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Talk-Line: Andy McFarlane of the YMCA on a new child care center · WIXN AM 1460 - Shaw Local Radio

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  Speaker 1: Our quarter past the hour. This is Wednesday, It's April two,
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  Speaker 1: the year is twenty twenty five, and it's time for
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  Speaker 1: another informational edition of Tuckline. Here at am fourteen sixteen
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  Speaker 1: FM ninety five one WYXN, Good morning. I'm Steve Market
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  Speaker 1: with his time for our monthly look at news and
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  Speaker 1: information from your Dixon Family YMCA. Every month we get
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  Speaker 1: the lowdown on what's happening at the Dixon Family Why,
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  Speaker 1: and the chief executive officer of the Dixon Family Why,
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  Speaker 1: joins us by telephone this morning. He's in house at
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  Speaker 1: the YMCA handling business chores there, but he's able to
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  Speaker 1: chat with us for a few moments here at am
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  Speaker 1: fourteen sixteen FM ninety five one. Good friend Any McFarlane
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  Speaker 1: is on the line with us. Andy. Good morning, Mike, Steve.
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  Speaker 1: Why are you? I am fine, sir, thanks for joining us.
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  Speaker 1: Appreciate a visit from Andy. As always here at WIXN.
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  Speaker 1: When it comes to the Dixon Family, Why, Andy, We're
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  Speaker 1: gonna kick things off by talking and updating the childcare
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  Speaker 1: area of the Dixon Family. Why you wanted to get
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  Speaker 1: to that first of all, and talk about enrollment Now
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  Speaker 1: that I gotta believe it probably on the rise. Now,
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  Speaker 1: tell us, you know, give us the lowdown on childcare
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  Speaker 1: and the new facility at the Dixon Family Why.
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  Speaker 2: So the good news is, I guess i'd probably lead
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  Speaker 2: off with, is we had a announcement that last month
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  Speaker 2: on March nineteenth, we had the good folks at Midland
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  Speaker 2: States Bank came out and presented us with a grant
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  Speaker 2: award for twenty five thousand dollars to help support the
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  Speaker 2: childcare center. So that is that is awesome for great
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  Speaker 2: community support and supporting the news center out there and
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  Speaker 2: helping us, you know, get to that point where you know,
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  Speaker 2: again providing the needs for those kids and also you
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  Speaker 2: know the construction costs that were related to it. So
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  Speaker 2: you know, a kudos and thank you to Midland States
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  Speaker 2: Bank and their foundation for that gift.
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  Speaker 1: It's awesome, all right. So again aid again offered by
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  Speaker 1: a financial institution on behalf of the Dixon Family Why
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  Speaker 1: and their childcare area obviously Andy, which is you know,
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  Speaker 1: obviously I'm sure busy right now, right, I'm sure the
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  Speaker 1: facility in the Gateway complex is now you know, pretty
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  Speaker 1: much up and running, and I got to believe the
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  Speaker 1: capacity are we at capacity at Andy for that area.
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  Speaker 2: We actually do have a couple of hires that we
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  Speaker 2: still need. We have two rooms that we still need
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  Speaker 2: teacher qualified staff for. The good news is several of
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  Speaker 2: our staff are going through that credentialing process and so
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  Speaker 2: once they go through that process, and we're hoping within
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  Speaker 2: the next forty five days at least one of them
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  Speaker 2: will be complete and then the next ninety days the
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  Speaker 2: next one would be complete. So we do still have
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  Speaker 2: some staffing that we're trying to address there. But just
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  Speaker 2: this past Monday, we were able to open our brand
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  Speaker 2: new second infant room and already half of the room
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  Speaker 2: is full with enrollments, so, you know, four new kiddos
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  Speaker 2: started this past Monday and started getting up to that level.
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  Speaker 2: We're getting to capacity with the rooms that were able
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  Speaker 2: to open it. It was kind of interesting from January
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  Speaker 2: sixteenth when we opened with about forty five or so enrollees.
