“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” – 1 Corinthians 16:13
Today marks the one-year point of the long journey we have been on together. I no longer use the expressions “incomprehensible” or “beyond belief” to describe this experience (those expressions went out the window around month four or five). No, this experience has been all too real for every one of us; however, I do feel it is important to acknowledge the tremendous effort you have exerted throughout this journey – that is noteworthy. You are noteworthy. I have said, and continue to say: your commitment is miraculous. I am extremely grateful and appreciative for all you have done. Because of your dedication, our Y is beginning to climb out of the hole that 175 days of complete closure (notwithstanding the heroic service from our childcare team) and 190 days of partial reopening have created.
This past Saturday, a friend of mine sent me a text, complaining that there were no available parking spaces at the Mel Korum Y so he could work out. He was frustrated and he went on to tell me he was considering dropping his membership. A few minutes later, he sent me another text: “I was kidding. Isn’t this great? No available parking!!!” I have to admit, I laughed, but then got very emotional. As great as that news was (thank you Matthew McDonnell [Senior Youth Director, Gordon Y], Jake Irish [Senior Youth Director, Mel Korum Y], and the Gordon and Mel Korum youth teams for delivering youth soccer to our families once again), the excitement I felt, and the hope inspired by seeing the families, was immediately overcome by emotion. I was quickly reminded how hard this journey has been for our Y. I also could not allow myself to declare victory knowing how steep the climb still lies ahead. The story of Admiral Stockdale and his imprisonment in Vietnam has proven all too true for us; we need to remember we cannot get overly hopeful nor fall into despair if we are to complete this journey successfully – the many ups and downs we have experienced have reaffirmed that truth over and over again. As Admiral Stockdale shared, he would not let himself believe he would be free by Christmas, but he also never lost hope he would ultimately be free once again. Stockdale’s words have resonated throughout our journey.
This past week, we saw other signs of hope for our Y. Congress passed the new coronavirus relief bill, which was later signed by the President. In Friday’s “Staying Connected” call, Toko Thompson [Vice President and Chief Financial Officer] highlighted how this will translate to millions of dollars to our Y through the employee retention tax credit, unemployment insurance credit, and the payroll protection program. It will take a great deal of work by Toko and the finance team to apply for these credits, but she did share that, unlike last year, we do qualify for these benefits and it will make a significant impact on our Y.
In addition to the positive news generated by the passage of the relief bill, the governor of our state announced that all counties in Washington will move into phase 3 on March 22. Though we are awaiting publication of the details, we do know phase 3 moves indoor operations to 50% capacity or 400 participants (whichever is smaller). This is very exciting and a clear indication that the incident rate, hospitalizations, and occupancy in the ICU are all declining. Furthermore, the push to get more people vaccinated is rapidly increasing. As Tara Bywater [Association Member Experience and Operations Director] shared on the “Staying Connected” call, the number one factor that will bring our members back into the centers, as indicated in the member survey, was the prevalence of the vaccine, both for themselves and for those around them.
Last Thursday, Toko, Brian Flattum [Vice President and Chief Operating Officer], and I met with the finance committee of our board of directors. Even before COVID, the finance committee played a vital role for our association (they review the financial condition of our organization and make recommendations to the board). Clearly, under COVID conditions, the committee is feeling the weight of their responsibilities to a greater extent. They were clearly concerned that membership was not increasing at a faster rate and they weighed the ramifications of that trend continuing. They were particularly concerned that the slow growth was preventing us from reinvesting into our centers, a longstanding hallmark of our success. There have been too many examples of YMCA associations deferring maintenance only to result in disastrous situations. The committee is also aware how critical membership growth is to rebuild the economic engine that repays our debt and would afford us the ability to construct the new Names Family YMCA. One final concern raised in the committee meeting was how the strength of our Y has enabled us to extend services to all people, regardless of their ability to pay; not being able to extend that service was not acceptable to anyone on the committee nor the board.
As much as I try to control my excitement, it is near impossible to ignore the positive signs throughout our Y:
- Tiffany Stewart-Harris [Business Analyst] sent me a report showing the March 5 membership draft produced a gain of $172,000 from the February 5 report
- Andrew Homan [Network Administrator] was working at the Tom Taylor Y last week and reported, “It was jumping at Tom Taylor”
- Brian and the operations team are preparing to roll out additional services like Y Club and Teen Fitness • Toby Roberts [Association Director of Philanthropy] is spearheading the YES Campaign Kickoff, scheduled for Monday, March 22, at 5:30pm
- Ashley Perkins [Early Learning Senior Director] reported on Friday that enrollment at the new early learning center was at 97, closing in on 75% capacity, far exceeding expectations
- The school districts are inquiring into engaging Scott Gjertson [Senior Outdoor Environmental Education Director] and his OEE team to access the outdoor environmental education program.
In just a few days, the first day of spring will be here and hope truly springs eternal. I may be trying to control my excitement, but deep inside, I know our Y is coming back. We are PKC Strong; there is no denying us.
#StayStrong #StayWithUs