GREATER JOLIET AREA YMCA

You learn a lot when conversing with Billy Chamberlain. He’s an open book, filled with quips and quirks, facts and flashbacks.

“It’s funny,” he says, sitting in the lobby of the Morris YMCA. “When I used to work for the city of Morris, I painted the inside of this building more than once. I remember when it was a bank.”

Billy speaks quite fondly of his early days in Morris, the place where he was born and bred. Growing up, he played every sport he could: Baseball, football, golf, rugby, you name it. His fifth grade teacher? YMCA Program Director Ken Iverson, someone he now considers an acquaintance.

Billy doesn’t shy away from shifting the conversation elsewhere, either. In 1994, less than a year after graduating from Eastern Illinois University, he was in an accident that cost him his vision.

Despite the adversity, Billy maintains an active lifestyle, both at the Y and throughout his home community. You might catch him at the Y on Monday, Wednesday or Friday, exercising and lifting weights. If not, he might be around town, finding ways to support or volunteer at a local organization.

“Huge heart.”
“Reliable.”
“Hard-working.”
“Kids love her.”
“Parents love her.”

That’s Amanda DeBoard in a nutshell.

You don’t develop that kind of reputation overnight. You have to earn it. And Amanda sure has.

She’s been involved with the Y since 2008, first as a staff member of the Galowich Family YMCA in Joliet. She later transferred to the Morris YMCA after they debuted their before and after school Kid Zone program at White Oak and Saratoga Elementary Schools.

As their longest-tenured part-time employee, Amanda is the Morris Y’s undisputed MVP. For years, she has excelled at nearly every position—Kid Zone Counselor, Membership Desk Attendant, Summer Camp Counselor and Kids Corner Attendant. She can truly do it all.

Reminiscing about her YMCA career, Amanda says the Y has helped her grow on a personal level. “They lift you up here,” she said.

The truth is we’re just following in her footsteps.

For most of his life, Terry Donahue has made it a priority to serve others. It started as a young man when he attended nursing school. It continued when he joined the US Army. (“Uncle Sam got me,” he says.)

His tenure with the Army lasted 22 years and included a tour in Vietnam and the opportunity to go to anesthesia school. He retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1988. Down the road, Terry became a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist and administered anesthesia for a living.

Terry and his wife Carol are Premier Members at the Morris YMCA. They took a chance and joined the Y before we ever opened our doors. Terry, 72, is now one of our most active members. Following his own advice—“stay active, don’t vegetate”—he can often be found at the Y running on the treadmill, lifting weights or doing yoga.