Dear members, participants, and volunteers,
First and foremost, I hope you and your loved ones are well. The last few months have been some of the most challenging our community has ever faced, and everyone has been affected. Despite all this, I’m inspired by the incredible acts of human kindness I see every day from people who simply want to help any way they can. Now more than ever, I believe we are a community of people helping people, and it makes me proud to even be a small part of it.
Stay With Us
As you know, YMCAs across the Commonwealth temporarily suspended operations on March 17th. While this has been difficult for our staff and our members, we know that stopping the spread of COVID-19 should be our state’s first priority, and we understand our role in making that happen. During the last two months your options have grown, as we are committed to making it easy for you to maintain your membership.
- We've rolled out a number of virtual classes and programs for our members to try while at home. We appreciate your flexibility and patience as we’ve shifted to this virtual platform, and we plan to keep building on those offerings in the coming weeks – so stay tuned!
- We’re giving all first responders and healthcare professionals two free months of membership when we reopen. This applies to current and future members and their families!
- All membership fees paid from March 17th until we reopen will be considered a tax deductible, charitable donation. If you prefer not to take the deduction, you can tell us here.
- We’ll be launching a new flex pricing model to ensure your membership remains affordable if you’ve experienced a financial hardship due to COVID-19. Details on this are coming soon!
- It’s easy to modify your membership any time by filling out a quick form.
Preparing To Reopen
Earlier this week, Governor Baker announced the details of his four phase plan to reopen Massachusetts. If the phases roll out as scheduled, our summer camps will reopen in phase two, and our gyms and fitness centers will reopen in phase three.
All along, we’ve been preparing to welcome you back to our Y.
- In our camps, we’re planning activities with smaller groups and less physical interaction while still maintaining the wonder and adventure of summer.
- In our branches we’ll be implementing new cleaning procedures, new foot traffic routes through the building, and new requirements for the use of PPE by staff and members – all of which are designed to keep you and your family as safe as possible.
We’ll be able to share the details of these plans with you soon, so please stay tuned to our social media channels and
website
for updates. Needless to say, our Ys will look and feel a little different the next time you visit…but our mission and cause remains the same.
Following Your Lead
We recently sent out surveys to our staff and our members to find out how we can make the Old Colony Y experience as stress-free, comfortable, and safe as possible. Here’s what we’ve learned so far:
- Our members are looking forward to getting back on the fitness floor, and want to see extensive cleaning protocols and strict social distancing. With that in mind, we will have staff designated to clean and wipe down machines after each use. We’ve also redesigned our fitness centers to spread out the machines and equipment, so social distancing will be easy while you work out.
- Our staff want to make sure PPE is readily available, and that sanitation stations are installed throughout the building. We’re currently acquiring masks and installing stations throughout each facility to make sure no one has to look too far to clean their hands. The other thing we’ve learned from talking with staff is that they simply cannot wait to see you again! I think I speak for all our staff when I say that we truly miss seeing you every day, and we’re counting down the days until we can safely do so again.
