In case you hadn’t noticed, it’s been COLD.
The kind of cold that sneaks into your bones and hangs around. The kind that brings ice, snow and so many, many days of school delays and closures.
As a kid, a snow day felt like finding gold. Extra sleep. Snowball fights with the neighborhood kids. Snow angels, snowmen and long tromps through the woods.
As an adult, it has a little less allure.
Have you ever tried to jog down an icy street? Or improvise a workout by curling cans of baked beans while your spouse rolls their eyes at your attempt to recreate the Y weight room in the kitchen? It’s just not the same.
Like many of our members, I can get a little antsy when bad weather sets in. Being “stuck” undoes me. My weekly outlets, especially my time at the Y, keep my stress down and keep me connected. Those connections are critical to my mental health.
It would be easy for Y staff to celebrate a snow day. To enjoy the excuse to stay home and wait out the storm. Instead, time and again, I’ve watched our teams choose something different: they show up.
They check road conditions before sunrise. They shovel sidewalks and salt entryways. They adjust schedules, answer member questions, update the app and social media and make thoughtful decisions about safety. They prepare spaces so that when the doors open, our community has a warm, welcoming place to land.
That doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because of who we are and who we aspire to be.
Our 2030 Strategic Plan calls us to strengthen our operational infrastructure and to be an organization of choice, not only for members but for staff. That means building teams who are empowered, accountable and deeply committed to service.
It means creating a culture where people understand that their work, whether it’s at the front desk, in child care, behind the scenes or leading a class, directly impacts someone’s health, confidence or sense of connection.
When the weather turns challenging, you see that culture come to life.
You see leaders who “bring the weather” by setting a positive, can-do tone.
You see staff collaborating across departments to solve problems quickly.
You see teammates stepping in for one another to ensure programs run safely.
And you see a shared belief that the Y may be needed most in these potentially isolating moments.
Because for many, we’re more than a gym or a program site.
We’re a respite.
A routine.
A friendly face.
A place to move, breathe and belong.
Thank you to everyone who stepped up in cold and icy conditions to open facilities, shovel sidewalks, communicate with members and warmly welcome every person who walked through our doors. You reminded our community, once again, that no matter the forecast, the Y shows up.
And because you do, so does our community.
