YMCA ALERTS:
Keeping you informed with updates and alerts as they become available.
At the YMCA of Greater Nashua, we take the health and the well-being of our staff and guests very seriously. On a regular basis, the management meets to ensure that your YMCA experience is positive and safe.
To ensure the safety and well-being of our staff, members, and participants, reduce anxiety and ensure a coordinated, timely and reasonable response to anything affecting schedules at our branches we’ll be adding any communications to our membership to this web page to keep everyone informed of what is happening at the Y branches and with their many services.
While the YMCA is closed we want to keep our community active. We’ve launched a “BEYOND OUR WALLS” web page so that you can stay active and engaged with virtual programming.
March 17, 2020
YMCA Launches Virtual Offerings
Every day we work to ensure kids have a safe place to go and food to eat, that older adults have a place to socialize, stay active and not be negatively impacted by isolation and loneliness, that everyone in our community has access to a place where they can connect and stay healthy.
That’s why it’s so important in uncertain times like these that incredible members like you stay with us – to help us in our quest to continue to do good in the community. Your relationship with the Y is what keeps us going, keeps us strong and keeps us in service to those who need it most. We thank you for that and want to let you know how we intend to continue connecting you over the next couple weeks, despite our buildings being closed. We will also let you know of other responses to community need.
Here, you will find a set of virtual tools, open-air resources, and information you can put to use while we all comply with public health efforts. It’s our way of helping you to stay active, healthy and connected in your own home, and in your own time.
We will be updating new things to do, cook and try over the next several weeks so be sure to check in.
JOIN US ONLINE FROM HOME.
March 17, 2020
A video message from YMCA of Greater Nashua CEO, Mike LaChance!
OUR FACILITIES ARE CLOSED, BUT THE YMCA OF GREATER NASHUA’S SERVICE TO COMMUNITY IS NOT!
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Since our founding, we have met the challenges our community is facing. From the need to serve young people in the industrial revolution to becoming a leader in child care when more parents had to work to shuffling programs after 9/11, we have been there for the community. Today is no different.
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As of today, we are closed through Sunday, April 5. After this period, we will evaluate the possibility of reopening our facilities to the general public.
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We are in conversations with local officials and other organizations regarding helping our community deal with food insecurity issues and opening our facilities for child care services for those essential workers and first responders that are helping to keep us all safe.
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All of our programs are paused but will restart when it’s deemed safe to open and/or alternative schedules will be created. In the meantime, we are in the process of creating a number of online assets to keep members of our community active and engaged with each other while they are at home and unable to come to the YMCA for a workout. More on this very soon!
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It’s important to note, we have not had a known exposure within our facilities or among our staff.
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We did not take this decision lightly. While the majority of people who are infected with COVID-19 will make a full recovery, the virality of the disease is serious and we wanted to do our part to help slow down the spread of this virus.
March 16, 2020
To our valued YMCA members and friends,
As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds, our commitment to youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility must continue. We are all continuing to learn and adapt to the evolving situation. Please know that the YMCA of Greater Nashua takes very seriously its responsibility to your health and safety and that of the community.
Recent events and guidance from public officials, New Hampshire Department of Public Health, and YUSA have required us to make some changes to our daily operations. We understand that this can create a burden, but we feel it is the best decision to help with our overall community effort to mitigate the impact and spread of this virus.
Our YMCA’s Active Response Team is meeting daily to review current and future plans and we will continue to update you as changes are made.
The following decisions have been made to address the current climate of the COVID-19 virus and to support the community and our staff during this rapidly evolving situation:
Effective Tuesday, March 17
All Facilities Will Be Closed
We’ve elected to close our facilities and operations beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, March 17 and running through Sunday, April 5. This is being done to support the need for social distancing and to dedicate our efforts to serving members of our community who are most in need. After this period, we will evaluate the possibility of reopening our facilities to the general public.
Session D Will Be Paused
On Monday, March 16, we paused all Session D programs until April 5. During this period, we will evaluate restarting programs and/or alternative schedules for each program. To be clear, this means that classes will not run starting today (March 16).
Kids Stop and Child Care Programs Remain Closed
Throughout our history, the YMCA has met the needs of our society and today our community is in need of care for those most in need. As a socially responsible nonprofit charitable organization, our decision to close our facilities is being made so we can deploy our resources to meet those needs. We are working with our local Health Department, government officials and community partners, to explore the possibilities of using our facilities to provide child care for essential employees and first responders who must work to protect us. We know that these families need safe and reliable places for their children. Furthermore, alongside our local officials, community leaders and partners, we are committed to strategies that enable us to address food insecurity and support our medical community.
We ask that you join us in the effort.
