Get STRONG with us! Six weeks, 20 minutes/day, free stuff!
Family time is Y time: We are adding family activities everywhere!
Youth Development is expanding its Y-quality school-age enrichment programs
What’s your Y story? Tell us your Y connection for a chance to win!
Isolation, social distancing’s impact on our school age children
Mission Moment: Food for those who need it
Clean and safe: Our branches are ready for you!
It has been several months since the YMCA of Greater Cleveland reopened their branches and, thanks to our staff’s rigid dedication to meeting or exceeding all CDC and health department COVID-19 prevention practices and protocols, we have been welcoming back a growing number of members! Our pools, locker rooms, fitness centers and group exercise classes are open—and you’ll see frequent cleaning of all of our welcoming spaces. If you haven’t been back, come see for yourself by taking a “safety tour.” Our highest priorities will always be your health and safety!
Get STRONG with us! Six weeks, 20 minutes/day, free stuff!
Not ready to come back to a branch yet? Well, here’s a great alternative! This month we are launching the STRONG CHALLENGE to help us strengthen spirit, mind and body during these difficult times. It will help recharge your batteries and be a lot of fun!
The challenge officially begins on Monday, October 19 — and you can participate from anywhere. Registration begins the week of October 12. Here are the STRONG CHALLENGE offerings:
It’s a FREE six-week challenge open to all in your family
You will receive three texts each week outlining the challenges
Each week a video will guide you through that week's challenge
We are offering lots of outside opportunities to participate—including classes outdoors, more LIVE classes on Zoom and pop-up classes.
The Challenge is free for all members and as a member, you will receive free Strong Challenge merchandise and have the opportunity to win some big prizes!
Ys across the country are participating, so you'll have the chance to share your success stories with members nationwide through the STRONG CHALLENGE Facebook page.
It’s easy to participate and get active! Watch for details.
Family time is Y time: We are adding family activities everywhere!
“Get out of the house and into the Y!” Ready to get out of the house with the kids? We’ve got what you need. We’re proud to have been named the ‘Best Place for Family-Friendly Fitness’ in the 2020 Parent Choice Awards by Northeast Ohio Parent Magazine. Branches across our Ys are adding new and innovative family programming to get you out of the house and into the Y for some active and safe family fun! Check out your branch to see what’s new in your favorite Y location!
Child Care expanding its Y-quality school-age enrichment programs
No one offers better pre- and school-age programming than the Y. We are one of the largest child care providers in the Greater Cleveland area. Our goal is to deliver exceptional programming in a positive environment where children can grow and develop to their full potential. The Y’s programs provide safe, nurturing care so you can have peace of mind while you are at work or school.
This school year will be unlike any other, but the Y’s staff is ready to provide rich programming and a safe environment for every child in our care.
Y CARES Full-day Programming We are ready to meet our community’s needs with full-day programming at Y CARES Learning and Enrichment Centers! We are offering programming weekdays in coordination with local school districts to support online learning with our dedicated and caring staff. The Y CARES Learning and Enrichment Programs will provide a safe and structured environment that will allow for students to attend virtual class, have peer interaction, and participate in enrichment activities, while parents return to work. Find locations and details here.
Before and After School Enrichment (ages 5 – 12) We help hundreds of children every day reach their fullest potential in a welcoming, supportive environment. By incorporating the values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility into all of our youth programs, we give children the solid foundation they need to thrive. Our school age program offers fun weekly themes that align with Ohio’s Common Core K-12 state standards. Find locations and other details here.
Pre-school (ages 3-5 -- Select Locations include 18 – 36-month-old toddler care programs) Preschools are about discovery. Kids can explore nature, find new talents, try new activities, gain independence and make lasting friendships and memories.
At the YMCA, preschool is like a home away from home, where kids laugh, learn, explore and grow in the outdoors, while creating memories and friendships that last a lifetime. Find locations and other details here.
What’s your Y story? Tell us your Y connection for a chance to win!
Nearly everyone has a Y story. Did you learn to swim at a Y? Did you go to a Y camp? Did you use a Y child care center? Did Y branch staff help you get fit? Did you take a Y wellness class that had a lasting impact? The list of possibilities goes on and on. Tell us your Y story. We will select one for a $50 Amazon gift card and two others for quality Y water bottles!
