Opening new doors
As featured in InSpire Magazine, March 2010
Dee Kratz was going back to school and had two young children at home. She said money was tight and she could not afford a membership at the YMCA. Dee happened to be in a class at Moraine Park Technical College that was being taught by Mary Vogl-Rauscher. At Mary’s urging, Dee went in and applied for financial assistance.
“I applied and it was wonderful,” she said. “My son got to go to preschool here. I would have never thought of coming in and being a member otherwise. It’s a nice safe family thing to do.”
Dee and her children, Chandler and Mylie, visit the YMCA often. The kids like open swim in the Family Waterpark, Chandler enjoys playing basketball in the gym and the facility feels like a comfortable second home to all three of them.
“I bring my kids to the YMCA and they have a sense of belonging and it gives us something to do together that we all enjoy,” Dee said. “We come swimming all the time. At first I didn’t want to come in and ask for the scholarship. But, it was a pretty easy process, you are not made to feel like ‘poor you.’ And no one even knows.”
Since then, Dee has graduated from school and is working part-time at the YMCA. She had been a lifeguard in the past and heard that the YMCA was looking for lifeguards. She applied for the job, passed the test and soon was working during the morning hours. She also teaches swimming lessons and water aerobics classes.
“It’s really nice to get up in the morning and want to go to work,” Dee said. “I love it here. Now that I look back, I never thought it would stem this far.”
Dee is very appreciative of the financial assistance that helped her family out during that time. It provided many opportunities for her children and opened new possibilities for herself. At the 2009 Sport Night Dee won the 50/50 raffle and without a moments hesitation, she donated a portion of that money back to the Strong Kids Campaign.
“Dee is someone who gives back, not just takes,” said Jen Kruel, executive director of the YMCA. “She is a representative of anybody who has ever come in to ask for help, as temporary or permanent as it may be. She is a role model.”
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