For A Better Us

The Florida Times-Union Guest Column published February 7, 2021

Eric K. Mann, President & CEO, YMCA of Florida’s First Coast
Doug Baer, Chair of the Board of Directors, YMCA of Florida’s First Coast

A New Year is always filled with the promise of positive change, and following the sudden disruption of 2020, there is even more anticipation and hope for what 2021 will bring. Like many of our neighbors, other businesses and organizations, the First Coast YMCA continues to face financial hardships in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. We remain steadfast in our work to build a brighter future for all, and are so grateful for the support of those who recognize our deep commitment to strengthening this community.

At the end of 2020, in the midst of immense challenges, billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott surprised the First Coast YMCA with an unrestricted $10 million gift. This substantial contribution is a testament to the trust we have earned through our unwavering service to generations of families on the First Coast. We are humbled and thankful for her generosity. To uphold both Ms. Scott’s confidence, and that of all of our donors, our leadership team and Metropolitan Board of Directors diligently deliberated over the allocation of this gift.

Like many nonprofits, the Y found itself with limited cash reserves in the wake of the pandemic after temporarily closing our doors to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. To ensure operational continuity, our stewardship of this gift will focus on bolstering our financial foundation to sustain and amplify our impact now and in the future.

Support from our community enabled us to do so much for our neighbors in 2020. We provided emergency child care, kept the community connected through free virtual workouts and events, helped combat senior isolation, fed those who were hungry and increased educational equity through local partnerships. We are tremendously grateful for those who supported this work and we’re committed to doing even more by assigning a portion of Ms. Scott’s gift to the Y’s newly-created Endowment Fund. This fund will primarily be used to support critical programs that require yearly contributions to survive.

The Y is not a building, our facilities are the conduit that helps us deliver on our promises to empower young people, improve health and well-being and inspire action. Ms. Scott’s gift will enable the Y to make improvements to maintain, preserve and extend the life of our existing locations as we explore new opportunities in high-growth areas to reach more people across the communities we serve. These investments will help us provide greater support for branches and programs in our region’s under-resourced neighborhoods.

We know challenges lie ahead, but we remain vigilant in providing services and programs that transform lives. Sustaining the Y’s mission long-term is not possible without continued support from our community members and generous donors. As we move into this new season, we invite you to join in making a difference with us at FCYMCA.org.

Play, Exploration, and Learning for Families, Toddlers, and K-6 Students Across Florida

Age of Learning has partnered with the Florida House of Representatives to support the New Worlds Reading Initiative.

Come read with us! All Florida families now have free access to quality literary resources through access to Reading IQ. Reading IQ is designed by experts with industry standard leveling to make it easy to find the perfect book from pre-school to 6^th grade.

Studies show that creating a steady stream of new, age-appropriate books has been shown to nearly triple interest in reading within months and children who are read to at least three times a week by a family member are almost twice as likely to score in the top 25% in reading compared to children who are read to less than 3 times a week.

To access thousands of books:

• Visit ReadingIQ.com/NewWorlds
• Select “Create Your Free Account”
• Email your email and create a password
• Complete a brief survey
• Add your child/ren to the account by entering their name and reading level
  • Your child can also take a Reading Level Assessment to get customized book selections
• Start reading!

At the Y, we believe literacy is a key pillar in our youth development work.

We are so proud of our First Coast YMCA leaders recently honored by their peers for their individual accomplishments and leadership that strengthens the YMCA movement.

Every year, Florida’s YMCA Professional Network (YPN) recognizes members for their positive impact on community, leadership and creativity. This year’s winners are more than deserving of their awards. We can’t thank them enough for their hard work and love for the Y!

YMCA Legacy Award – Tammy Miller

Tammy began her YMCA career at the Martin County YMCA in Stuart, Florida in 1987. Over the course of 11 years, she worked in wellness, sports, camps, aquatics, membership, and childcare and achieved an Associate Director role based on her contributions. She joined the First Coast in 1998 as the Executive Director of the St. Augustine Family YMCA and then moved to the Risk Management department and now serves as SVP of Risk Management. Her achievements include being named the First Coast YMCA’s Employee of the year in 2009. Most recently, Tammy has played an integral role in ensuring the safety of all everyone at the Y by co-leading the task force responsible for developing and implementing COVID-19 protocols. Tammy has a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and a Master’s in Exercise and Sports Science.

Outstanding Director of the Year – Candace Burrows

Candace joined the First Coast YMCA in July 2012 and oversees the association’s Day Camp programming, totaling 28 sites with thousands of campers each summer. Candace also leads our Before and Afterschool child care in Duval and Nassau counties. She is key at connecting the Y with great community partners to ensure all kids have access to resources to learn, grow and thrive. In March 2020, Candace helped lead the transformation our youth serving sites with all new COVID-19 protocols to ensure safe spaces for children, parents and staff. Candace holds a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management with a minor in Business Administration, a Director’s Certification from the Department of Children and Families, and a YUSA Multi-Team Leader Certification.

