Y Story: Angie Duncan

Born and raised in Albany, Angie Duncan first came to the YMCA as a child while her mother volunteered in Child Watch. She remained connected to the Y over the years and eventually began volunteering herself as a stay-at-home mom with young children.

That volunteer role ultimately grew into something more. She joined the YMCA staff in Child Watch before becoming the organization’s Child Watch Coordinator. Soon, that role also evolved, and she began overseeing the Y Preschool and, eventually, Summer Day Camp. Since 2015, Duncan has served as the organization’s Family Director. In total, her career at our YMCA spans over 19 years.

“I always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, and I’ve always loved working with kids and watching kids,” Duncan said. “Working here still allowed me to do things with my kids, and I got to bring my kids with me.”

As Family Director, Duncan leads much of our youth and family programming: our on-campus Y Preschool and off-campus Mighty Explorers Preschool, Child Watch, After School program, Friday Night Out, Summer Day Camp, Non-School Days, Winter and Spring Break Camps, and more. 

Currently, Duncan is in the midst of Summer Day Camp and interacts with kids daily. Our Summer Day Camp is packed full of activities and visitors—last year’s visitors included Smokey the Bear, baby goats, reptiles, kangaroos, a cheetah from Wildlife Safari, and more. Each week of the camp is themed and includes activities like crafts, gym time, outdoor play, movies, and swimming.

“I love bringing those animals here and getting to bring those kinds of things to the kiddos. They are things they wouldn’t be able to experience if they weren’t here. It’s pretty amazing,” Duncan said. “Camp is super fun. Like field day—it’s a lot of work to set everything up, but once you have it all set up and they’re playing and just enjoying it, I think that’s the best part for me, to just watch the kids enjoy what we’re putting out for them.”

When Duncan started in her role at the Y, family programming was limited. Since then, the programs have grown tremendously. Summer Day Camp went from 40 kids the year she took it over to over 100 kids in recent years. There was no after-school program, and at its inception, the program had only six kids; now, it has around 100. Friday Night Out—a child care service which allows parents to drop their kids off at the YMCA on Friday evenings, what Duncan calls a “respite for parents”—also wasn’t active until she started in her role. Now, it is available every week. 

Duncan said she enjoys her job for several reasons. For example, she enjoys mentoring her young staff, many of whom are students or entering the workforce for the first time. 

“There’s a lot of mentoring. Honestly, it allows me to be a mom again. They will come in if they’re feeling overwhelmed. They come in if school is getting too hard, or they need to chat,” Duncan said. “You really get to mentor them, not just with their jobs. You get to help them with those things that can get a little sticky and move them through. Then you get to watch them grow and do different things.”

But Duncan also said one of her favorite parts of her job—and one of the most rewarding—is watching kids come out of their shells. She told a story about a kid who, a few years ago, was underneath a table, crying and nervous in Child Watch. Now, he is in Summer Day Camp, and he recently told her he’s going to be a counselor for her when he is old enough.

“You really get to be a part of these kids’ lives, and you get to help build their self-esteem. You get to help build their confidence, and you get to keep them safe. When those parents drop them off, they know they’re dropping them off to a safe program, which is awesome. That’s the role I get to play,” Duncan said. “You watch them go from the kiddos that don’t want to let go of their parent’s hand and are crying, to kiddos that are running in, barely saying bye anymore. To grow and build that confidence—we really protect that.”

Looking ahead, Duncan is excited about the continued growth of the Family Department. She hopes to expand program offerings, including more interactive classes where parents and children can participate together, like hands-on arts and crafts and other collaborative activities. 

Overall, Duncan’s programs are centered on the YMCA’s main values: caring, respect, responsibility, honesty, and faith. For her, the ability to impact those values on kids daily is one aspect of her work that keeps her here at the Y.

“I get to put those values into all of my programs. You get to be a part of making a difference in kids’ lives,” she said. “Those are our future leaders—those are our council women. Those are our governors. Those are our policemen and women. That’s our future. And to just be a small part of that is amazing. I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

To learn more about Summer Day Camp, visit www.ymcaalbany.org/childcare/summer-day-camp/.