Burbank YMCA Case and Cause

The COVID crisis has impacted all of us in some shape or fashion. As we move into 2021 and beyond, the Burbank YMCA will continue its work to mend the wounds we see today and address the collateral concerns for tomorrow.

In 2020 many of our youth missed the opportunity to have a normal summer. Families had to make financial choices as many were laid off or furloughed by their employer. Summer camp provides kids and opportunity to be kids socializing without a screen, off the couch and out of the house. Camp serves as a place thats not school and not their home, but a place where they are safe and can thrive with confidence. We believe this is critical to their mental and physical development. Kids need camp more than ever. This has been the least active they have ever been. Screen time is up, obesity rates are climbing past 25% or 1 in 4 and anxiety diagnosis is higher than ever.

One of our largest populations at the Burbank YMCA is our seniors. We continue to run critical programming to engage this delicate population and keep them moving. Senior isolation was an issue prior to the pandemic and has been amplified with the fear of leaving their homes and the fear for visitors. We are continuing to find ways to create programming and locating partners to help provide a safe, comfortable place for seniors to reconnect through Chair Yoga, Enhanced Fitness and our low impact Water Exercise programs.

Similar to our youth population, our teens easily slip through the cracks as they navigate new ways to communicate. Tik Tok, Snap Chat and Instagram among other platforms are new ways for teens to share ideas and express themselves. The reality is suicide rates are up in our teens by 2.2 % since 2018. They lack confidence from being outside the realm of the virtual reality of social media, where sadness is disguised with a smile, fear of body image is eclipsed by memes and filters and cries for help are hidden with cryptic posts. Get summer provides a free outlet to every single teen that wants to be part of the YMCA for the entire summer. Aside from Teen specific programs, we offer a safe space to work out, socialize and be yourself. Teens that exercise regularly have less of a chance of fall victim to some of the demons of isolation.