Movers and Shakers: Falmouth Wants a Y

For those in Falmouth who dream of a community pool, family recreational activities, and affordable day camps and child care, the fantasy may not be so far-fetched anymore—thanks to the efforts of a few grassroots organizers who are currently working to get a YMCA built in town.

One of those organizers is Serena Lo Piccolo-Smith, a native of Italy who moved to Falmouth two years ago with her family. Now, the former pediatric oncologist and cancer researcher has a new full-time job: getting Falmouth the Y she believes it desperately needs.

"Falmouth is a wonderful place, but it doesn’t offer much right now for families and seniors," Lo Piccolo-Smith says.

And though she's under no illusion that getting a YMCA—a multimillion dollar endeavor—will be easy, she's extremely optimistic about its chances for success. 

"It's just like lighting a little flame—it spreads," the enthusiastic Lo Piccolo-Smith says. "Right now we're at the stage where we want to raise awareness, but believe me, it will soon reach a critical mass!"

Last year, Lo Piccolo-Smith joined up with Steve Walsh, a chief engineer on the R/V Knorr at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, as well as Laura Lincoln, an East Falmouth resident who co-owns Lincoln Floor and Design, Inc. in Sandwich, who had already formed the genesis for the "Falmouth Wants a Y" group.

They began working with Stacie Peugh, CEO of the West Barnstable YMCA, and began fundraising for a site analysis study to analyze possible locations for a Falmouth Y. The YMCA organization has an eight-step process to help communities in their grassroots efforts to get a Y built, and one very important part of that process is to assess a community's fundraising potential.

The next step, Lo Piccolo-Smith explains, is a volunteer-based needs study in which the needs of the Falmouth community are assessed, along with the gaps in existing community services.

"What the Y does is not come in town and sweep everything away," Lo Piccolo-Smith says. "They fill in the gaps and partner with what is existing already. That’s what makes a Y unique and wonderful in the community. We need a place for teens to go after school, cheap summer camps, and care for small kids."

But to help the effort progress, Lo Piccolo-Smith is hoping to enlist lots of community volunteers who are as enthusiastic as she is, specifically those who can network with local leaders and solicit suggestions and feedback from residents. "We need everyone to give a piece of their expertise," she says. "That's what can really make [the effort] invincible."

And it seems to be working. Lo Piccolo-Smith says the movement to build a Y in Falmouth has recently attracted the support of Selectman Brent Putnam and State Representative David Viera.  

"A community with a Y is a better community. Even teen crime goes way down because kids grow up breathing a wonderful atmosphere of social responsibility," Lo Piccolo-Smith says.

"What’s amazing is how people react when we talk about a Y in town," she adds. "They just light up!" 

Anyone interested in volunteering for the "Falmouth Wants a Y" effort can contact Serena Lo Piccolo-Smith at FWAY2012@gmail.com or join the "Falmouth Wants a Y" Facebook group.