DOES YOUR GYM KNOW YOUR NAME? AT THE J. DOUGLAS WILLIAMS YMCA, MARY DOES!

DOES YOUR GYM KNOW YOUR NAME? AT THE J. DOUGLAS WILLIAMS YMCA, MARY DOES! 

Mary Hancock Receives YMCA of Central Florida President’s Leadership Award After 27 Years of Making the J. Douglas Williams YMCA Feel Like Family

 At the J. Douglas Williams YMCA, everybody knows your name. For 27 years, Mary Hancock has made sure of it — creating a place where members are not simply a number, but a person with a story, a connection and a place in the YMCA family.

The YMCA of Central Florida recently honored Hancock with the President’s Leadership Award, recognizing her outstanding leadership, dedication and commitment to the YMCA and the community she has served for nearly three decades.

In a world where it can be easy to feel like just another member, Mary makes sure people feel seen. Her hard work, kindness, and dedication have helped make the J. Douglas Williams YMCA a welcoming place where members feel like family.

And Mary has a superpower: she remembers people.

Everyone.

After 27 years at the J. Douglas Williams YMCA, Mary has an extraordinary ability to remember names and faces — even people she may not have seen in years. She remembers their names, their families, their stories and their connections to the YMCA.

Not some people. Everyone.

That superpower was on full display recently when Mike Hinn and Chonsten Jennings from Harvest Time International visited the J. Douglas Williams YMCA to learn more about the YMCA and how it serves the community.

During the visit, Mary met Chonsten and immediately recognized him. She remembered that, as a teenager, Chonsten had played basketball with a group at the J. Douglas Williams YMCA.

But she didn’t just remember Chonsten. Mary also remembered other players he had played with.

It was a small moment that demonstrated something much bigger about Mary. She doesn’t simply recognize faces. She remembers people.

“Mary has an incredible gift for making people feel known and valued,” said Jessica Chamberlain, Operations Director at the J. Douglas Williams YMCA. “She can see someone she hasn’t seen in years and remember their name, their family and their connection to the Y. She remembers the details that make people feel like they matter. That is such a rare and meaningful gift, and it is one of the many things that makes Mary such an important part of our YMCA family.”

The YMCA is unique in the fitness and wellness space because it is the only nonprofit organization in the gym space. But the Y is about much more than fitness. As a nonprofit, the YMCA gives back to and enriches the communities it serves through programs and opportunities for youth, teens, families and seniors.

Every day, the YMCA works to strengthen individuals, build relationships and create a stronger community. Mary has been an important part of that mission throughout her 27 years at the J. Douglas Williams YMCA.

Her impact can be found in countless greetings, conversations, memories and relationships. She has welcomed generations of members through the doors and helped create an environment where people feel they belong.

The President’s Leadership Award celebrates the exceptional leadership and service Mary has demonstrated throughout her career. It is a recognition of 27 years of showing up for people, remembering them and making them feel that they matter.

Because that is what makes the YMCA different.

You are not a number.

You are a name.

You are a face.

You are a story.

You are part of the community.

And thanks to Mary Hancock, when you walk through the doors of the J. Douglas Williams YMCA, there is a very good chance someone will remember you — even years later.

Congratulations to Mary Hancock on receiving the YMCA of Central Florida President’s Leadership Award, and thank you for 27 years of incredible service, kindness and dedication to the J. Douglas Williams YMCA, its members, staff and the Central Florida community.