
Meet Jarrad
When Jarrad first got involved with the Y more than six years ago, he was on a challenging and unknown path. Struggling both at school and after school, the teenager found himself wandering the streets.
But it all began to turn around when he decided to take a trip to his local Y-run youth centre, The Base @ Belmont, where with open arms the Y welcomed Jarrad into the service. The Base offered him access to a number of programs and activities he wouldn’t have been able to experience otherwise, including a six-day adventure camp at Margaret River that stands out as one of Jarrad’s favourite memories. His positive experiences with the Y also allowed Jarrad to discover his own natural abilities as a leader, and a true passion for volunteer work.
Now 21, Jarrad has thrown himself into his role as a Peer Mentor at the Base. “One of the things that I love about The Base is meeting new young people,” says Jarrad. “I’ve made lifelong friends in my own age group, and young kids sometimes see me on the street and feel comfortable coming up and saying hi.
