The Y beleives that community connectivity is key to healthy living. Many long-time friendships are formed at the Y every day. Looking for a way to meet new people and have an opportunity to socialize outside of exercise class? Check out our options below. Have questions? Reach out to the coordinator of each group. Interested in perhaps starting a new social group? Contact Vicky Kettner. Let's explore the possibilities!
Book Club
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The YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo offers a book club that meets monthly at Maple. There is no commitment required. Currently, a Y membership is required.
Have questions? Contact Shashu Baraka, at 269-459-4856 or email her.
Meeting Information:
The Maple “Y” Book Club meets the third Friday of every month from 1:30-3:00pm in the Chapel
2024 Reading List:
Jan 19: Yellowface by R. F. Kuang (EB/AUD/KPL/PDL/WAL)
Feb 16: West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge (PB/AUD/KPL/PDL)
March 15: The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom (EB/PB/AUD/KPL/PDL)
April 19: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (EB/AUD/KPL/PDL)
May 17: Educated by Tara Westover (EB/PB/AUD/KPL/PDL/WAL)
June 21: Beartown by Frederik Backman (EB/PB/AUD/KPL/PDL/WAL)
July 19: The First Ladies by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray (EB/AUD/KPL/PDL)
Aug 16: Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie (EB/PB/AUD/KPL/PDL)
Sept 20: Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane (EB/PB/AUD/KPL/PDL)
Oct 18: Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez (EB/PB/AUD/KPL/PDL/WAL)
Nov 15: The Shell Seekers by Rosamund Pilcher (EB/PB/AUD/KPL/WAL)
Dec 20: Holiday Luncheon
Access to Books:
Book Location Key: EB = E-book, PB = Paperback, AUD = Audiobook, KPL = Kalamazoo Public Library, PDL = Portage District, Library, BiB = Book in a Bag, WAL = Waldo Library
NEW: Crochet & Knit Club
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Calling all fiber artists! Come and join the Y’s newest social club for crocheters, knitters, and fiber artists alike to unwind, work on our WIPs, and weave connections. All ages and every level of ability are welcome. The Crochet & Knit Club will meet the second Wednesday of every month at 5:30-6:30pm, in the Maple Y’s Chapel. Registration is not required, but the club is currently only open to Y members.
Questions? Contact Brooke Beaman, Marketing and Graphic Design Specialist, via email.
2024 Dates
Nov. 13
Dec. 11
2025 Dates
Jan. 8
Feb. 12
March 12
April 9
May 14
June 11
July 9
Aug. 13
Sept. 10
Oct. 8
Nov. 12
Dec. 10
NEW: Group Travel w/Collette—Painted Canyons of the West
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Do you have Wunderlust? Like to meet new people? Want to travel but don't want to travel alone? Would love to travel but don't want to plan it? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this may be a great travel opportunity for you.
The YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo has once again partnered with Collette travel company to offer a once-in-a-lifetime experience exploring the Painted Canyons of the West on a 9-day guided tour featuring Utah's five national parks! Highlights include: Colorado National Monument, Moab, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah’s Scenic Byway 24, Capitol Reef National Park, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, and Las Vegas.
Through this partnership, participants who decide to book early will be eligible to receive $550 savings per person. A percentage of the trip will be donated back to the YMCA’s Healthy Aging Program, to help foster programs for continued physical, mental, and social health.
IMPORTANT DATES
- Trip dates: September 23 - October 1, 2025
- Deposit due date: Sunday, March 23, 2025
- Final payment due date: Wednesday, June 25, 2025
- 10 seats available
INFORMATION SESSIONS:
- Monday, Feb. 24 at Maple 1—2:30pm
Register for INFO SESSION AT MAPLE
Register for INFO SESSION AT PORTAGE
For details about the Painted Canyons of the West trip, click here.
For more information about Collete trips in general, click here.
Healthy Aging Lunch Crawl
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Lunch Crawl was developed from one of our Healthy Aging group outings—a cooking demo and Q&A with Chef Francisco Cordero from WMU's Department of Family and Consumer Sciences. The group asked him about his favorite eateries in and around Kalamazoo, and he offered a handful of restaurants. So began Lunch Crawl! Every second and fourth Friday, we meet up at one of Kalamazoo's many awesome restaraunts for lunch. Consider joining us! Please email Active For Life Program Director, Shashu Baraka two days prior to confirm your attendance and if you're bringing a plus one. Confirmations need to be in by 4:00pm two days prior to secure seating. Restaurant dates subject to change.
No scheduled events at this time. Please check back again.
NEW in '25!: Living Life By Design w/Lynne Fuller Williams
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BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! We're excited to have Lynne Fuller Williams back for a special three-part series she has designed especially for the Y! Lynne's approach to changing how we think for better life and relationship outcomes and expectations were the topics of Lunch & Learns in the summer of 2024. In those short two-hour sessions, she was able to give us a glimpse into the idea of Transformational Learning and its ability to change how we approach all aspects of life.
Lynne, Leadership and Management Development Specialist & Certified Coach, will take us through this new series, LIVING LIFE BY DESIGN, a focus on transformational learning and living life with intentionality. The series will start in January and run through February and March, each month focusing on a different component. Each segment is three weeks long, and requires separate registration. While each subsequent session will build on the prior, Sessions I and Sessions II are not prerequisite. Participants can register for any of the series. The program is fee-based and will be held at Maple.
CURIOUS AND WANT TO FIND OUT MORE BEFORE COMMITTING? If you've heard Lynne speak at previous Y Lunch & Learns, you know how dynamic and thought-provoking her talks can be. Held in a low-key, casual setting, Lynne leads discussion in an safe environment where sharing among participants is encouraged. If you have not had the opportunity to hear her speak on Transformational Learning, we highly encourage you to join us for an introduction to this new series. It will be perfect for you get a taste for her approach and style to life coaching in group settings. The FREE introduction class will be offered Thursday, December 12, at 1pm - 2pm. Registration is required.
Watch this short video to learn more about this series.
Because space is limited, if you register and you find that you cannot attend, please remove your name from the registration list to make room for others.
The LIVING LIFE BY DESIGN Series
What might one get out of Transformational Learning?
- Find a breakthrough in courage, not being stopped by old fears.
- Living life without complaints, without drama, without upset
- Bring more power to listening, building relationships
- Live without past regrets
How the Three Sessions Breakdown by area of focus:
- Session I:Creating Our Own Reality; What is Transformational Learning?
- 1/9, 1/16, 1/23
- 1pm - 2:30pm
- At Maple
- Session II: How to be effective in any situation; the choices and decisions we make in our relationships.
- February 2/13, 2/20, 2/27
- 1pm - 2:30pm
- At Maple
- Session III: Creating New Possibilities; the way we communicate to create new possibilities
- 3/13, 3/20, 3/27
- 1pm - 2:30pm
- At Maple
COST:
- $50 members
- $65 non-members
Questions can be directed to Rebecca Lillie, Health & Wellness Association Director.
Lunch & Learn Series
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We are working on the 2025 Schedule and will announce it in Q4.