Developing Others Award – John Lyon

John’s career at the YMCA has spanned over 30 years, starting as a Camp Director in Round Rock, TX all the way to V.P. of Operations and Executive Director in St. Augustine. Since joining the First Coast YMCA, John’s main priority has been to build strong, impactful leadership teams. Of the five individuals benefitting from John’s leadership, 80% are women and 40% are diverse employees. John is involved in the Rotary Club, Kiwanis and completed Leadership Kingsport and Leadership Round Rock. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and a YUSA Team Leader Certification.

Emerging Leader Award – Shermayne Reynolds

Shermayne started her career at the Y at the Wilson Family YMCA in Augusta, GA and joined the First Coast Y in 2019 as a Youth Development Program Director. She is extremely dedicated to the Y’s cause, especially nurturing the potential of all children. She brings quality-driven and innovative ideas to our team. For example, she developed the Teen Maze Program in one of our partner schools to give students a broader understanding of what life is like outside of school. Shermayne has a master’s degree in Management and Leadership. She serves as a Community Youth Advisor and was selected as a co-leader of the First Coast YMCA’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force.

The First Coast YMCA is extremely thankful and humbled to be recognized by MacKenzie Scott for our organization’s work during the pandemic. We understand from Ms. Scott’s team that every organization receiving a gift was carefully researched and vetted for how they served all communities especially youth in under-resourced neighborhoods and also how they responded to the pandemic.

To be selected as one of 384 organizations to receive such a generous donation is a true testament to our impact through the programs we provide, our dedicated staff who work tirelessly to serve everyone who enters our doors and our members who stayed with the Y through the pandemic.

At this time, we will not be disclosing the specific amount in order to first focus on how best to use Ms. Scott’s generous gift. We are working with our Metropolitan Board of Directors and senior leadership team to ensure every dollar donated is used to strengthen our community and sustain our mission for generations to come.

Ms. Scott’s investment in the work we are doing everyday will create immediate opportunities for the Y to continue to help all First Coast residents live their healthiest lives.

These difficult times have reminded us all what really matters most: helping our family, our friends and our neighbors. Like the Y, schools are places that connect and engage and inspire a brighter tomorrow, despite the obstacles.

We applaud all of our educators and school employees on the First Coast. We know this school year has been among your most challenging. Yet, you continue to provide our community’s children with the tools they need for success in a fun and safe environment.

Thank you.

To show our gratitude, we are gifting every local elementary, middle and high school on the First Coast with a one-year YMCA membership for the principal to award to the teacher or employee of his/her choice.

Plus – all teachers and school employees are eligible for these specials when they join any First Coast YMCA:

• NO JOINING FEE – Save up to $100!
• 500 Y Rewards Points
• Monthly Discount on Membership Dues*

This is just a small way that we’re able to give back to those who give so much.

Taking care of our health is more important now than ever before. The Y offers programming and activities for all ages, interests and abilities including group exercise classes, virtual fitness, chronic disease prevention, nutrition, swimming, basketball, pickleball, camp, before and afterschool child care, volunteer opportunities and so much more.

We’re here to help our neighbors focus on what matters most: their health, their family and friends, and their community.

Join online today or, for more information, please contact your local Y.

*Must join the First Coast Y by Nov. 30, 2020. Monthly discount good for as long as the membership remains active and in good standing. Discount may vary by county. Contact your local Y for more information.

Closing our doors and creating distance between the people we serve was previously unimaginable for an organization like ours, one that is committed to bringing people and communities closer together. Yet, six months ago due to COVID-19, this became our reality.

We are grateful our facilities are back open and we have been able to safely reactivate some of our key programs. However, the financial impact of the public health crisis continues with lower facility usage and program enrollment at our Ys across the First Coast.

With the approval of our Metropolitan Board of Directors, we are implementing a plan to ensure we can best serve our community now and into the future. This plan includes the following difficult, but necessary decisions:

• Close the YMCA at Flagler Center
• Reduce Branch Hours
• Reduce Workforce and Implement Pay Cuts

Our leadership team and board conducted an extensive review of the Y’s operations and finances in the hope of finding an alternative. We are truly heartbroken about these decisions and remain committed to connecting everyone affected with the opportunities and services needed.

Flagler Center Closing

The last day for classes and KidZone at the Flagler Center Y will be September 30, 2020. Members can select a new branch and keep their same rate for a year. There are five Ys within a 20-minute drive.

