A Volunteer Story
 Teaching a child to master the breast stroke, seeing smiling faces and hearing the laughter of children splash around in the pool are reasons Molly Hahn volunteers at the Somerset Hills YMCA. Molly, one of this year’s recipients for “Youth Volunteer of the Year,” has been volunteering at the YMCA for 8 years. An ideal example of a volunteer, she has learned the value of patience and responsibility and how to appreciate the little moments in life.
Currently eighteen years old, Molly began volunteering at the YMCA at the age of 9 when Art Raynes, a family friend, was looking for responsible individuals to assist in his Saturdays in Motion program, which provides pool and gym recreation time for children with autism and their families.
“My mother, older brother, and I all began volunteering with the Saturdays in Motion program together when I was only 9 years old,” said Hahn. “From there, my volunteer work truly blossomed into numerous activities with a main focus on the STARS program. My name was given to the director of STARS from Sylvia and I simply couldn't pass up the opportunity to continue to teach swimming and volunteering,” said Molly.
Immediately hooked to the program, Molly has been working steadily since February for the STARS aquatic program. This program teaches children classified as having Special Needs how to swim, improve their techniques and have a positive experience in the water.
Molly’s volunteer work, especially in the STARS program, has taught her numerous life skills, most importantly, learning the value of hard work and responsibility, and the ability to adapt to situations while remaining positive.
“At times, it can be extremely trying and frustrating teaching swimming, yet when I look at each student, I am immediately calmed and focused,” said Molly. “Each student has different needs and skills which forces me to adjust constantly. No day is ever the same.”
Outside of the STARS and Saturdays in Motion YMCA programs, Hahn still finds time to participate in other volunteer programs. She spent a summer volunteering in Oahu, Hawaii with the Putney Student Travel Program and tutors younger students for National Honors Society with a focus in math and science. Additionally, Hahn recently received her Girl Scout Gold Award for her formulation and completion of a service project of over 60 hours.
“My focus in my Gold Award was bridging the generation gap between senior citizens and teens by visiting senior centers in Bernards Township and creating door decorations and toiletry bags. Most creations were then collected and delivered along with a card from each senior to a needy senior facility outside of Philadelphia.”
Molly’s favorite volunteer moment was while working with a child in the STARS Swim program. “Throughout a session, I taught a visually impaired student to swim butterfly, the hardest stroke to master in swimming. At the end of the lesson, I challenged him to a race across the pool in order to motivate him to continue practicing. Now, I am no butterfly star, but I had a few years on my student. After swimming across at a reasonable speed, I looked up to see my student holding onto the wall, not even out of breath. He beat me by a landslide. Despite my defeat, I knew that I had done my job well,” said Hahn.
Molly plans to continue volunteering at the YMCA throughout her life in some capacity.
“By regularly volunteering at STARS twice a week, I am able to see the progress of each child. If I neglect my responsibilities, I am not only depriving my students of a lesson, but also my own self of the joy of seeing them learn to swim. I volunteer because of these moments. The moments when I can see the change in the world around me however large or small.”
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