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  Speaker 2: This week we are just at ninety people that are enrolled,
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  Speaker 2: so again we're making good progress there. We have a
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  Speaker 2: couple of kids that are close to aging up from
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  Speaker 2: the TATHO rooms, so there may be some openings there
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  Speaker 2: and then we have plenty of room also for the three,
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  Speaker 2: four and five year old rooms as well, So we
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  Speaker 2: are taking enrollment in those rooms and obviously getting people
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  Speaker 2: in at least getting them on the waiting list for
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  Speaker 2: those infant rooms in the tathe rooms as well.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, all right, so again, you know, and after a
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  Speaker 1: grand opening like we had at the childcare center, Andy
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  Speaker 1: and popping circumstance, you get into the you know, the
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  Speaker 1: regular routine, and it sounds like that's taking shape right now.
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  Speaker 1: You know, you're you're you're moving you know to a
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  Speaker 1: kind of more of a regular flow and uh, you know,
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  Speaker 1: the enrollment as you mentioned, Andy, uh, you know will
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  Speaker 1: kind of you know, move along at a regular pace,
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  Speaker 1: right than than what we had to start things off with.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely, So yeah, we're we're very excited that we're getting
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  Speaker 2: inquiries every day now. So lots of new faces out there,
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  Speaker 2: lots of new kids, and staff are absolutely wonderful. Kids
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  Speaker 2: are having a blast obviously, you know, when they first
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  Speaker 2: enroll getting acclimated to their new environment, and the staff
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  Speaker 2: are very helpful with that.
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  Speaker 1: Terrific. And there is a separate phone number right for
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  Speaker 1: the childcare center, right Andy.
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  Speaker 2: Two eight eight eleven twenty four.
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  Speaker 1: There you go. Eight one five two eight eight one
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  Speaker 1: one two four is the number at the childcare center
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  Speaker 1: two eight eight eleven twenty four. If you want information
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  Speaker 1: about enrolling your into that brand new facility, and it's
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  Speaker 1: a marvelous new facility that they are again opening up
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  Speaker 1: with at the Gateway Complex, give that number a call
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  Speaker 1: and check in on enrollment information through the Dixon Family
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  Speaker 1: Why and their childcare area. Andy McFarlane is our guest,
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  Speaker 1: our chief executive officer of the Dixon Family Why with
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  Speaker 1: our monthly Why Report, Andy, you wanted to touch on
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  Speaker 1: the Strong Kids campaign today.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, so we have had a little bit of an
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  Speaker 2: early start with our Strong Kids campaign, are you know.
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  Speaker 2: Obviously as a charity, we have to have so much
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  Speaker 2: that we rely on for our scholarship assistance and membership
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  Speaker 2: assistance programs and also some help for those low income
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  Speaker 2: families that want to help participate in a lot of
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  Speaker 2: our programs. And I'll tell you what the need is
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  Speaker 2: ever so great, and looking at last year's statistics, we
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  Speaker 2: were able to help with sea waivers in excess of
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  Speaker 2: one hundred and sixty five thousand dollars in our community.
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  Speaker 2: So that's direct aid to organizations and families that serve
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  Speaker 2: low income people in our community. And so we have
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  Speaker 2: a lofty goal of trying to raise eighty five thousand
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  Speaker 2: this year, and obviously we also supplement that with some
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  Speaker 2: United Way dollars. We supplement that also with grants and
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  Speaker 2: other fundraisers throughout the year, but the big chunk of
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  Speaker 2: those funds comes from our Strong Kids campaign. And so
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  Speaker 2: last year we had a similar goal and we were
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  Speaker 2: only able to reach about forty five thousand for that.
