Reba Campbell is a Wellness Coach at the Central Spokane YMCA. Her YMCA journey begins in Dillon, Montana, where as a teenager she would go daily to the local Y to work out and connect with her community. Reba credits the wellness coaches with inspiring her passion of building relationships with people and helping others, “those wellness coaches made a huge impact on my life.” Reba wasted no time giving back, at age 15 she became a lifeguard at the Y, then worked her way up to lead guard, water exercise instructor, group exercise instructor and now wellness coach. Through her ti ..read more

Joan knew something was off, she just didn’t know what. After almost two years of hospital visits and possible explanations, doctors finally found the answer; Hairy Cell Leukemia. The rare cancer put her in the hospital for more than two long months while she underwent chemotherapy. The heavy doses of medication and other treatments left her in the worst shape of her life. One day during Joan’s recovery, her daughter went to the North Y for a workout while home from college, and Joan decided to tag along. After about 10 minutes on the treadmill she knew she had to do something different. Looki ..read more

Brenda Jamison is the Early Childhood Education Coordinator at the EWU Children’s Center. She began her time with the Children’s Center in 1990 and worked for 6 years before taking time off to raise her family, then returned in 2012. “When I wanted to get back to work, this is the only place I wanted to be,” Brenda said. As the Early Childhood Education Coordinator she is tasked with adjusting learning curriculums and making sure over 50 staff members are properly equipped to teach the students. This includes making sure the correct curriculums are in place while balancing varying standar ..read more

Even though she’s only responsible for one of them, just about every kid in the neighborhood calls Anita “Grandma.” It’s a role she takes willingly, helping to make sure the kids at the Richard Allen Apartments stay out of trouble and are being safe. This past summer, her granddaughter Arianna and others from the area were able to participate in the Safety Around Water program at the YMCA. The free lessons help introduce children to the water and prepare them for possible emergencies while at a pool, lake or other body of water. “Children feel safer when they know how to do something, especial ..read more