When we say the Marshalltown YMCA-YWCA is here for everyone, we mean it.

Every day we see people walk through our doors ages 1 to 91, from various backgrounds.

Since I started working at the Y earlier this year, I’m realizing more and more that we are much more than a gym and pools, we are a community. Friends gather in all corners of the Y to socialize, support each other and strive to collectively be the best version of themselves.

We are that place where a kid builds confidence from learning how to swim (as our 8-year-old is doing now).

A place where that 10-year-old fosters a love of basketball and sinking 3-pointers from the corner.

A place where teenagers build their bodies and their social skills. We are a place where young parents model an active lifestyle for their kids and stress the importance of movement to overall health.

We are a place where a young woman who doesn’t like working out by herself finds her passion and makes a few new friends in a group exercise class.

We are a place where 40-somethings like me do our best to ward off “Father Time” by staying active year-round. We are that place where retired people find new friends and that a bit of that competitive fire on the pickleball court.

We are a place where cancer survivors gather as they commit to LiveSTRONG at the Y and form bonds in their recovery. We are a place where seniors make a quilt for a veteran and have a ball doing it in our Hobby Craft Club.

Later this year, as we do every year, we will seek donations to fund our annual campaign which helps those in need afford scholarships to participate in sports, activities and general use of the Y. These vital funds ensure everyone has access to the Y. To learn more about the Y and its programs stop on by for a tour or visit www.ymca-ywca.org.

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Andrew Potter is marketing and communications director for the Marshalltown YMCA-YWCA.