YMCA Thanks the Park Cities
For over 75 years, the Moody Family YMCA has served the Park Cities with a mission to put Christian values into practice through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind, and body.
I became chairman of the board on March 1, 2020. By March 13, we began shutting down the facility as a result of COVID.
All 15 full-time employees and over 100 part-time employees were temporarily furloughed. Nick Echtenkamp joined as executive director to oversee a crisis of which we had never experienced before.
Working in conjunction with the YMCA Board of Directors, we were able to re-open the facility by June 1. More importantly, we were able to preserve most of the community services we had been providing.
During the pandemic, the YMCA and its locations became hubs of basic need services, including food distribution sites, pop-up clinics, and senior services.
The 20 collective Dallas YMCAs served over 217,000 pounds of produce and 75,000 individual meals. Also, 11,000 families were given household essentials, 7,300 childcare visits were utilized, and 39,000 diapers were distributed.
“We pledge to continue to provide a safe environment for our members, where the community can come together to celebrate our solidarity.”
At the Moody Family YMCA, childcare was critical for families who worked in essential services.
In addition to housing the Rise School of Dallas, the Moody Y was one of seven locations to offer a Learning Academy model, hiring a teacher to provide onsite instruction to children and youth to complete virtual learning programs in accordance with our local school district. The program filled weekly and was the only option for distance learning support in the area.
Throughout the pandemic, the Moody Y continued to offer adaptive preschool programs, drowning prevention, youth scholarships for sports, and education and programs for adults and families.
During the recent snowstorms, the Moody Family YMCA served the community as a warming center, offering warm showers, clean water, and charging stations for those in need.
Despite numerous challenges, over 132,000 individuals were served at the Moody Family YMCA during the past twelve months, while 4,500 children participated in youth sports.
None of this happens without the tremendous support of our community. You supported the YMCA by returning to classes, supporting our programs, and displaying an ability to adapt.
In 2020, our community raised over $625,000 to support the programs at the Moody Family YMCA. Thus far in 2021, the community has raised over $575,000.
We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support. We pledge to continue to provide a safe environment for our members, where the community can come together to celebrate our solidarity.
As a leadership team, we promise to continue to listen and innovate. We are exploring expanded programs to bring the YMCA out to the community. These include more community events and innovations such as outdoor classes.
We wish for every one of our members to feel safe and comfortable while enjoying the YMCA.
Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to growing and adapting with the community as we plan our next 75 years.
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