We ask that you continue with your membership so that we can use this revenue to “do good” during this time of uncertainty. Naturally, we will put your membership on hold if you feel it’s necessary, but if you want to join us in service to others, we invite you to join us. We know your membership is meaningful to us and that “meaning” lies in the relationships you have built at the Y. We are asking you to support us in service of “our” community. The Coronavirus has created enormous uncertainty; however, how we manage it is in our control. Join us in creating a history that demonstrates how we came together and served those who needed us the most. Let us tell the story of the “meaningful” ways in which we responded.
During the next several weeks, we want to keep you connected. Our staff are hard at work on some innovative ways of keeping us all connected and healthy. We are working on ways we can engage our members with virtual and home-based wellness, recreational, educational and other programs.
We feel this decision is the most socially responsible course of action based on the need to consider the health and well-being of our children, families and the community-at-large. We want you to know that this is not a decision we made lightly and hope we have your understanding. As you can appreciate, these are unprecedented times we are experiencing, with new developments occurring every hour. We are trying to navigate our way through this in the best way we can. As news surrounding the attempts to contain the Coronavirus (or COVID-19) develop, we will continue to update you on all important decisions at the YMCA.
Needless to say, we will reopen at first chance, and hope that you will find it in your heart to continue to support us and our efforts to continue to strengthen the Greater Nashua Community. For continued updates, visit our special web page at https://nmymca.org/alerts.
Sincerely,
Mike LaChance
CEO
Please contact your local YMCA of Greater Nashua branch with any questions you may have.
Merrimack YMCA: 6 Henry Clay Drive, Merrimack, NH 03054 | P: 603 881 7778
Nashua YMCA: 24 Stadium Drive, Nashua, NH 03062 | P: 603.882.2011
Westwood Park YMCA: 90 Northwest Boulevard, Nashua, NH 03063 | P: 603 402.2258
March 15, 2020
Good evening YMCA Members and Friends,
As we’ve been updating you in these “Keeping Our YMCA Healthy” messages, our Active Response Team at the YMCA has been meeting daily to determine the best path forward for our common good. We understand how much our members love visiting the Y, improving their well-being and seeing their friends and we understand the role we play in the public trust. We are hard at work on what that looks like for all of us. For now, our branches remain open for general use, however, there are some updates to share with you.
Effective Monday, March 16
Session D Programs Will Be Paused
On Monday, March 16, we are pausing all Session D programs until April 5. During this period, we will evaluate restarting programs and/or alternative schedules for each program. To be clear, this means that classes will not run starting March 16. This includes Personal Training and Private Lessons. We will get more information to you soon.
Group Exercise Classes
All group exercise classes and Healthy Living classes are cancelled until April 5.
Fitness Center
The Y is instituting a “social interaction zone” in the fitness center which means we are requesting that members not use a piece of cardio equipment directly next to another member. This also applies to the Youth Wellness Area, which will be open for kids with their parents, but not as a drop in zone.
Kids Stop and Child Care Programs Remain Closed
These are uncertain times for us all. Please know that throughout the history of our YMCA we have walked head on into challenges to ensure our community is stronger. This is no exception. In addition to having to make tough choices like the ones above, we are engaged with community partners to ensure that the most needy in our community are being served. Know that the YMCA will be playing a key role in that and we will share that information with you in the coming days and weeks.
We also understand the importance of social connection and we are working on some innovative ways to keep you connected and to help you continue to stay healthy. Stay tuned for some news in this regard in the next couple of days. For continued updates, visit our special web page at https://nmymca.org/alerts
While we all move through this together, remember that we will get through this together. It starts to sound too common, but when we wash our hands, when we stay home when not healthy, when we make tough decisions to stay out of large groups, we do that as a social responsibility to keep us all well. We are a resilient people and we are a tight community.
We will continue to keep you updated.
Sincerely,
Mike LaChance
CEO
March 13, 2020
Greetings YMCA Members and Friends,
These are interesting times we live in. We are all continuing to learn and adapt to our new situations. Please know that the YMCA of Greater Nashua takes seriously its responsibility to your health and safety. We also take seriously the impact the YMCA has on your physical, mental and social health and the role we play in strengthening our community. We know it’s important for all of to stay connected, even as we’re being asked to keep some distance. As such, the YMCA remains open and ready to serve.
The YMCA has created an Active Response Team that is meeting daily to review current and future plans and we will continue to update you as changes are made. In addition, we have been in constant communication with the Public Health Department, the City of Nashua, local school district leadership, area partners, and YMCAs around the country. The support and guidance we have been given by local leaders has been amazing and we should all consider ourselves fortunate to have such great leadership.
We continue to increase our cleaning of our facilities and ask all of us to follow the CDC’s guidance of washing our hands, covering our mouths, and staying home when we don’t feel well.
At the time of this message, there are no known cases of COVID-19 in our service area. However, recent events have required us to make some changes to our daily operations. We understand that this can create a burden, but we feel it is the best decision to help with our overall community effort to mitigate the impact of this virus.