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  Speaker 2: So obviously, you know, we're giving away and meeting the
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  Speaker 2: needs of our community more than what we're raising. So
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  Speaker 2: you know, some of that is economy, some of it
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  Speaker 2: is you know, just timing of when those campaigns go
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  Speaker 2: through and are executed. But we really feel confident and
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  Speaker 2: strong that we can come back this year and hit
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  Speaker 2: that goal of eighty five thousand for Strong Kids. And
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  Speaker 2: again it's you know, individuals really need that assistance. And
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  Speaker 2: again it's you know, I shared a story with our
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  Speaker 2: United Way folks last week that we have a retired
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  Speaker 2: veteran who's served our country as a Navy seal and
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  Speaker 2: he's living in public housing and being able to give him,
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  Speaker 2: you know, assistants to come in and this is his
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  Speaker 2: social time. This is his time to uplift his spirit
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  Speaker 2: in his mind and then also keep mobile. And so
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  Speaker 2: he uses the pool quite a bit and being able
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  Speaker 2: to you know, access to water exercise classes or just
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  Speaker 2: come in and enjoy, you know, time with his friends
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  Speaker 2: that come here. And you know, if it were not
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  Speaker 2: for some of these fundraisers that we do, we couldn't
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  Speaker 2: provide that service for those individuals, and so it's it's
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  Speaker 2: greatly needed. We have another one that you know, her
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  Speaker 2: two kids are involved in multiple sports programs. Also the membership,
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  Speaker 2: so the mom is is kind of you know, out
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  Speaker 2: of work at this point in time, and being able
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  Speaker 2: to serve that family and to allow them to come
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  Speaker 2: in at a reduced rate means the world for her
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  Speaker 2: and her kids. And you know, it's one of those
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  Speaker 2: things that it's a very heart touching story. And I
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  Speaker 2: know some people will I already pay my membership dues
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  Speaker 2: or I pay my program pece. Well, you know that's
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  Speaker 2: very gracious, and we count on those dollars too, But
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  Speaker 2: those are what you do for yourself, whereas a donation
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  Speaker 2: to our Strong Kids campaign is what you can do
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  Speaker 2: to help our community and others in our community that
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  Speaker 2: are at critical need. And so you know, there's still
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  Speaker 2: that need out there and there's still that assistance that
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  Speaker 2: we need to help provide for.
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  Speaker 1: Absolutely. So the Strong Kids Campaign goal eighty five thousand
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  Speaker 1: this year. We'll keep tabs on it as we move
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  Speaker 1: through the year. Here at AM fourteen sixteen FM ninety
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  Speaker 1: five to one with our reports from the Dixon Family.
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  Speaker 1: Why but again that and yeah, just a smattering of stories.
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  Speaker 1: I'm sure there are more that Andy could share with
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  Speaker 1: you on this Strong Kids Campaign front. But yeah, really
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  Speaker 1: neat information that Andy passes along to us today here
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  Speaker 1: at w ACCENT. Let's go aquatic for a moment. Andy,
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  Speaker 1: we're you know, obviously kind of getting into that season.
