"When I first moved here, I had feelings of excitement and anxiety - well, the anxiety may have been greater," said Yuriko Takase, who came to the United States from Japan earlier this year.
The family of five made the 6,500-mile journey for Yuriko's husband, Dr. Koki Takase, who started a new job in Macedonia, Ohio.
She said that everything was so different from Japan - the food, culture, climate, and she was worried that her children wouldn't fit in and get used to all the changes. She longed for something that would be familiar.
Yuriko said that when she was searching for a new house on Google Maps, she came across the Longwood YMCA and was eager to connect her children as they had been involved with Y programming when they were in Japan. "In such a situation, the YMCA was the only thing that I knew since I was in Japan. ANd it reassured me," said Yuriko.
So she reached out. Jasmine Youngblood, Youth Enrichment Director of the branch, explained the offerings including summer day camp, perfect for Yuriko's older children, Yoshiharu (8) and Masayuki (6). As requested, Jasmine communicated through email, which made the translation of information easier for all.
According to Yuriko, Jasmine ended her correspondence in Japanese, with "Thank you and have a great day!! ありがとうございました、素晴らしい一日をお過ごしください" "I was so moved and happy," said Yuriko.
She added that because the family has no relatives or acquaintances nearby, the YMCA has been extremely helpful to connect her with other parents and teachers outside the school.
"As I imagined, the people of the YMCA warmly accepted us and removed my anxiety," said Yuriko.