Reduced Branch Hours

The YMCA of Florida’s First Coast is reducing hours at locations across the First Coast due to lower facility usage from COVID-19.

Workforce Reduction and Pay Cuts

This plan also includes a workforce reduction across all First Coast YMCA locations and a pay cut for all full-time employees. We are grateful to the dedicated service of our employees and the passion they have for our cause of strengthening community and positively impacting the health and well-being of all people on the First Coast.

Thank You

While COVID-19 has challenged us in many ways, it has not stopped us from serving our community at a time where we are needed most. We are thankful for all of our sustaining members and generous donors. They are helping the Y continue to support the critical needs of others in our community, including:

• Supporting our health care workers and essential employees who needed emergency child care during the Spring and Summer
• Preventing senior isolation by keeping our older adult members virtually engaged and connected despite this period of social distancing
• Providing new ways to keep children and families safely connected through KidZone, Learning Labs, Sports, Camps and more

We remain committed to strengthening community and serving all. By supporting the Y, you help guarantee that everyone, regardless of their circumstances or ability to pay, can benefit from our values-centered programs. Our work will never stop and is only possible with support from our community.

Give Now

The First Coast YMCA is partnering with High School 9:12 to offer access to virtual Academic Bootcamps to First Coast YMCA high school members and participants. The online six-week boot camp will prepare students for the SAT. The evening classes will take place once a week beginning Sept. 24 ahead of the Nov. 7 SAT test date. Classes are available for students at Duval County Public Schools as well as First Coast YMCA members and participants in high school.

Starting its third year, the High School 9:12 Academic Boot Camps are designed to help academically successful students improve their college entrance exam scores. In the first two years, the average score increase on the SAT has been 250-300 points through the six-week program.

“Thanks to everyone’s best efforts, we are able to continue to provide the Academic Boot Camp program to the students not only in Duval County public schools, but also now to all First Coast YMCA members in high school,” said Alan Verlander, Executive Director Jacksonville High School 9:12. “High School 9:12 is built to make a lasting impact and we’ve seen so many students improve their test scores through these boot camps.  Having a partnership with the YMCA and now working to give their members a great benefit shows how the YMCA is truly dedicated to the entire person…just like High School 9:12.”

Members of the YMCA will have free access to the online, six-week boot camp for their high schoolers as an added benefit to their membership. First Coast YMCA high school members who do not have wifi access at home can contact their neighborhood YMCA about reserving a quiet space at the branch to complete the program.

“The First Coast YMCA is pleased to partner with High School 9:12 to bring a SAT/ACT Boot Camp to high school students, including our YMCA members, in Northeast Florida,” said Eric K. Mann, president and CEO of the First Coast YMCA. “As a leading community organization, we strive to nurture the potential of every youth by providing opportunities for them to learn, grow and thrive. Offering SAT and ACT preparation programs adds value for our current YMCA members and helps build greater educational equity for teens of all backgrounds across our community.”

The program schedule is as follows:

• September 24 (SAT vs. ACT)
• October 1 (Reading Content and Strategies)
• October 8 (English Content and Strategies)
• October 15 (Math Content and Strategies)
• October 22 (Math/Calculator Strategies)
• October 29 (Review final test taking strategies)

To find out more about the High School 9:12 program and the Academic Boot Camps, visit JaxHighSchool912.com.

If you are interested in participating in the program or would like to reserve space to the complete the program at the Y, please fill out this form:

At the Y, you’ll find a safe space for students so they can remain active, learning and engaged.

With student safety top of mind as the new school year begins, the Y is working to take some of the worry away from busy parents. We’re offering a variety of options to help enhance your child’s academic achievement, whether they’ll be learning in the classroom or online.

Programs include:

• Before and Afterschool Child Care
• Y Learning Labs & Clubs
• Homeschool PE (free for First Coast YMCA members!)

Y Learning Labs is an alternative to distance learning from home. Children will complete their virtual assignments in their own quiet and safe work space at the Y. They will have access to WiFi and certified staff to help them navigate online curriculum.

“As an organization dedicated to youth development, the Y knows how important it is that our children have a safe and enriching environment for learning, both in and out of school,” said Maria Aristizabal, Vice President of Youth Development. “We are pleased to be able to provide multiple options to kids and families in our community, allowing their invaluable social, emotional, physical and academic growth to continue, while also giving a helping hand to parents dealing with new challenges because of this public health crisis.”

In addition to Y Learning Labs, students will have the opportunity to join Y Clubs, where they can get healthy social time with other kids while participating in enrichment centers. Centers include STEM, arts, physical activities and leadership development.

In order to help keep kids and staff healthy and safe throughout the school year, the Y is following CDC, state and local requirements and guidelines through extensive safety protocols, including:

• Daily health screenings for children and staff
• Mask requirements for children and staff
• Reduced capacity in group activities
• Cleaning and disinfecting of all areas and supplies used

Financial assistance is available to ensure every child and teen has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive.

