MEET THE ROBERTSONS: WITH THE Y THROUGH EVERY STAGE

The Y builds strong families by providing respite for busy parents. John and Rachel Robertson joined the YMCA of Coastal Georgia shortly after their first child was born. The Y’s supervised Child Watch program, which allows parents to drop off their kids while they work out, became part of the Robertsons’ daily routine — an integral component in their support network as young parents. The Robertsons have now “grown up in the Y” as a family of five, John says, and the Y has been there to support them in each stage of life. All three Robertson kids attend camps and have played “every sport the Y offers” with their dad as coach — programs that teach valuable lessons of respect and responsibility.

“Our children have a sense of belonging, friendship and goals,” said John, who is the System General Manager of Clearwave Fiber in Savannah. “Each chapter of our lives has brought change and challenges but the one constant has been the YMCA of Coastal Georgia.”

Each day, we see the impact that programs like Child Watch have on YMCA families. We provide enrichment and supervised activities for kids and we also give parents the respite they need to recharge — one of our tools for building strong families. For this reason, the updated Islands Family YMCA will include expanded Child Watch space so that we can serve even more families like the Robertsons and continue to instill that sense of belonging in every child who walks through our doors.