Episode 57: Pocket Change Podcast
Summary
Key Takeaways
- The YMCA has been around for 170 years in the Memphis community.
- Their services range from fitness, childcare, and meals.
- One of the Financial Champions at Leaders, Hinna Jamal, will participate in Dancing with the Stars as a dancer along with Andrew Arbogast, the CEO of Arbo's Cheese Dip.
- Out of all its services, the financial assistance that the YMCA needs the most is for its youth program.
To learn more about the YMCA in Memphis and the Mid-South, visit ymcamemphis.org. Be sure to vote for your favorite dancer for Dancing with the Stars at dwtsmemphis.com.
The Pocket Change Podcast is presented by Leaders Credit Union. To learn more about Leaders, visit leaderscu.com.
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Full Transcript
Shea:
Hey, this is Shea.
Carrie:
and this is Carrie.
Shea:
Welcome to the Pocket Change Podcast.
Carrie:
Where you'll learn better ways to spend, save and invest and take control of your financial journey. Hey, Shea.
Shea:
Yeah.
Carrie:
Do you know where it's fun to stay?
Shea:
Sounds like the YMCA.
Carrie:
That's right.
Shea:
We've got our friends from the YMCA of Memphis and the Mid-South here, and a familiar mirrorball trophy here, because they're going to talk about a new event coming to Memphis.
Carrie:
I know, I'm excited to hear all about it. We're excited to welcome our guests today. Dave Bratcher and Rachel Ryan of the YMCA of Memphis and the Mid-South. Welcome to Pocket Change, guys.
Dave Bratcher:
Thank you so much.
Carrie:
Yeah, well, we're excited to talk about all the things coming up with the YMCA. If you could just tell us a little bit about what you guys do with the YMCA of Memphis and the Mid-South in your community area.
Dave Bratcher:
I think one of the things that many people don't know and I certainly didn't know until I joined the Y, is that the Y has been around a really long time. So this year we're actually celebrating our 170th anniversary of being in Memphis and the Mid south and serving that community. So obviously from the beginning to now, it looks a little bit different than it did 170 years ago. You know, today we're doing everything from the traditional gym and swim, so the fitness side of the YMCA, the swimming side, to childcare, whether that is early learning, so six weeks to five years, or it's before and after care for your school age kids or our middle school programs and even programs up into high school. Also, Youth in Government is another program of the YMCA and many of our elected officials were participants in Youth in Government way back when, and so it's really had an impact. Then the final area would be food. So that is really new, since the pandemic. I think in 2019, we were serving about 300 meals per week. Currently we're serving right around 45,000 meals per week to kids.
Dave Bratcher:
So the YMCA, we like to say, is more than a place. It's a promise for a brighter future, and we're just glad to have been doing this work for 170 years.
Carrie:
I love that
Shea:
You might could say it's fun to be at the ymca. Sounds like a lot of fun.
Dave Bratcher:
I've heard that said before, yes.
Shea:
So we know it's not just Memphis, but all the Mid-South, a lot of rural west Tennessee. So tell us about the areas that the Y serves here in West Tennessee and North Mississippi.
Dave Bratcher:
Yeah so, it initially started in metro Memphis, or I guess Memphis proper, 170 years ago, but that expanded into all of Shelby county, then into north Mississippi, and then expanding into rural West Tennessee. So we have two fitness locations in Gibson county, so one in Memphis and one in Trenton, and then we have a facility in Oxford, Mississippi. Then we have nine in Metro Memphis area. So then we have five early learning centers. One of those is in Mississippi. Three of them are in metro Memphis, and one of them is here in Jackson. Our food distribution is literally, it actually goes all the way to the Nashville market. So we are providing food to the Middle Tennessee YMCA association and then all of those areas that I mentioned previously. So I don't want to get out ahead of it too much, but eastern Arkansas is next because there's not a Y presence even in the state capitol of Little Rock. So we are working towards serving that community as well, because we believe that regardless of what zip code you're born into or you choose to live in, everybody should have an opportunity with the YMCA experience.
Shea:
Yeah, that's great.
Rachel Ryan:
Dave, you did a pretty good job on the list, but you did miss one.
Dave Bratcher:
Oh, did I?
Rachel Ryan:
Yeah. Milan. The good old Milan Bulldogs.
Dave Bratcher:
I did.
Rachel Ryan:
Yeah. Yeah.
Dave Bratcher:
I said two in Gibson County.
