Dear YMCA Members,
As 2009 drew to a close,
we looked back at what has certainly been one of the most
challenging years for not only our own organization, but for the
communities we serve as well. We started 2009 off by announcing no
membership rate increase for 2009. This included program and child care
fees as well. Our YMCA leadership understood we were facing
challenging times with so many aspects of our economy in question.
During the year we also implamented several cost saving measures
including wage freezes, the elimination of an Executive Staff and
Housekeeping Staff position, a modest reduction in our summer hours,
and reluctantly, the elimination of our complimentary towel service.
In 2009, our YMCA went "Green". We no longer mass mailed our YMCA Program Guides to our members. They are now available righ here on our website for easy download at home. We can also e-mail a link to the program guide as long as you have provided us with your current e-mail address. Another source we are now using to better communicate updates and changes is through Facebook. Just locate the Auglaize/Mercer YMCA Facebook Page, become and fan, and you are good to go!
In 2009, we opened our new Grand Lake Health Systems Wellnes Center at our North Branch YMCA thanks to the generours support of our friends at Grand Lake health Systems Joint Township District Memorial Hospital. New carpet was installed in our youth & family locker rooms and a number of cardio machines were replaced with new ones. We were also able to renovate our North Branch YMCA swimming pool bottom, again thanks to support from Grand lakes Health Systems.
As much as we would have liked to hold to no rate increase for 2010, operating costs had increased to the point that our YMCA leadership decided we needed to implament a modest 3% rate increase for 2010 and that increase went into effect January 1, 2010.
We want to thank you for your loyalty. Our goals of strong kids, strong families, and strong communities could not be accomplished without the support and participation of our membership.
In 2009, our YMCA went "Green". We no longer mass mailed our YMCA Program Guides to our members. They are now available righ here on our website for easy download at home. We can also e-mail a link to the program guide as long as you have provided us with your current e-mail address. Another source we are now using to better communicate updates and changes is through Facebook. Just locate the Auglaize/Mercer YMCA Facebook Page, become and fan, and you are good to go!
In 2009, we opened our new Grand Lake Health Systems Wellnes Center at our North Branch YMCA thanks to the generours support of our friends at Grand Lake health Systems Joint Township District Memorial Hospital. New carpet was installed in our youth & family locker rooms and a number of cardio machines were replaced with new ones. We were also able to renovate our North Branch YMCA swimming pool bottom, again thanks to support from Grand lakes Health Systems.
As much as we would have liked to hold to no rate increase for 2010, operating costs had increased to the point that our YMCA leadership decided we needed to implament a modest 3% rate increase for 2010 and that increase went into effect January 1, 2010.
We want to thank you for your loyalty. Our goals of strong kids, strong families, and strong communities could not be accomplished without the support and participation of our membership.
Sincerely,
Allen Baskett
Allen Baskett, CEO
Auglaize/Mercer
Counties Family YMCA
