STRONGER TOGETHER
We are grateful for you and your support which enables us to respond to urgent challenges faced by those we serve.
This is no doubt a time of uncertainty for our entire community. Our thoughts are with you and your loved ones, hoping you continue to remain safe and healthy at home.
While our Y is undergoing significant challenges, we remain steadfast in our commitment to strengthen lives through our Y’s crisis response including blood drives, food collection and distribution at our Y locations, and outreach to emergency health care workers for child care support. Our counseling and social services work also continues as an even greater need for mental health support grows.
Now more than ever, we need one another.
We want to share some of the ways we are currently providing support for our members and critical needs of our community:
Healthy at Home
Your fitness goals are important to us, so in addition to virtual classes available by our own instructors, we’re sharing a new line of YMCA virtual classes called Y360 available free to members for a limited time. In addition, we received permission to share at home workouts from Les Mills, and other virtual fitness providers as part of your membership. Visit www.ymcanj.org/fitness-online to view all video links. Join us on social media every weekday morning to take a class together.
Critical Community Response
While this public health crisis has created enormous uncertainty, how we respond is within our control. Our Y has shifted our attention to serving the most urgent needs in the following ways:
>Teleheath Counseling & Social Services
Our outreach and outpatient offices remain open and active, and have shifted to include phone-based mental health and substance abuse counseling for clients. Family support services, affordable housing and employment needs continue to be met remotely from our Bayshore Family Success Center.
>Urgent Blood Drives
Our Y branches will host American Red Cross blood drives this week to address the critical blood shortage. Community response has been overwhelming with appointments nearly full.
>Food Distribution
We are working with local agencies to combat food insecurity and supply issues by distributing food at Y locations, connecting with community to provide access, and hosting food drives.
>Emergency Child Care
We are providing child care for First Responders and Essential Personnel so that they can help us flatten the curve.
We want you to know that you’re part of our family. And we need you to #StayWithUs. Stay connected with your Y and with your community. Stay connected with each other. And, be well.