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  Speaker 1: You know, we're moving back outdoors. We're moving back you know,
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  Speaker 1: into the springtime activities and that means the aquatics area
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  Speaker 1: of the Dixon family. Why you wanted to talk about
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  Speaker 1: lifeguarding today?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, so, you know, I wanted to create the awareness
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  Speaker 2: of you know, the need and just regionally that we
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  Speaker 2: have a lifeguard shortage both regionally and nationally. We're still
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  Speaker 2: trying to figure out the reasons why, but a lot
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  Speaker 2: of it becomes you know, still part of that whole
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  Speaker 2: pandemic and getting people to come back to work and
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  Speaker 2: to get them trained and get them qualified to work
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  Speaker 2: at lifeguards. But we also have you know, you know,
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  Speaker 2: between I've had conversations with the Stirling ref falls y
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  Speaker 2: and some other local wives as well, and they're in
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  Speaker 2: very similar situations where the shortage is such a great
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  Speaker 2: need that aquatic directors are taking the time and actually
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  Speaker 2: being on the deck and they're not able to grow
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  Speaker 2: programs or not. They're they're deferring some of their management
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  Speaker 2: duties just to try to keep pools open. I know
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  Speaker 2: here locally, we've done a lot of thoroughness and thoughtfulness
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  Speaker 2: and trying to find out where are high use times
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  Speaker 2: and make sure that we focus on those and if
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  Speaker 2: we have to because of the shortage, you know, maybe
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  Speaker 2: we have to close the pool during certain times of
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  Speaker 2: the day and so, you know, when we have low
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  Speaker 2: census for usage. We've we've kind of made some adjustments there,
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  Speaker 2: but the need still is there that we want to
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  Speaker 2: restore most of those services in those hours, but we
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  Speaker 2: really need people during the day, the evening's weekends, it's
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  Speaker 2: a great time to you know, look at job opportunities
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  Speaker 2: and we actually will train, you will pay for training
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  Speaker 2: to get you up the stuff in order to get
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  Speaker 2: your certificate. And you know, the argument can always be
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  Speaker 2: madeble there's multiple people that are hiring in the community,
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  Speaker 2: But I argue, where are you going to get leadership
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  Speaker 2: experience such as a lifeguard that could give you pre
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  Speaker 2: training to become maybe a governor of a state or
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  Speaker 2: I mean, you know he did get his Red Cross
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  Speaker 2: Lifeguard certificate as our y. You know, so again, when
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  Speaker 2: you see the long term effects of your influence and
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  Speaker 2: the leadership skills and what you can do as a lifeguard,
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  Speaker 2: what a great place to come and focus on, you know,
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  Speaker 2: helping that individual that comes to us and does the
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  Speaker 2: water exercise and you know, making sure that he's got
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  Speaker 2: a safe place to come and recreate and uplift his
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  Speaker 2: spirit minded body. You know, you could have a great
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  Speaker 2: influence on that as a life skirt here.
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  Speaker 1: At the wire all right, So again the pushes on
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  Speaker 1: for recruitment of lifeguards at the Dixon Family YMC. Their
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  Speaker 1: aquatics area there pool area is in need. So if
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  Speaker 1: you are interested in becoming a lifeguard, call the Dixon
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  Speaker 1: Y stop and visit the y facilities here in Dixon
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  Speaker 1: and possibly get yourself registered and get yourself set up
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  Speaker 1: for some training and become a qualified lifeguard. The need
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  Speaker 1: is there is Andy talked about this morning here at
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  Speaker 1: AM fourteen sixteen FM ninety five one. Andy, I know
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  Speaker 1: that we wanted to touch on a couple of other areas,
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  Speaker 1: but we'll keep those until our May report. We still
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  Speaker 1: have time to talk about those areas coming up here
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  Speaker 1: at AM fourteen sixteen FM ninety five one. Dixon YMCA
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  Speaker 1: phone number, Andy, what is your general number at the Dixon.
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  Speaker 2: Y two eight eight nine.
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  Speaker 1: That's two eight a YMCA. They're online with their website
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  Speaker 1: address that is Dixonymca dot org. You can go on
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  Speaker 1: their Facebook area find out all about the need happenings
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  Speaker 1: at the Dixon Y Register. I know that the you know,
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  Speaker 1: spring is low with new programs, new activities going on,
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  Speaker 1: so again see what's new and exciting at the Dixon
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  Speaker 1: Family Why online as well. Andy, Always a pleasure having
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  Speaker 1: you on board. We thank you for your Wednesday report
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  Speaker 1: and if not sooner, we'll see you in the Merry
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  Speaker 1: Mary month of May.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, thank you.
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  Speaker 1: Andy McFarlane is our chief executive officer of the Dixon Family.
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  Speaker 1: Why and our guest this morning here at WYX, a
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  Speaker 1: time for news first, today thirtieth