In the four and half years that Lindsey Browning has been working in youth development for the YMCA of Central Kentucky, she has served countless youth and families as an assistant camp director, camp director, emergency childcare director, regional youth development director and now as regional operations director. Through these various roles, she's done everything from direct service to programming and bigger-picture planning to helping grow teams of engaged and effective childcare employees. She says one of the things she appreciates most about the Y is that, "it allows staff the opportunities to grow so that we have the chance to make the Y a career. It has also allowed me to meet some pretty cool people."
Though she wasn't a YMCA member prior to her employment, she says being at the Y every day - and especially during her camp days - she has "definitely become more active/aware of my fitness level." In fact, during summer camp, Lindsey averages a whopping 25,000 steps a day; her record for one day is 38,000 steps. It's no wonder that in addition to spending her down time playing with her puppy and going on family walks, she "loves a good nap."
Lindsey is an advocate for all youth program participants to have creative, engaging, safe and fun experiences at the YMCA. She's proud that "youth development is always trying to come up with new programs to help the community and reach new populations." She even organized a staff training before summer camp began for her counselors to be equipped to help campers with special needs be successful at camp.
Lindsey looks to her future at the Y with expectations of impact and service, but she is quick to reflect with gratitude on what got her here. "While Covid was a rough time for a lot of people, it brought emergency childcare, and without that I wouldn’t be here at the Y. The staff at the North Lexington Family YMCA welcomed me back and helped me grow. It made me able to do my job now and I’ll always be grateful."
