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Motivate & Inspire Your Community

TELL US YOUR Y STORY

Every person who walks through the YMCA’s doors has a story to tell and the power to inspire, motivate, and change the world for the better. We’d like to know about your own experiences and stories at the Y and how it impacted you or your family’s life and well-being. Fill out the form below to share the initial details of your story. Once we receive it, a team member may contact you for further information or a video interview to learn more.

Three young boys, all wearing bright yellow YMCA t-shirts, sit together on a playground slide with their arms around each other, smiling happily at the camera. They are enjoying a sunny day outdoors, highlighting the camaraderie and fun of the YMCA's activities for children.

Featured Y stories

Y Story | Donna & Chuck Wood

Share your story

By submitting this form, you grant the YMCA of Greater Waukesha County permission to publish your story on our Y materials, website, and social media.

Writing prompts

  • What brought you to the Y? How long have you been coming to the Y?
  • What does the Y mean to you?
  • What was the biggest challenge you were facing?
  • What gives you a sense of belonging at the Y?
  • What did you learn about yourself through your Y experience?
  • What was the moment when you felt a special connection to someone through the YMCA?
  • Provide an instance that a Y staff member has gone above and beyond.

Helpful tips

Keep it short:
Tell it in 250 words or less.

Keep it conversational:
When you read your story aloud, does it sound like you would say it to a friend? Visualize a specific person as you‘re writing, then speak directly to that person. Read it to a friend.

Show. Don’t tell.
People are emotional beings. Use the people and relationships in your story to tap into your reader’s innate sense of empathy, and remind them of their own stories.

Photos

A picture says more than a thousand words. People love stories and they love pictures. Please include pictures with your story so we can share to social media.