JCC Guidelines for Program during the COVID-19 Pandemic

March 20, 2020

Dear JCC Families,

As each day passes in our empty building it is a reminder of how much your presence inspires the work we do every day to fulfill our mission of building a strong and caring Community. This week, however, it is the resilience and commitment of our staff who have worked so diligently to develop online activities and exchanges so that we may maintain connections with you that has been our inspiration; as have the calls, emails and comments that many of you have sent expressing your support and appreciation of our staff, their work and the value of the J Community. It is this communal spirit that will surely help keep us going through these unprecedented days.

Thank you for your patience in order for our leadership to work to make the best choices available and communicate them accurately in order to build a strong foundation for continued service. With the support of the JCC Board of Directors, we have established these guiding principles for preschool tuition, out of school care fees, program registration and membership dues.

THE EARLY LEARNING CENTER – The state has mandated closure of the preschool at least through April 6. The JCC will freeze tuition payments beginning April 1. While no tuition payments will be processed after April 1, families will continue to have the option to direct charges as a contribution to the JCC’s sustainability efforts. Prorated payments will begin when the Early Learning Center is able to reopen.

Recognizing the direct and community wide impact of the building closure, Early Learning Center families will have the option to a) apply the remaining half of March’s already processed tuition charge as a credit in a future billing period or b) direct the remaining two weeks of the charge as a tax deductible contribution to the JCC Staff sustainability efforts.

KIDS SPACE & CAP – The JCC will freeze Program fees April 1. No fees will be processed until the program can reopen. More specific communication will be sent directly to families in these programs.

PROGRAM REGISTRATION FEES (classes, events, leagues, etc.) Any current program fees that have already been paid and where the program will not be rescheduled or delivered online will be credited to your membership account for future use.

TRAVEL AND BUS TRIPS - Members who have made deposits and payments for travel programs in jeopardy will be contacted directly by our Adult Department Staff regarding rescheduling, credits and/or refunds.

MEMBERSHIP – JCC Membership is a diverse and engaging experience; even as our building is closed, we continue to explore ways to serve the community, engage our members, and deliver a unique experience for all. The following options are available to members:

· Continue to support the critical work, inclusive mission and professional staff of the J through your ongoing membership.

· Freeze your membership starting April 1 ^st at no cost and have your membership activated without penalty upon the building’s reopening.

· Cancel your membership, with 30 days notice required (we will waive any cancellation fee). Any applicable processing fees will be incurred upon re enrollment.

Requests for membership freeze or cancellation should be directed to Membership@springfieldjcc.org by April 10. If you find yourself confronted with an immediate hardship as a result of this community pandemic, please contact our scholarship team at the above email so we can explore additional options.

We believe that membership is about the connection to one another, a shared vision for the future and an investment in the values we share. During this interruption, we are working tirelessly to better understand the financial implications of our response to COVID-19. We recognize this is a challenging time, complicated by the pace of change and new information, while balancing the needs of a community and service to our mission.

We are especially appreciative of our Board of Directors, members and others who recognize that our staff team delivers quality service with professionalism and tremendous heart and are committed to fully compensate ALL our staff for this two week period and for as long as possible beyond this initial closure.

Our decision to suspend programs and services on March 15 ^th was based on the guidance of health experts and the firm understanding that COVID-19 can only be abated by the immediate and sustained adherence to the social distancing and quarantine protocols recommended by the CDC. Please help ensure our entire community’s health by immediately practicing the social distancing and quarantine protocols of the CDC, now and throughout the near term. For as we say in our tradition, Kol yisrael arevim zeh bazeh, - we are all responsible for one another.

Community is our middle name and not only does our community need us, but we need our community now more than ever. Times of crisis accentuate our need for connection, we long to be together, and we are excited to turn our attention towards creating community, albeit without the use of our facilities. Please visit our JCC website to see our current list of virtual programming. If you have an idea or want to connect with community members please reach out to us.

Wishing you and yours good health and may we see each other in person soon.

Shabbat Shalom,