On Friday, Governor Hogan marked the one-year anniversary (an admittedly awkward term given the circumstances) of the first confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Maryland. It was an appropriately solemn occasion, and among other things, one that reminds us of how utterly changed our state, country and world is since the time when everything came tumbling down last year.
The impact of this pandemic on the Y, our work and associates has been enormous, in ways both heartening and distressing. Yet, despite all of the challenges, I am struck by the incredible fortitude and selflessness of Y associates across the region who have prevailed in the face of endless disruption, having to overcome many of their own personal concerns in the service of others.
Just to give some sense of perspective, what follows is simply a partial inventory of all that was achieved in just one extraordinary year, and which continues to this day:
March 2020 and immediately thereafter:
- Immediately after the shutdown of "normal" operations, Y associates across every discipline jumped in to reopen as many as 15 Y sites, inclusive of Y family centers and preschools, to care for over 800 children of essential workers so their parents could care for others.
- A food distribution initiative was launched, answering a pressing need for access to food for those further isolated and disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. While it started with modest ambitions, it became a fully-scaled on-going operation, with over 400,000 meals distributed by Y associates and volunteers in 2020 alone.
- Y customer service and membership associates made thousands of "care calls" to senior members and others at risk for isolation during the shutdown, assuring them they were not alone
- Over 1,000 Y Head Start families and children were kept active, learning, and well supported in spite of the special challenges posed by the pandemic
- Over 600 youth were mentored virtually, helping them to manage during especially challenging and confusing times.
June 2020:
- With no rest in between acts, and with a bewildering array of new state and local health requirements, we safely opened 14 Y day camps like never seen before, giving a much-needed sense of safety, fun, and comfort in a time of great stress to thousands of children in our region.
- Running on parallel tracks, once the Governor gave the thumbs up, we reopened our Y Family Centers, with Y associates at the ready and enhanced safety protocols in place, enabling thousands of Y members to return to badly needed exercise and community with confidence.
August 2020:
- Continuing to put the needs of families and children first and with schools going fully virtual across the region, over 20 Y Academic Support Centers (a completely new service) opened across central Maryland, providing safe, in-person school support to help children and parents successfully navigate virtual learning.
November/December 2020:
- Like a thunderbolt out of the sky, we learned before Thanksgiving and were able to publicly announce in early December that philanthropist and author MacKenzie Scott donated $18 million to our Y in recognition of the good work we have been doing for a long time, but particularly during the pandemic. As one of 384 not-for-profits across the country (of the over 6,000 she and her team evaluated) to receive a game-changing and unsolicited gift from Ms. Scott, and given the absence of any federal support, we ended the year with a profound sense of hope and gratitude.
As we start the month of March 2021, and with over 2 million vaccinations occurring daily across the country, our hope has only risen that the future will be better.
From one end of our organization to the other, Y associates, partners, funders and volunteers have stepped up and stood up over the past twelve months to put individual and community well-being first. I am personally indebted to this amazing group of people, who collectively deserve more than any of us can give them.
Thanks to all of you, and here’s to a much better twelve months ahead!
All the best,
John
John K. Hoey
President & CEO
The Y in Central Maryland