HOW IS THE YMCA DOING THIS YEAR?
I’m asked this a lot these days. It recognizes that we are an organization that brings people together and fosters relationships in light of a global pandemic that makes it necessary to keep people physically distanced.
Our budget relies heavily on memberships and enrollment in youth development programs. That revenue allows us to offer financial assistance for all of our services and also run free programs for the community.
COVID-19 severely limits our normal operations. In short, we are weathering a storm that shows few signs of quickly relenting.
Following a 12-week closure to members, we reopened in a significantly modified way. Our new COVID-19 practices and protocols make sense and are necessary to combat the virus. We take that mission very seriously. But they also mean additional staff are needed for cleaning and monitoring at the same time that fewer members can attend.
We know from member surveys that many will not return to the Y until a vaccine or treatments are safely in place. In fact, the Y’s membership has declined by as much as 37 percent.
COVID-19 also creates new restrictions within our Youth programs: near-constant cleaning, maintaining smaller group sizes and locating spaces large enough to ensure physical distance. For the summer, it meant an 80 percent reduction in typical enrollment, at a time when it cost nearly the same amount to safely staff and operate the program.
Initiatives that would normally take months to plan and implement have been deployed in days. These include full-day child care with distance learning components, a kindergarten class, virtual group exercise classes, outdoor studio spaces and the establishment of a 14-member Diversity, Inclusion, and Global Engagement committee. We are doing all of this as we continue to move forward in remarkable ways on the fundraising and final design details for the new YMCA.
Even while acknowledging the difficult parts, the most common feelings I have are gratitude, hope and optimism. I marvel at the transformative impact of the donors, foundations and partners that have stepped forward in this storm to offer generosity and essential resources. I am inspired by the warmth, compassion, and selflessness of our members as they reach out to our staff and to one another.
As Oregonians, we know one thing with certainty: All rainstorms eventually lead to beauty. What comes out of this time will be nothing short of stunning.
Optimistically,
Brian Steffen CEO,
Eugene Family YMCA