Shea:
I think you said Memphis and Trenton.
Dave Bratcher:
Memphis?
Shea:
You got Memphis mixed up, Milan and Trenton.
Carrie:
I've been at the Milan many times.
Dave Bratcher:
Bulldog fans are not gonna be happy with me.
Carrie:
You cannot forget that purple pride now.
Shea:
We recovered.
Dave Bratcher:
We did. Thank you, Rachel. It takes a team.
Shea:
That's right.
Carrie:
So shifting gears a little bit, we know you have a special event coming up, so can you tell us a little bit about how the Dancing with the Stars Memphis got started?
Rachel Ryan:
Yes. So we are so excited, you know, just really trying to figure out what's that one thing that we could bring to the Memphis community that's never been done before for the Y. Our team, Dave and Cassidy Spencer and I have had a history with Dancing with the Stars here in Jackson, and in support of the Star Center, and a rich history just surrounded by a lot of people in the community, like Leaders and a lot of volunteers. So we said, "We know how to do this event and do it really well." So we just felt like it was a really great fit for the Y in the Memphis community. So we are hosting Dancing with the Stars Memphis version and in partnership with Leaders Credit Union as our presenting sponsor, which we're really proud of that continued relationship and just coming into the Memphis community to show people a little bit more about the Y? You know, as Dave referred to it, people know of it as the gym and swim, but being able to showcase some programs that we offer through this event, I think is going to really help brighten people's eyes for what the Y is doing.
Rachel Ryan:
So, Dancing with the Stars is going to happen at the Kent in Memphis on June 26th.
Carrie:
Okay. How exciting.
Rachel Ryan:
Yes.
Shea:
So not just showing off more about the YMCA, but some folks will be showing off their dancing skills that evening.
Rachel Ryan:
That's correct.
Shea:
About those programs, what are some of the programs that the Dancing with the Stars event is going to help with the fundraising for?
Dave Bratcher:
The main area of focus are going to be youth programs. So when you think about the YMCA, there's kind of three pillars: healthy living, youth development, and social responsibility. So while all of those are important, the one area that we see the largest area of financial support needed for is in the area of our youth development. Out of all of the folks that are served by the Y, 55% of them receive some kind of financial assistance. So we want to make sure that money is never the barrier that keeps somebody from receiving services at the Y. So if that's a third grader whose parents are working and need that extended care after 3 o'clock, but can't afford it, we want to make sure that their employment isn't in jeopardy and that that child can be, you know, taken care of. Very similarly, when we think about, oftentimes care for a small child falls on the responsibility of our ladies. So if we, if we want to make sure that everybody has equal access to the workforce, we have to make sure that we're creating childcare opportunities, high quality and it's accessible for all, so that our ladies who want to participate in the workforce have that opportunity to do that.
Dave Bratcher:
So the big area of focus on fundraising is going to go to our youth development area. That's all the way from six weeks old all the way up through high school, and then ultimately trying to connect them with a career at the Y. So many people had their first job at the YMCA.
Shea:
Come back for summer camp.
Dave Bratcher:
That's it. That's exactly right. Yeah, lifeguards. So anyway, so that's what it's for, Shea.
Shea:
Yeah, that's great.
Carrie:
That's great. Thanks for sharing that with us. So we all want to know, who's dancing this year?
Rachel Ryan:
Oh, yes.
Shea:
Give us a sneak peek.
Rachel Ryan:
Well, it's no longer a secret. The word is out. So if you go to dancinginphis.com you'll see all of our dancers that are, that are dancing. Some you may know. One is Hinna Jamal.
Carrie:
That's right.
Rachel Ryan:
Who is a co-worker of you guys.
Shea:
Our sales strategy officer here.
Rachel Ryan:
Sales strategy officer. So Hinna is actually partnered with Andrew Arbogast, who is the CEO of Arbo's Cheese Dip. He's affectionately known in the Arbo's world as the Commander in Cheese. So that is Hinna's partner and he gets the name commander because he was also an Apache. He's a retired vet, so Apache pilot. Great combination there. We're excited to see what they have in store for us.
Shea:
If they win his mirrorball trophy can be cheese on top instead of...
Carrie:
Cheese wedge?
Shea:
Yeah, a cheese wedge.
Rachel Ryan:
Yeah, I'm sure he doesn't have any of those in his office.
Shea:
When. I'll say when they win. Hinna can get the mirror ball...
Carrie:
Call them out.
