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Friends of CitySquash,
It has often been referenced that CitySquash is like one big family, and it is in times like these that our empathy, care and love become all the more important. As we work to address this large and unforeseen crisis, we are focused on keeping our CitySquash family united, happy and ready to persevere. We are committed to supporting our staff so that they can continue to lift our students, and though we will not be able to hold our annual BASH celebration this spring, we hope to remain fiscally strong.
Attending CitySquash programming brings such joy to our students, our staff, and to our many supporters. While the inability to gather in-person can be deflating, we have been resilient, nimble and resolute. We have adjusted our traditional programming to come up with new ways of serving our community, and with every bit of communication we have with our students, we feel more inspired and more certain that our CitySquash family will come out of this even more deeply connected.
Below is a list of ways in which we are providing support to the CitySquash community:
- Daily contact with students and families to assess their well-being and most pressing needs, and providing them with the pertinent information and resources to help.
- Individualized academic support to ensure that each student is able to fulfill the remote learning requirements of their academic institution.
- Comprehensive placement services which include test prep, financial aid application work, and school selection to students applying to high schools and colleges.
- Facilitating emotional support by hosting virtual gatherings for parents.
- Mental health support through group meditation sessions and professional counseling services.
- Group workout sessions, exercise training plans, and fitness challenges to keep team members strong and fit.
Our CitySquash families need our help more than ever. Virtual learning is significantly more challenging for students from low-income families than those from affluent ones. Many CitySquashers are learning in a second language. They have spotty internet in their homes, and there are many forces inhibiting their parents from being able to serve as supplemental tutors during this indefinite time away from school.
Families are already seeing their primary sources of income curtailed or eliminated. Those who are still working, put their safety at risk and leave their families to travel to work in hospitals, restaurants and supermarkets. While everyone has been deeply affected by COVID-19, it is families like those whom we serve who will be the most deeply affected and who will bear this burden the longest. Our work has always been about closing the achievement gap, and this moment is yet another reminder of how important that work is. We hope you will continue to join us in this fight to keep our organization and our students #CitySquashStrong.
Sincerely,
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