Today marks the beginning of the 14th week since Y life as we knew it came to a grinding halt, replaced by even more urgently needed services to help our community survive through a pandemic. Though the crisis of COVID-19 won’t be over until there is a widely available vaccine, today also marks the start of the week when our Y family centers will finally be reopened, followed by our day camps on June 22nd, both in dramatically scaled-down fashion and with significant health and safety precautions. Our preschools have transitioned from serving only emergency personnel and first responders to now serving all families, but with less capacity than in the past. Our Head Start, Community Schools and mentoring programs have all continued to operate during this time, but have done so virtually.
Much remains to be seen and key aspects of our operation, including Before & After School Enrichment, are still in varying states of limbo. Although nothing about this world, virus or the Y will really be normal when our Y family centers open on Friday, at least we will mark a milestone in our effort to once again serve a broad cross-section of the community.
With that in mind, there are a few things I want to share. The first is a big thank you. During this difficult time, Y associates, both those who remained active and those who were and remain furloughed, have shown amazing grace, grit, compassion and determination. They have taken care of the community and one another with warmth and dignity. Come what may, I will always look upon these past several months with deep appreciation for the remarkable team we have here at the Y.
At the same time, we also need to recognize and say out loud that nothing about this moment is normal. Both the effects of COVID-19 and the sins of racism, magnified by the murder of George Floyd, scar us forever and cannot be ignored. We won’t blissfully return to "business as usual" this week and ignore the urgency of substantially greater social justice that’s required in our country and community. We have to, as a Y community, lean in more intentionally to play an important role in undoing the cruel and unjust effects of institutional racism that we find all around us.
I have no doubt that we are up for all of the challenges ahead of us, but I also have no illusions about how difficult they will be. Ignoring the consequences of these two deadly viruses, racism and COVID-19, is not an option for the Y.
All the best,
John
John K. Hoey
President & CEO
The Y in Central Maryland