Better Together: your support means the world to our Y

Dear Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA Member,

As we continue to navigate these challenging and uncertain times, I want to thank you for your friendship and provide you with facility, membership and program updates.

We know how important the Y is to you, your family and to the communities we serve and we thank you for your messages of support and for being a part of our Y family. This means more to us than you know!

We have weathered many storms together and we will get through this one, too. We all need to do our part to help slow the growth and spread of the COVID-19 virus. Stay home, practice social distancing, check in virtually on your loved ones, friends and neighbors. Please do what you can to support our first responders, healthcare workers and essential businesses who remain open and continue to serve you.

At this time, we do not know when NJ Executive Order No. 107 will be lifted. We will not be reopening on March 30 and will remain closed until further notice.

Here is what this means for you:

VIRTUAL MEMBERSHIP

While our doors remain closed, remember that we are still here for you virtually. Our staff have been busy creating a variety of Healthy at Home workout and wellness resources for all ages, levels and interests. We’re checking in on our senior members, hosting virtual support groups and exploring new ways to bring our Y family together while staying apart. Stay connected with us on our website , Facebook Page , and YouTube Channel and read more about our online offerings at the end of this email.

Now more than ever, your membership means more. As a non-profit organization, the loss of membership and program fees will bring significant financial challenges to our organization. The FSPY Leadership Team and Board of Directors are working diligently to develop a plan to sustain the Y and prevail for our community. This plan will still need to rely on a commitment from our members.

If you are able, we ask that you STAY WITH US to invest in the future of the Y.

Whenever there is either a significant financial or health crisis, charitable institutions like the Y are frequently the most vulnerable and may fail, closing their doors. We would hate to see what our community will look like without the Y, and we hope you feel the same. When we emerge from this crisis it will be more important than ever that the Y is able to open our doors to the community and continue to offer life-changing programs and services that include child care, swim lessons, chronic disease prevention programs, active older adult exercise classes, camp and so much more.

We understand the financial hardship that this health crisis has caused for many of our members. If you need to hold your monthly membership draft until we are permitted to reopen, we understand. You can make a request to put your membership on hold here .

We thank you for being a member of the Y and will continue to be here for you whatever you decide. We can’t wait to welcome you back through our doors when we reopen. Please view the message from our staff in this short video.

PROGRAMS

When we made the decision to close the facility, we had just completed the second week of our Spring I session. Our current plan is to resume the Spring I session when we reopen, starting with week three.

If you are currently enrolled in Spring I programs and unable to continue when we resume, a credit will be applied to your account to use toward future programming.

When we know the date we are planning to reopen, you will receive further communication about programs, credits and registration.

Our staff have been working to create activities for you and your children to do at home. This includes at home workouts and conditioning for our Gymnastics and Swim Teams, sports drills, family workouts and challenges.

Please visit our website , follow us on Facebook and check out our new Healthy at Home newsletter to see all we have to offer. We are adding new content and videos daily. Read through to the end of this email to see even more online offerings!

CHILD CARE

We are thankful for the families who have shown their support for the Y by choosing to waive their March credit. Our teachers, counselors and program directors appreciate the messages of support and caring from parents and children. Please keep them coming as they have kept us smiling!

Since we will not be able to resume child care services in April, families currently enrolled in child care programs, preschool, full-time and part-time Child Care and School Age Child Care, will not be charged tuition on April 1.

MARCH PAYMENTS

As you know, the monthly membership draft for the month of March went through on March 15, the same day we made the difficult decision to close our doors. It was too late to stop the draft at that time.

Please understand that FSPY still has operational and building expenses to meet over the next month and possibly beyond. We have committed to paying nearly 400 staff members through the end of March. We appreciate if you can consider the remainder of your March membership and program fees as an investment in the future of the Y .

If you are experiencing a financial hardship, please contact [email protected] and we will address your concerns on an individual basis.

WE ARE Y STRONG

If you are unable to continue your membership, we understand. Perhaps you could consider making a one-time donation to support the Y’s future . We have created a separate campaign called “We are Y Strong” that will go toward supporting the Y’s services and operations through our closure and help us bring back vital programs and services for our community. You can make your donation here: fspymca.org/giving and select the campaign “WeAreYStrong.”

Our Annual Campaign theme this year is “ Our community is better when we all join together.” This sentiment is more meaningful today than we ever imagined.

We will only get through this if everyone does their part. We must work together to stop the growth and spread of the virus, to ensure our family, friends and neighbors are safe, and to remain positive, optimistic and take care of ourselves both physically and mentally.

HERE FOR OUR COMMUNITY

Finally, I am inspired by the resiliency and adaptability of our staff who have worked tirelessly these last two weeks to stay connected with our members and the community with virtual workouts, health and nutrition tips, and creative ways for kids, families and seniors to stay active. While our doors are closed we will continue to find unique and creative ways to bring the Y to your home.

Here are some examples of what we have been doing:

• Sheri Cognetti, Donna Peart, Jennifer Donahue and many of our instructors are recording exercise videos, including Pilates, yoga, chair yoga and HIIT. You can view them all on our YouTube channel.

• Donna, our registered dietitian, is sharing nutrition tips and recipes to help keep you eating healthy at home. Check them out here.

• Jennifer has started a Healthy at Home Facebook Group to give you regular wellness and fitness updates. Virtual classes will start next week. Ask to join now !

• We’ve created a fun at-home health challenge, daily morning workout circuit, and soon will be sharing fun family games that will encourage you and your family to keep moving. These will be available on our Facebook page.

• Our competitive Gymnastics and Swim Team coaches are creating at-home conditioning activities and workout plans, and connecting with our teams through conference calls.

• Program, Wellness and Welcome Center staff are making calls to our older adult members to check in on their well-being.

• We’ve created online support groups and have been reaching out to our Diabetes, MS and LIVE STRONG(r) at the YMCA participants.

• Our Child Care staff have been sharing daily activities, tips and ideas with parents and sharing messages of support and encouragement for the kids.

• We are providing personal protective equipment for first responders and we continue to explore ways to support our most vulnerable community members.

I encourage you to take advantage of these offerings and stay connected with us. Share your own videos and photos of you and your family participating in these activities by emailing our marketing department here or just send a message to your favorite teachers, instructors, and staff members to say hello.

Our doors may be closed but we remain here for our community.

We promise to continue to keep you updated regarding the status of our facilities and programming via our website, social media and email. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or 908-889-8880 (we are checking messages daily) should you have any additional questions.

Stay safe and be well!

Kim Decker, Chief Executive Officer

and the Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA Leadership Team

You are receiving this email as a member of the YMCA.

The Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA is dedicated to improving the quality of life of the individuals, families and communities we serve through programs and services that build wholeness of spirit, mind and body. The YMCA is a not-for-profit organization founded on Christian principles, serving people of all ages, races, faith, cultures and socio-economic conditions.