YMCA Summer Camp - Cures Kids of the Covid Blues
A nonprofit fundraiser supporting
YMCA of Metropolitan DetroitHeal children of covid fatigue, help kids learn, play & make friends safely at a YMCA summer camp.
$1,320
raised by 8 people
$10,000 goal
Our nonprofit is participating in the 2021 May Days of Giving!Â
The YMCA continues to Make Every Day Better for children and families, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Â Over the past 168 years, COVID-19, is the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroitâs Greatest Challenge and Greatest Opportunity.
Our Aim
Before we share our challenge and opportunity, our aim today is to raise $10,000 to give metropolitan Detroit children the best summer ever.  Our children have endured an incredible year with social distancing, face masks, virtual learning, isolation from friends and so much more.  The YMCA is here to help kids be kids again safely, by providing summer day and overnight camps that  adhere to all CDC and state health department guidelines. Every $250 helps provide a child week of camp. Thank you, in advance, for helping a child have an amazing summer in 2021.
Our Challenge and Opportunity
The most significant challenge at the onset of  the pandemic was  closing our facilities for 6.5 months (March 2020 - September 2020). Our membership declined from 70,000 to 41,000 members. This resulted in permanently closing three of our YMCAs and furloughed and/or permanently laid off over 70% of our staff. We suspended all in-person events that help raise funds and awareness for our YMCA. In summary, we lost millions in revenue. We lost more revenue during the six month COVID-19 closure, than we did in nearly two years of the great recession in late 2007-2009.
Today, we are allowed to operate at 25% capacity with significant restrictions. However, the impact of COVID-19 did provide some positives. Â We developed and implemented a pandemic response plan and upgraded our cleaning protocols. Â We developed virtual programming and expanded our food distribution programs. We negotiated short-term relief on significant debts. We researched, submitted and were awarded public funding from local and national governmental departments. Â In addition, we established learning centers to provide safe spaces for children participating in virtual learning while their parents worked.Â
Enduring COVID-19 in 2020, the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit:
Served nearly 11,000 children in Macomb, Oakland, & Wayne Counties with Child Care, Y Day Camp,  SportPort (supervised youth sport sampling), Girls on the Run, Y Arts, and Y Learning Centers since  January 2020
Distributed over 217,000 meals to children & young adults with special needs
Presented Fresh Food Baskets to 100 families & 40 seniors for Thanksgiving. These baskets fed nearly 600 people. Each basket provided families a week of food during the holiday, over 30 volunteers delivered the meals.
Reopened all seven of our YMCA locations over 6000 members have already experienced their first workout and nearly 700 of those members were our Silver Sneakers, Silver and Fit, and our ReNew active members. Seniors are staying healthy with the Y.
Partnered to provide virtual improv classes to serve an unlimited number of youth & families.Â
Hosted virtually the 2020 Detroit Can 10 Second Film Festival with the theme âWhat Matters Now?âÂ
Promoted Voter registration and participation to 75,000 YMCA members & program participants.
Sustained safe, sanitary spaces for our communities to enjoy, post COVID-19 at all 7 YMCAs located throughout metropolitan Detroit
Adopted 80 Families for the holiday season providing over 200 children an amazing Christmas.
Raised over $1 million for our 2020 Annual campaign
The YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit has served this region for more than 168 years. It is our aim to not just survive this pandemic, but to be a vital partner in the development of thriving communities for years to come.
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