Shea:
and he can get the cheese.
Rachel Ryan:
That's right.
Shea:
He got the cheese.
Rachel Ryan:
Yeah. So that's one of our partners. Other names that people will know is the mayor of Memphis, Mayor Paul Young. He is going to lace up his strings on his shoes and get on the dance floor. We also have another mayor, Mayor David Parsons of Bartlett as well, and then some fantastic ladies. Dr. Shayna McKinney with Cigna, she's there as well and doing well in our fundraising. So that's another aspect of Dancing with the Stars is everyday people who are community leaders, they are local celebrities, some of them, they're also advocates, they're fundraising for the YMCA and for our youth program through this month's journey up to June 26th. So we're grateful for them and just them helping share the message of what we're doing and the impact that's being made in Memphis and the Mid-South.
Shea:
So each of them have a profile at dancinginmemphis.com where people can donate to each individual dancers fundraiser and support them.
Rachel Ryan:
That's right. Go right there.
Dave Bratcher:
Yeah. It's one of those things where, you know, I always say this. We're supposed to say that about the Y, right? We get paid to say that about the Y. When you have volunteers that are saying it about the Y, it just means more. So we're grateful for them, and if you haven't donated one of them, pick one out, send them a donation they'd appreciate it.
Shea:
We have one we would recommend.
Rachel Ryan:
That's right.
Dave Bratcher:
Not biased at all.
Shea:
So give us more details about what people can expect from the evening for the event?
Rachel Ryan:
Absolutely. Well, much like the ABC show Dancing with the Stars, you'll have a lot of the glitz and the glamor. We'll have dinner for all of our guests as well. So it'll be a social event, but also it'll be a production. I mean a full production. We have a great production company that is helping us out with this event. So, you know, just expect to be entertained, honestly. They have been preparing, these dancers and their pro choreographers, so they're partnered with a professional choreographer who is, who is helping them practice and getting their steps. A lot of these people have never danced before. And so them saying yes, first of all to doing something that is new and outside their comfort zone is huge, but doing that in front of people in your city and your friends and your co workers, that is a whole new level that they've said yes to. So it's going to be funny. There will probably be some moments where there may be some tears of happiness, right, that oh, this is over, or just, I can't believe I did this. I'm going to keep dancing.
Shea:
It's an accomplishment.
Rachel Ryan:
Yeah, it's an accomplishment. So lots of emotions, but we know this will be an event that... The first year is always really special for events I would say, you know, you look back and you're like, "Hey, we started out with 42 tables but we've grown to this," but just going back and looking at the growth, that's what I'm excited about because I know this is going to be the new, hottest ticket Memphis.
Shea:
Yeah.
Dave Bratcher:
What I was going to add is doing this in Jackson and seeing was very interesting the first year there were a lot of women that attended and their husbands didn't. "I'm not going to some dance show, whatever." By about year three, they were all there and they were there because they heard it was fun and it was because it was, you know, they're getting to see people that they know that are dancing.
Carrie:
Their buddies are up there dancing.
Dave Bratcher:
That's fun. Right? So that's what it really turned into and we're just excited, but that first important because you got to hit home run. You need everybody to leave and talk about, "I can't wait for next year." That's what we believe is going to happen and we're just excited about it.
Carrie:
Yeah.
Rachel Ryan:
A lot of fundraisers you'll see are kind of gearing more towards that entertaining aspect, but with some cause related stuff in there too. I would say our team has always been focused on the entertainment. We're always doing events that are in training that keep people coming back. So we're excited just to show Memphis what the Y and Leaders can do together.
Carrie:
Well, I have no doubt that it will be a success with you, two, being a part of it. So can you tell our listeners how they can support their local dancers?
Rachel Ryan:
Yes. So if you go to dancinginmemphis.com scroll on down the page. If you've not selected your table or tickets, you can go ahead and do that there as well. Keep scrolling and you'll see "Support Your Favorite Dancer". So we'll have awards for them that night, highest fundraiser award. There will also be a People's Choice vote that night. So there'll be more information coming out about that on our social pages. YMCA Memphis, on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Carrie:
Okay.
Shea:
Yeah, check it out, dancinginmemphis.com.
Rachel Ryan:
That's right.
Shea:
All right, so this is a financial podcast. So for y'all, we want to ask, what is some of the best financial advice you've ever been given?
Rachel Ryan:
Oh, Dave, go ahead.
Shea:
Well, that's my advice. Pass it to Dave.
