May 31, 2024
Dear Friends,
As we reach the halfway point in of the year (Can’t believe it! Seems like this year is flying by!) and as we come up on our Annual Meeting, I want to share with you the successes and challenges of the past year and the goals we have for the coming year. Our Annual Report, available here, highlights a few of our successes and the people and organizations that make our work possible and lists our many benefactors! Thank you to all of you!
In particular, I want to thank our 2023 Sustaining Sponsors, Viking Lumber, Consumers Fuel, First National Bank, Ironwood Inc., and Robbins Lumber. Their significant commitments have supported many our free community programs. When we are faced with a need, such as providing shelter for families during the December power outages, knowing that we have support of these sponsors gives our Y a lot of agility to address issues as they come up.
This year, the WCY Executive Board laid out a broad vision for the next five years, endorsed by the full Board, to help guide decisions. It reads:
Our YMCA will continue to play a dynamic role in our community for current and future generations. The WCYMCA will work toward continued growth in Four Pillars of Impact:
Community Wellbeing
Meaningful Work
Sustainable Planet
Just World
These concepts will drive our mission in involvement, collaboration, youth and adult development, healthy living, and social responsibility We will increase membership to capacity. We will identify and fulfill community needs. We will operate with a surplus budget and manage existing capital cash reserves to improve & repair facilities and upgrade program resources. We will strengthen trust in our organization, increase volunteer recognition and establish a planned giving program to secure the future of our YMCA.
One of the first steps we identified was to find more impactful ways to hear from members. Last month, 315 of you responded to the survey we sent out asking for your thoughts on how we are doing. Our goal in sending out this survey was to learn how we can serve you and the community better, both in the short term and over the coming years. Three immediate priorities came out of this survey.
1) Reopening the WCY on Sundays. – After review with our staff, we will be adding Sunday hours in September. Going forward, we plan to run a summer schedule (Memorial Day – Labor Day) and a winter schedule (Labor Day – Memorial Day).
2) Doing a better job of keeping locker rooms, showers, and bathrooms clean. – We have added a full-time custodian to oversee the cleanliness of the building. He will be responsible for setting and maintaining standards in the building.
3) Fix the potholes in the parking lot. – Yes, the repairs we made two years ago need review! We will be doing that in June. As a bonus, we plan to repaint the lines in the parking lot, too!
As we move forward, I appreciate your feedback as well as your patience. Though to many it seems like only yesterday that the Y Without Walls became a Y WITH Walls, our Y is almost 25 years old!
When I was hired, the Board entrusted me to find ways to sustain this organization for the community. I take that responsibility seriously, and with each day I become more aware of the importance of the WCY as a hub for Waldo County. I cannot do that without your voices, your hard work, and your financial commitment. I am grateful for all of it!
Here is to a terrific June and a great second half of 2024.
Best,
