Denver, Colorado May 15, 2025 (Issuewire.com) - When Nick Mistretta returned to the YMCA of the Rockies after several years away, it felt like a homecoming. Having worked for the organization on and off for nearly two decades, he believed in the mission and the values it claimed to uphold.
That feeling didnt last.
I have a condition known as misophonia, which makes me extremely sensitive to certain noises, Mistretta says. Ive always dealt with ADHD, anxiety, OCD, and depression. But as the world gets louder, its becoming harder and harder to find a safe space.
Misophonia is a neurological condition that triggers intense emotional and physical responses like panic, stress, or nausea when exposed to specific sounds such as chewing, pen clicking, or low-frequency vibrations. For Mistretta, the worst trigger is a low, rumbling bass exactly the kind of noise he now hears daily in his housing assignment.
I live on the first floor of an old building, he explains. When people walk around above me, the floor vibrates, and my 24/7 use of headphones is useless. Its exactly the kind of low-frequency noise that sets off my fight-or-flight response. So I asked to be moved into one of a few dozen empty rooms on a top floor.
Mistretta currently volunteers at the YMCAs general store in Estes Park, Colorado. When he realized the housing situation was unsustainable, he asked to speak to housing coordinator Sophie Green but was denied, so instead he submitted a room change request and disclosed his condition. He believed the solution would be straightforward.
There are two staff housing buildings for older adults like me, and theyre both less than half full, he says. I assumed theyd help. I was wrong.
According to Mistretta, his request was immediately denied with a vague explanation that the available rooms were being held for summer volunteers. But Mistretta is a summer volunteer; his contract runs through the entire season, and hes talked with other senior volunteers with similar complaints of Green. When he appealed to her again, this time asking for understanding, he received no reply. Days later, he was informed that a roommate would be moving in shortly, despite the two buildings remaining largely empty.
Only three weeks ago, I sat through an all-day orientation where people got up and talked about the YMCAs core values: caring, respect, honesty, responsibility, and faith, Mistretta says. Its clearly just a script. Theres no follow-through.
He says the situation has left him isolated, exhausted, and on edge.
Keep in mind, Im not even getting paid. Im giving my time and labor to a place I once loved, and all I asked for was to be moved into one of many empty rooms.
Mistretta says the situation reflects a broader pattern hes seen throughout his life: religious institutions that preach compassion but fail to practice it.
I grew up in religious schools and churches. Ive heard the sermons. Ive seen how people act behind closed doors, Mistretta says. And what Im seeing here is no different. It's the same brand of hypocrisy thats everywhere now people talking about moral values while completely ignoring them in practice.
He draws a parallel between his experience at the YMCA and the public support many evangelical institutions have shown for figures like Donald Trump.
Supporting someone who openly mocks the weak and lies constantly thats not Christianity. Thats a marketing stunt, Mistretta says. And when I see an organization like the YMCA doing the same thing parading its values in public while ignoring real people in need, it hits just as hard.
In the end, he says, what hurts most isnt the noise or the stress; its the betrayal.
The YMCA says its a Christian organization that cares for body, mind, and spirit, Mistretta says. But thats just branding. When someone like me actually needs support, it turns out they dont practice any of what they preach.
5/13 Update:
Nick Mistretta left the YMCA of the Rockies on 5/12. General Manager Shannon Jones apologized twice to Mistretta for Sophie Greens behavior, and said shes had multiple complaints, but he did not hold her or anyone else accountable. Instead, he made excuses. Jones still preaches to new and returning employees every Monday during orientation while stressing the importance of the YMCAs core values.
Meanwhile, there are still a lot of empty rooms on the top floors of two employee housing units that Mistretta could have moved into!
For more information:
Nick Mistretta, 57-year-old volunteer: 406-517-1507
Sophie Green, Housing Coordinator: 970-586-3341 ext. 1071
Julie Watkins, YMCA of the Rockies CEO: 970-586-3341 ext. 6001
Shannon Jones, General Manager: 970-586-3341 ext. 1000
Melisa LaFon, HR Director: 970-586-3341 ext. 1018
Media Contact
Nick Mistretta Copywriting
406-517-1507
Source :YMCA of the Rockies
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