Y Monthly Monday Mission Update
It Takes a Lot of Work to Build Community
We have all had a version of the following conversation perhaps thousands of times in our lives. Someone asks you, “What’s going on?” You respond, “Not much.” And, of course, the question is somewhat silly, and the response is invariably a complete head fake. Yet, that conversation is our collective way of saying that we cannot conceivably process all that is occurring around us and/or because of us.
Here at the Y, we cannot engage in that conversation with a straight face. We are moving at the speed of light in response to rapidly changing community needs. We are compelled to do so given our unique scale, mission, history and strategy, and our commitment to continuously change and evolve along with the communities we serve. We are a social enterprise bound by a single, wholly distinct focus: to build a more connected Central Maryland community in which Y membership creates a sense of engagement, empathy, health, and well-being for all. To accomplish this, we must operate at scale, and with intentionality and flexibility.
The Y in Central Maryland looked very different 20 years ago. It also looked quite different even five or so years ago, with a set of well-defined healthy living and youth development programs that stood alongside each other, but were not necessarily connected and integrated. Today, most of those long-term programs continue to thrive, others have been added, but the big difference is that they are all much more intentionally integrated to ensure that all roads lead to membership in the Y’s incredibly unique, impossible to replicate community.
These five initiatives underscore the ever-evolving nature of our work; while they connect to long-term areas of focus, they represent fresh approaches to building a healthier, more connected community.
Community Health Outreach
Doubling down on the intentionality with which we reach people and support their overall health and wellbeing, in the last few months we’ve begun working with a network of community-based organizations to collaboratively address health-related needs in West Baltimore including mental and physical wellness support, chronic disease prevention, substance use disorder, workforce development, food access, and more.
Expansion of Food Security Work
Now a vital component of our community health outreach, our work involving food security started years ago with meals served throughout Y Head Start and Community School sites, then growing into drive-by grocery giveaways during COVID. Today, we have Y Fresh Mart food pantries located within four Y family centers around the region and within most of the 29 Y Community Schools in Baltimore.
Fighting Childhood Poverty supported by the ENOUGH Act
The ENOUGH Act is a state funded program powered by the vision of ending childhood poverty. It attacks this challenge starting with the development of comprehensive action plans addressing the root causes of poverty within specific neighborhoods. In our case, given the deep concentration of assets we already have in and around the Greater Waverly neighborhood in Baltimore City, which includes the Weinberg Y, four Y Community Schools, and the Sherman Early Childhood Center (providing both Head Start and traditional preschool programs), we are serving as the “Community Quarterback” to bring together schools, businesses, faith-based and community organizations, and local and state partners to address childhood poverty and strengthen economic mobility, realizing a shared vision of what true community collaboration can look like.
Supporting Teens in their Social Emotional Development
Recognizing that social and emotional well-being is an essential foundation to healthy growth and achievement, we have expanded and deepened the intentionality with which we address the social and emotional needs of teens enrolled in our out-of-school-time programs. This includes the promotion, prevention, and early intervention programming of healing-centered engagement, teen well-being and wellness, and caregiver involvement. Given that all youth we serve in our out-of-school-time programming receive family memberships to the Y, our Ys provide safe spaces for youth to convene, connect, collaborate, and converse with each other and practitioners.
Continuously Evolving and Investing in Y Family Centers
To deliver a great membership experience at the Y, we focus on our four core operating principles: cleanliness, empathy, engagement and safety. Throughout this past year, we have invested a tremendous amount in hiring and training our associates to continuously deliver on this promise, while adding programming across all areas and for all generations. We also continue to invest in equipment and capital improvements (some of which are less noticed but essential, like new flooring, HVAC systems, septic upgrades, new roofing, etc.) across all Y family centers. Some of the more visible improvements designed to enhance the member experience have included:
• An outdoor splash pad at the Orokawa Y in Towson is currently under construction and due to be completed before year-end
• A new teen space at the Y in Druid Hill
• Upgraded equipment across all of our Y family centers including the installation of the EGYM circuit training series at the Y in Pasadena and previously at the Orokawa Y in Towson with more planned
• The long-awaited re-opening of the Dundalk Y Swim Center
And all of this is simply the tip of the iceberg! Here at the Y, we are relentless in our pursuit of helping to build a more connected Central Maryland community in which Y membership creates a sense of engagement, empathy, health, and well-being for all.
All the best,
John K. Hoey
President & CEO
The Y in Central Maryland