Serendipitous Service: Cathy McNaughton's Volunteer Experience with the Y
A radio spot asking for volunteers for a YMCA North event at Hyland Hills intrigued Cathy McNaughton enough for her to write down the website and sign up.
Besides, she heard the ad twice.
Yet on the day of the Y's Adventure Lab event, in the spring of 2019, Cathy didn't feel so inspired. It was raining, and she struggled to find where she needed to be.
"I didn't know anybody, and I was about to bail, figuring, 'Nobody is gonna notice; I'm one volunteer,' " Cathy recalled.
But during the event, a man with a cane quickly approached her — alarming her since the hill was muddy from the rain.
We remember you from Children's. You were there the night our son almost died.
As a social worker at Children’s Hospital, Cathy had supported this family in November 2018 when their son was admitted in St. Paul after a suicide attempt. She vividly recalled the doctor’s warning that the boy was “30 seconds from dying.” Now, seeing him thriving with his family at the Y’s event was a powerful moment—especially poignant as, just 10 days earlier, Cathy’s neighbor had died by suicide.
Cathy immediately tracked down one of the Y's onsite leaders, Betsy Grams, who was thrilled to discover the $300 ad had netted at least one volunteer.
Except for Cathy, this wasn't a one-time thing.
"I volunteer for lots of things, and I might have just done it and then not come back," she says. "But that conversation definitely hooked me. I told Betsy, 'That $300 earned you a volunteer for life.' "
Why the Y
Originally from Iowa and a longtime Minneapolis resident, Cathy works full-time at an elementary school and part-time at Children's Hospital, mostly in Minneapolis.
The Y's Adventure Lab hosts events throughout the year that provide families inclusive, outdoor experiences that instill confidence and community. Resilinator, Kidarod, and BreakAway Kids Tri are designed to be accessible, allowing kids of all abilities to participate.
Cathy settled into the role of "Welcoming Wayfinder," helping to welcome families near the entrance, manage check-in flow and answering any questions.
"Cathy is now a signature element at our adventure race events," Betsy says. "She is the greeter who welcomes all participants, and with her warmth and genuine kindness, she sets a tone that puts people at ease and helps them feel that they belong. She is the first to sign up for every event, and she signs up to volunteer at all of the shifts! She is loving and kind, and we are so grateful for her."
Cathy loves seeing familiar faces, with many families coming to all of the Y's Adventure Lab events. She believes in the program's inclusiveness.
"You don’t have to be an athlete,” she says. "Kids of all shapes and sizes can participate.”
As a social worker, Cathy fully understands how empowering navigating an obstacle course or trying something new can be for a child.
"That’s what moves me,” Cathy says. “Being part of something that brings people back and helps kids believe in themselves.”
Since 2019, Cathy has collected a stack of thank-you postcards from the Y, each one a reminder of her own impact and the community she's helped build. Also, Cathy's involvement is now a family affair: Her husband has volunteered at every event since they were married last year, and her 81-year-old mother and 77-year-old aunt also often assist with tabletop tasks like assembling lanyards during event setup.
“There’s not many places they volunteer," Cathy says, "but the Y makes space for them."