Isolation, Social Distancing’s Impact on Our School Age Children
The YMCA of Greater Cleveland’s VP of Youth Development Ana Thomas and CEO Timothy Hilk penned an op-ed for Sun Newspapers, Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer about the affects of isolation and social distancing on school age children. Here it is in case you missed it:
The start of every school year is challenging for the parents and guardians of school-age children. With COVID-19, this year is arguably the most challenging in a lifetime. Schools needed to quickly recraft the academic year to accommodate for COVID, preparations impacted at any given time by their county’s color coding in the Ohio Public Health Advisory Alert System. Another complication was the political environment surrounding COVID that brought out strong opinions on whether children should return to school and, if so, what level of prevention was reasonable.
Weeks later, we have seen some settling as new routines have emerged. Still, a question lingers: What is the impact of isolation and social distancing on our children?
Psychology Today found that “The isolation that comes with prolonged social distancing is a heavy burden for children. It can even strain existing friendships. Interactions that used to be easy and fun now feel forced and awkward.” While all children are impacted on some level, it can be especially challenging for school age children.
According to Forbes, in 2018, around 11% of U.S. households reported they were food insecure at some point per the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). As of April 2020, the percentage of households deemed food insecure was estimated between 22-38%. Thus, at minimum, the number of households that lack the resources for a stable food supply has doubled, and possibly tripled, making current rates of food insecurity higher than at any point since data collection began.
Among those at greatest risk are children. Brookings reports that, “13.9 million children lived in a household characterized by child food insecurity in the third week in June, 5.6 times as many as in all of 2018 (2.5 million) and 2.7 times as many than did at the peak of the Great Recession in 2008 (5.1 million).”
Thanks to your support of our Y, we are playing a role in addressing hunger in our community. Here are a few examples:
Y child care: One in five children does not know where their next meal is coming from. As a leading nonprofit strengthening community through influencing the trajectory of kids’ lives, the Y’s job is in part to ensure they receive the food they need to be healthy, active, and well-nourished. The Y recognizes all children deserve the opportunity to reach their full potential and nothing is more fundamental to their development than having consistent access to healthy food.
During a typical school year, the Greater Cleveland Y serves hundreds of kids a nutritious snack at 3:30 every day at our 22 afterschool program locations. During the summer, the Greater Cleveland Y typically serves over 1,000 kids breakfast and an afternoon snack at our 15 summer camp locations. All year round we serve up to 50 preschoolers & toddlers' breakfast and an afternoon snack at our three Early Learning Centers.
Warrensville Heights Family YMCA’s Community Food Program is part of the branch’s Together Now program to help Warrensville and surrounding communities with food support. There are two food programs offered at this location: USDA food boxes (fresh produce, dairy and meat) and The Food Rescue program (fresh baked goods, produce or prepared food to go). Both programs are run weekly.
Y-Haven: Y-Haven provides temporary housing and drug and alcohol treatment for up to 250 men and women struggling with homelessness and addiction. The center offers an array of services to help participants recover from addiction, find good work and secure permanent housing. Each resident has a shared kitchen and prepares his or her meals using food stamps, employment or disability income, and food donations given to Y-Haven. Kitchens utensils and dinnerware are provided by the YMCA and through donations. During a resident’s first week in the program peers cook meals for the newcomers, welcoming them into the Y-Haven family. Part of the recovery process is learning to live independently: the Ohio State Extension provides cooking classes to new residents in the facility’s “Teaching Kitchen” and residents also participate in food safety courses. Like our child care programs, businesses generously contribute food for Y-Haven residents. No one goes hungry in our Y-Haven program. In fact, many residents put on a few pounds, affectionately known as the “Y-Haven 10”, having come in from the streets and started eating regular, healthy meals. Learn more about Y-Haven here.
The Nelson Garrettsville Community Cupboard (NGCC): is located at our Garrettsville Family YMCA. The Cupboard’s mission is to provide monthly food assistance to those in need. Eligible residents who live in the James A. Garfield School District can us the Cupboard. The NGCC is a member agency of the Akron Canton Food Bank. The NGCC is not a federally funded agency and operates solely on contributions received from the community. To make a contribution to the Nelson Garrettsville Community Cupboard, click here.
USDA-funded Child and Adult Care Food Program: YMCA of Greater Cleveland also participates in the USDA-funded Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). The CACFP is a federal program that provides nutritious meals and snacks to eligible children and adults who are enrolled for care at participating child care centers, day care homes, and adult day care centers. Last summer we provided meals and/or snacks at 13 locations in Greater Cleveland without charge.
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