OUR COMMUNITY YMCA
As a member of our Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut community, you have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of our programs and facilities. Our YMCA has become a beacon of hope, health, and happiness for countless individuals and families in our community, particularly over the last four years.
However, today, we reach out to you with a heartfelt plea for support.
OUR FINANCIAL PICTURE
Despite its many successes, our YMCA is currently facing a significant financial challenge of 5.2 million of debt. While we have been fiscally conservative and managing our expenses aggressively, like many organizations, we have incurred debts in our pursuit of providing exceptional services and facilities to our members. These debts, while a testament to our commitment to excellence, now pose a barrier to our continued growth and impact and the debt pressure continues to build. Additionally, minimum wage has increased $5.69/hour over the last 5 years, and membership revenue has not yet recovered from the pandemic.
We are at a critical juncture due to these factors, as we have not been able to invest in preventative maintenance and projects that are fundamental to our Y’s mission.
WORKING TOWARDS OUR FUTURE
To begin to mitigate these problems our Y has been collaborating with the Greater Waterbury YMCA to help consolidate administrative costs. Shared back office services have allowed our Y a significant administrative savings for the last two years. Furthermore, over the past 7 months with interim CEO, Jim O’Rourke, we have achieved the following successes:
- Secured a brand new $193,000 grant to rebuild both bridges and a handicap accessible bathroom at Camp Greenknoll.
- Worked with YMCA of the USA to forgive our dues for this year, totaling $98,849 in savings.
- The shared services agreement with the Waterbury YMCA has allowed us a $200,000 savings.
We are ready to continue moving forward and looking to the future to begin new projects that our members have told us are high priorities such as: Family Locker Rooms, Outdoor Pickleball Courts, and Updated Fitness Equipment.
However, we can only accomplish these things if we remove the organization’s debt.
THIS IS WHERE YOU COME IN
The unwavering dedication of our members to the YMCA has been the cornerstone of our success. Now, we humbly ask for your support in A Bridge to a Better Tomorrow: A Debt Reduction Campaign. By contributing to this campaign, you have the power to directly impact the financial health and sustainability of our YMCA, ensuring that future generations can continue to benefit from our programs and services.
We urge you to consider making a contribution that will help build a bridge from our current financial situation to a future that has a lasting effect on our community, no matter the amount. Your support, big or small, will have a profound impact on the future of the Regional YMCA and the lives of those we serve.
Together, we can overcome this financial challenge and emerge stronger than ever before. Join us in making a difference today.
Make a gift using your credit card by clicking on the ‘Give Now’ button or by mailing a check payable to Regional YMCA of Western CT; Regional YMCA of Western CT, Attn: A Bridge to A Better Tomorrow, 2 Huckleberry Hill Road, Brookfield, CT 06804.
