Giving back to one’s community comes not from a place to be recognized and patted on the back, but rather a desire to improve and better one’s home and the people who live there. For Cathi Srednoselac, Youth and Family Program Director for the Portage Township YMCA, this is exactly what she does every day as she helps one of the most well-known organizations meet that same goal.
Srednoselac was born and raised in South Holland, Illinois. She attended Thornridge High School, where, as she completed her studies, she enrolled in Hammond Cosmetology College. Here was where her desire to work with people began, but it was taking part in training programs with the YMCA of USA that combined her people skills and her desire to help the communiy.
“I have had tons of training for my duties at the Portage Township YMCA,” Srednoselac said. “Lots of hard work and dedication got me to where I am today. I am on the quieter side, so I don't look for the pat on the back or look for acknowledgement in what I do. It’s who I am, though, and I just hope my success in everything I do speaks for itself. I have a lot of passion for my programs.”
As the Youth and Family Program Director for the Portage Township YMCA, Srednoselac’s duties include running the Preschool Academy and teaching one of its 3 to 4-year-old classes, along with leading the YMCA’s Gymnastics program and coaching its award-winning team. These programs, classes and teams are great examples of what giving back looks like by teaching young people and children the importance of community and teamwork.
“We have a great community with lots to offer,” she said. “Our YMCA has good, strong, quality programs for the young, the old and everyone in-between. We have a lot of people with big hearts inside our door. Our community needs to know we are here for them.”
But these programs wouldn’t be as effective as they are if someone like Srednoselac wasn’t being the leader she has proven herself to be.
“The community is where we live; it’s where I raised my kids,” Srednoselac said. “I want our community to be strong, a place to be proud of. If I didn't contribute to make that possible then how can I expect others to?”
“I truly feel that I make a difference by letting all those involved with us know that they matter,” she said. “I am still in touch with gymnasts I coached many, many years ago. They express how much they loved their time with us and some even say they wish they could go back. I run into preschool parents, both past and present, all the time, who thank me for our program and how well their children are doing in school.”
While she owes a lot of her success at the Portage Township YMCA to her own hard work and dedication to giving back to the community, Srednoselac is beyond thankful for her own community she has found at the YMCA.
“I am influenced everyday by the people I work with and all the kids that participate in the programs I am involved in. For the people I work with, we find strength in each other to always do better. We have had to overcome many obstacles in the last few years,” she said. “I think we are finally turning things around. For the kids, to see them achieve something they have worked hard on, whether it be a preschooler learning a letter or number or one of my gymnasts working on gaining a skill. The look of pride on their face makes everything I do worth it.”
This is the true nature of a dedicated member of the community, a philanthropist with a kind heart. They are humble and look beyond their actions—rather they focus on others and how a community can grow and evolve into a beautiful, living thing. Cathi Srednoselac is one of those community members. Through her work with the Portage Township YMCA, she has helped countless young people and their families become the very best they can be.
For more information about the Portage Township YMCA, please visit www.ymcaofportage.org.