Y SUPPORT THROUGH ADVERSITY
LAURA PETTIGREW’S smile lights up the Eugene Family YMCA’s lobby.
As the Membership Services Coordinator, she greets people, helps them with their accounts and finding their classes, and is often the first friend individuals make at the Y.
She cherishes her role because the Y was there for her during the darkest time of her life: escaping an abusive husband who left her bankrupt, homeless and worried about her own safety.
“I don’t know what would have happened if I didn’t have the Y at that time,” Laura says. “My Y family was an extension of my family and even on days when I showed up to work crying, they were supportive... I think that altered the course of my life in a very positive way.”
Laura spent the next year recovering from post-traumatic stress with a therapist recommended by a Y friend. On the heels of her recovery, she was diagnosed with skin cancer.
But again, Laura’s Y family stepped in to support her. Y staff sat with Laura’s mom in the waiting room during Laura’s cancer surgery and Y members checked in on her throughout her recuperation.
For almost 9 years, Laura has been a Eugene Family YMCA employee, offering Y members the same kind of support she received.
“My social network has been fully restored and even improved,” she says. “I feel so much love for the people that I see every day and am so grateful for the love I get in return. This has been the perfect place for me to recover, and grow beyond what I imagined.”