Here are some recent developments and changes to our operation:
• In support of decisions of local school districts, effective Monday, March 16, our Kids Stop, Creation Station, Y Academy and Early Education Center will be closed for the week. We will update any changes beyond that week. This is to honor the CDC’s guidelines of social distancing of large groups as one way to help prevent the spread of the illness and not due to an immediate concern of active COVID-19 in the schools. All other classes will continue to run as scheduled.
• We will not be honoring guest passes or Nationwide Membership until further notice.
• We have cancelled all YMCA events of more than 100 people until further notice. The first impact of this is on the scheduled Bunny Hop event.
• We have cancelled all employee travel
• We had already increased ongoing cleaning in our facilities but we have added more cleaning times for all areas of the buildings.
This all feels like a lot and we’re sure there are some who will disagree with some of our decisions. Please know that we are taking a cautious approach to help our entire community through this difficult time. Together, we will get through this and we will be here to serve in whatever capacity we can.
To keep up to date of any changes at the YMCA, follow us on social media or visit this special page on our web site at https://nmymca.org/alerts
The YMCA of Greater Nashua is taking every recommended measure to ensure that our members are healthy and safe. However, we can’t do it alone. Staying calm and informed will help us all stay healthy.
Best,
Mike LaChance
CEO
March 9, 2020
A message from Mike LaChance, CEO
Reminder to our Y members and program participants:
With so many questions and concerns surrounding the Corona Virus (COVID-19), the illness caused by coronavirus, we want to provide some reassurance of what the Y is doing in both preparation and response efforts.
The great news is that the recommendations are all things that we are already doing! Practicing (and teaching) consistent hand hygiene, thoroughly sanitizing the facility, and vigilantly monitoring symptoms happen at our facilities every day. This is exactly what should be done—and being flu season, these protection measures are in full force.
We are following the CDC guidelines for travel and exposure, and asking YMCA members and employees who are at high risk to follow the appropriate guidelines for self-monitoring or, if necessary, quarantine. This includes a requirement for self-quarantine if you or a family member have been in contact with someone that has been positively diagnosed. In addition, if you have recently been to a country with a Level 3 COVID-19 travel advisory (China, Iran, South Korea, Italy) please do not visit the YMCA and monitor your symptoms for 14 days after return to the U.S. The CDC guidelines are regularly being updated, and we are responding when they do. You can visit cdc.gov to get the latest information, including descriptions of COVID-19 symptoms.
We are asking our child care parents to follow the same practices for their children that they would for themselves – practice supreme hand hygiene, and keep children home when they’re sick.
The YMCA of Greater Nashua is taking every recommended measure to ensure that our members are healthy and safe. However, we can’t do it alone! Staying calm and informed will help us all stay healthy!If you have questions, please feel free reach out to me at mlachance@nmymca.org.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation!
Mike LaChance, CEO
March 2, 2020
A message from Mike LaChance, CEO
At the YMCA of Greater Nashua, we take your health and safety very seriously. The respiratory illness Coronavirus has spread across the world, and now officials in the U.S. have warned that we might see an outbreak across the United States. When a serious health issue arises, our staff team comes together to reassess our strategies to keep our members and staff healthy.
We understand people may worry about the new Coronavirus. In today’s connected world, an outbreak anywhere can be a risk everywhere. Risk is dependent on exposure. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) continues to believe the risk to the U.S. public is now low.
While CDC considers the Coronavirus a serious situation and is taking preparedness measures, the immediate risk in the U.S. is considered low. Basic hygiene is the best thing you can do. Everyone should always take simple daily precautions to help prevent the spread of all respiratory illnesses:
• Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap or use a hand sanitizer that contains alcohol.
• Sneeze and cough into tissues. If you get mucus or spit on your skin, clean it off right away. Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick, especially people exhibiting respiratory symptoms and • fever.
• Stay home when you’re sick.
• Regularly and thoroughly clean surfaces, such as counter tops and doorknobs, with a disinfectant.
The coronavirus is spread through respiratory vapor, such as when someone sneezes or coughs into the air around you. Influenza viruses and common cold viruses are also spread this way.
At the YMCA of Greater Nashua, these are some precautions and actions that we are initiating:
• YMCA staff that are ill will be sent home and asked to stay out of work until they are symptom free.
• We are asking members who may be ill with a contagious condition to stay home and return to the Y when they are feeling better.
• As has been the policy, children in our Early Education Center are required to stay out of school a minimum of 24 hours after being deemed symptom free.
• Additional hand sanitizer stations will be available to all. We will also make more antibacterial wipes available in throughout the branches.
• We are asking all members to clean equipment BEFORE and AFTER workouts, with the antibacterial wipes that we provide.
• Our staff will be cleaning door knobs, light switches, countertops, equipment, handles, weights, etc.
If you have questions, please feel free reach out to me at mlachance@nmymca.org.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation!
Mike LaChance, CEO