By Bruce Boyer

When Angela Tate moved to Kernersville 23 years ago she had her reservations. She loved life in Wilkesboro, but the family moved to the Kernersville area because of her husband’s job transfer. Kernersville welcomed the Tate family with open arms and she has not looked back. She initially worked at Sedge Garden United Methodist Church pre-school and later at Sedge Garden Elementary School. At lunch time she would rush to the Kernersville Family YMCA for a noontime fitness class. It was at the YMCA that she found her real home in Kernersville. She began working at the Y and found it fit her personality and mission in life.

It is not a stretch for Angela Tate to call the YMCA home. She seems to spend more time and energy at the YMCA than anywhere else. The YMCA and “what she liked best about Kernersville” are synonymous.

When she was attending the Y as a member, she caught the eye of the Y staff. Staff members Kasey Elliott and Cindy Caron recognized her abilities, enthusiasm, and her affinity for helping people. They inspired her to work for the YMCA. Angela found her calling when she began teaching Silver Sneakers, a fitness class for seniors. She observed that seniors have many unique needs. Many are trying to stay healthy while aging gracefully. Some seniors are dealing with the loss of a spouse and loneliness. Others miss the friendship and companionship they used to experience while they were employed. Being a mobile society, many children of seniors live in another state. So, often seniors have no family nearby. They need the Y for socialization.

One thing Angela likes about living in Kernersville is how people at the YMCA view each other as family. The circle of friends includes a combination of fellow members and the Y staff. Angela said, “The Y staff genuinely care about the members.” She went on to say, “Improving one’s health is more than exercise. It is a person’s outlook on life.” Spend a few minutes in the fitness room and it is easy to witness the friendship component of the YMCA. People congregate in small groups in the fitness room to talk and support each other. Sometimes it seems there is more conversation than exercise, but that is what building friendships is all about.

Angela’s biological family consists of a loving husband, Charlie, three grown children and five grandchildren. Since working at the Y her extended family has grown significantly. It now includes hundreds of seniors that attend the Y. Angela says the seniors support her as much as she supports them. When someone has a problem, everyone thinks “what would Jesus do,” and then they do it. “People who might be overlooked elsewhere are embraced at the Y.” Angela takes great pleasure in seeing people who were initially quiet and withdrawn blossom when members and staff reach out to them.

Angela is quick to point out that she is just a small part of the Y’s special friendly atmosphere, and does not want to be singled out. “It is a team effort,” and Angela is just one of many caring people there. She credits Executive Director Rosemary Suess for establishing and modeling the loving, Christian environment, and hiring people who are willing to “go the extra mile” for others. The caring atmosphere is pervasive within the membership, too. A great example is when the participants of a fitness class put on a surprise birthday celebration for Angela’s 60th birthday. The entire 80-member fitness class came dressed in black for class. The celebration was organized by YMCA member Sara Toney. There was a great deal of playful excitement when Angela began romping around the gymnasium with a walker, as she led the class. According to Angela, the Y is a place where people celebrate each other’s accomplishments.

However, it is not all fun and games. Angela never shies away from the opportunity to help people when they have issues in their life. People often ask for her support and for her prayers. She is modest, but says here mission in life is to “Do what I was put here on earth to do. We all are the body of Christ.”

Angela Tate knows that Kernersville is a unique community, and is where she feels most comfortable. The Kernersville community and especially the YMCA, is where she can minister to people. She enjoys being part of an environment where members and other Y staff build each other up. YMCA Executive Director Rosemary Suess says Angela is always positive and upbeat, a “glass half full person. Angela wears her faith on her sleeve and does not hesitate to say a kind word to anyone she comes in contact with throughout the day.  Her energy is amazing.”
What does Angela like best about Kernersville? She likes establishing a mutual friendship with the people of this community, especially seniors. Kernersville is a place where she can “do what she was put on earth to do.”