Register for Y Learning Labs

Find a Before & Afterschool Site Near You

By Eric K. Mann
President and CEO, YMCA of Florida’s First Coast

In less than three months, our nation experienced two critical events that will forever change the trajectory of modern history.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the horrific, high-profile killings of black men and women in the last several weeks, have underscored the systemic racism and seismic health disparities that persist within our communities. The pandemic, which according to the CDC, has killed a disproportionate number of black men and women and put many more out of work, highlights the pronounced gaps in access to quality health care, education and economic opportunities.

Since the 1960s, urban planning mechanisms and policies have helped perpetuate a cycle of oppression by ensuring Jacksonville’s poorest communities lacked access to well-paying jobs, affordable housing, quality schools and accessible health and wellness resources. This cycle continues today. In communities across the United States, including here on the First Coast, it is easy to distinguish between areas that have benefitted from high levels of public and private investment over the years and those that have not. According to the Florida Department of Health and a 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment from UF Health Jacksonville, residents living in Health Zone 1 (the urban core and surrounding areas) experience high – if not the highest – levels of crime, infant-mortality, chronic disease, obesity and poverty. Over 76% of residents in Health Zone 1 are black.

While there are many historical and contextual factors that contribute to systemic oppression, the First Coast YMCA is keenly focused on ensuring health equity across every neighborhood. We want every resident to live their healthiest life regardless of what they look like, where they’re from and how much money they make.

But, the Y cannot do it alone. Community collaboration is critical to bridging the gap in health disparities that exist between zip codes. This is why the First Coast YMCA has partnered with our medical community to integrate medical and community health into a total wellness resource. For example, the Y has partnered with Baptist Health, Brooks Rehabilitation, Flagler Health+, Florida Blue and UF Health to make a wide spectrum of services accessible to the surrounding community. A YMCA membership is not required and many of the services provided by on-site clinical professionals, including health screenings, are available at no cost.

We have six Healthy Living Centers locations across the First Coast with two more opening before the end of the year. Two of these centers, in partnership with Baptist Health, are located at the James Weldon Johnson Family YMCA and YMCA at Baptist North and reside in zip codes with majority black populations. Both centers work to address obesity, high blood pressure, asthma and diabetes.

Breaking down systemic racism and oppression is no easy feat. Tackling just one social issue won’t break the cycle. It will take all of us – First Coast residents, community leaders, businesses and elected officials – to have real conversations on how to create lasting change and ensure equal opportunities for every community.

We can start by looking beyond our own backyards and investing in the communities that need it most. The First Coast YMCA is ready to continue to be a willing partner in this journey to end health disparities.

For more than 110 years, the Y has been inspiring a brighter and healthier future for all in Northeast Florida. Our cause is strengthening community. No matter the challenges, we believe that together, we can and will create a better tomorrow for everyone who calls the First Coast home.

To make this time of racial reckoning more than a moment, Jacksonville must seek to understand how racism affects every aspect of daily life and is embedded in every system in our society. To that end, community leaders are speaking out on racial disparities across sectors, how they’re working to close them and what it will take to build a more just city. This article, published June 18, 2020 in the Florida Times-Union, is part of a series of columns.

Join the Conversation

June 27: World YMCA is hosting a global online event on June 27 at 10:00am to amplify the voices of young changemakers working to achieve a more just and inclusive world. The event is open to everyone, no matter age or status. The event will also be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube.

July 1: Register to join a virtual YMCA town hall meeting hosted by the African American YMCA CEOs that will explore the topic of unlearning systemic racism on Wednesday, July 1, from 11:00am – 3:00pm.

Start Your Individual Anti-Racism Journey

Learn: Take Harvard’s Implicit Association Test to assess where you are at in your anti-racist journey and begin taking courses around diversity, inclusion, and equity. This can include personal learning (books, movies, podcasts, etc.) or formal training.

The Water Watcher Pledge

I agree to:

• actively watch children when they are in or near any body of water.
• in an emergency, pull all children out of the water and call 911.
• keep my eyes on the water.
• avoid distractions.
• help us spread the word.

JOIN THE WATER WATCHER CHALLENGE

Thursday, May 21, through Memorial Day, Monday, May 25

5 WINNERS will be chosen at random to receive a YMCA Water Safety Swag Bag. Winners announced May 31.

• Download and print the YMCA Water Watcher Badge.
• Take the Pledge to be a Water Watcher.
• Take a photo holding your Water Watcher Badge and post on social media.
• Tag and Challenge a Friend to pledge to be a Water Watcher, too.
• Tag @FirstCoastYMCA and #WaterWatcher.