Dave Bratcher:
I've been asked these questions before, and I did a terrible job answering it earlier. So let me see if I can do better this time. One of the things that, and I'm not going to take credit for it, and I'm not even going to say that I know him, but Warren Buffet talks about sometimes it's more important to focus on not losing money more than it is focus on making money. So sometimes the boring part is the most important part, because it provides that foundation in which we're not going to put all of our money at risk, which means we're also not going to spend all of our money, which means we need to have some of it that's just boring, sitting over here waiting on something that might happen. The United Way has done a great job in talking about this population that they refer to as ALICE. I can't remember exactly what ALICE stands for. I'm sorry, Matt.
Shea:
Asset limited, income constrained, and employed.
Dave Bratcher:
There we go. Thank you, Shea.
Shea:
I'm on the board, so hopefully I know.
Shea:
There you go, but I just, I think about that population because when people say that you're one flat tire away, right, from a major... It's true. The reality is, if you have a job, you don't have to be one flat tire away from catastrophe, as long as you save just a little along the way. Right. Again, it's not flashy it's not exciting, but having a little savings can go a long way. All right, Rachel.
Rachel Ryan:
I knew I should have gone first.
Dave Bratcher:
Did I filibuster long enough?
Rachel Ryan:
I should have gone first. Well, in the words of Conroy J. Ryan, Jr. My father.
Carrie:
I don't know how, but I knew you were gonna reference your Dad.
Rachel Ryan:
That's great. He would love it. So my dad would always say, save the windfalls, and that's what he did growing up. He was able to put two girls, three girls, I'm sorry, through private school without any loans on them or us, because he saved the windfalls. So that would be my suggestion.
Carrie:
That's great advice. So I do have one last question for you. Since this is a Pocket Change podcast. If you were to find some extra change in your pocket, what would you spend it on?
Rachel Ryan:
Okay, well, I'm go first on this one.
Dave Bratcher:
That's perfect.
Rachel Ryan:
Okay, two things. If I have a lot of change.
Shea:
Both pockets, so.
Carrie:
That's true.
Rachel Ryan:
A lot of change. If I can get enough change to get a latte from Starbucks, then I would definitely do that. Then the second one would be to go ahead and get that sweet and sour sauce from McDonald's, because they're a little stingy with getting you extra package.
Carrie:
That's hilarious.
Rachel Ryan:
So that's what I would get.
Dave Bratcher:
That's hysterical, because it's so true. I asked for a third one...
Rachel Ryan:
Even if I didn't get nuggets, I still want the sauce for my fries.
Dave Bratcher:
And that's not okay, because if you order nuggets, you only get two. So you got to pay extra, and they are not kidding.
Rachel Ryan:
No, not kidding.
Shea:
Some other fast food establishments will not do that to us.
Dave Bratcher:
Matter of fact, I tried to play the "I don't have any cash or change," and they're like, "That's fine. Do you have a card that you just paid with?" So I put a quarter on my card so I could get me another.
Rachel Ryan:
You wanted it that bad?
Carrie:
It must be really good.
Dave Bratcher:
Yeah. So I think what I would do is I would put it all into Dancing with the Stars and put it all on my favorite dancer, and I don't have a favorite. I have 14 favorites, just like Rachel has 14 favorites. But the point is, it takes small donors to make every nonprofit go round. We don't write headlines about the person who faithfully gives $5 every month, but they're the ones who enable us to do what we do for 170 years. We're grateful for $100,000 donors. We're grateful for a million dollar donors but the ones who day in and day out keep the lights on are the ones that are faithfully giving $5 a month $10 a month. So there's a lesson there, and hopefully somebody listened.
Rachel Ryan:
So that's why Dave went last.
Shea:
Wrap it all up in a nice bow. So gather your Pocket Change, bring it on over to dancinginmemphis.com and put it towards your favorite dancer for Dancing with the Stars in Memphis, June 26th.
Carrie:
Well thank you guys for being with us today and sharing all about the new upcoming event, and your financial advice, and all the things. It's been a real treat for us.
Dave Bratcher:
Great. Thank you.
Carrie:
Thanks for tuning in to the Pocket Change podcast.
Shea:
Be sure to rate, review and subscribe and check out the full episode on YouTube and check out the mirrorball trophy that we got here.
Carrie:
The Pocket Change podcast was brought to you by Leaders Credit Union where we.
Shea:
Power your passion and make lives better. Cha Ching.
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