The YMCA of Greensboro in Greensboro, North Carolina, is still serving its members despite state mandates that prevent them from fully reopening.
Through Governor Roy Cooper’s Executive Order 51, the Y opened its facility with the purpose of serving members as prescribed or directed by a medical professional. “For so many in our community, exercise therapy is a key to recovery, disease management and prevention,” said Rhonda Anderson, the president and CEO of the Greensboro Y. “We’re grateful to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) for recognizing this critical need and providing necessary guidelines in which to do so safely.”
According to Anderson, during the pandemic, North Carolina YMCAs have partnered with health experts and developed operational plans that meet or exceed requirements and recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and NC DHHS.
“Therefore, we are confident in our YMCA’s capacity to open our indoor fitness centers safely for this purpose,” said Anderson. “Some of our precautions include requiring a face mask upon entering our buildings, physical distancing, wellness checks prior to anyone entering our facilities, reservations for our programs, extensive cleaning procedures and more.”
Members of the Greensboro Y have been excited to return with their medical prescription in hand. Anderson said for many, the Y is more than just a gym. “It’s a community center committed to helping people build a healthy spirit, mind and body,” she explained. “Many members have shared being able to exercise has not only been beneficial to their physical health, but they have also seen an improvement mentally and emotionally.”
Medically prescribed exercise is just one way the Greensboro Y is serving its members during shutdown.
The Y is also offering curated outdoor group exercise classes and fitness offerings, access to their pool, licensed child care, tennis and day camp and overnight camp options. These will all be on a reservation basis only.
“For more than 130 years, the Y has served as a nonprofit leader and partner in community health, delivering evidence-based health programs and interventions that benefit vulnerable populations and those managing the life-altering effects of chronic disease,” said Anderson. “We believe serving this population is more important than ever. While we continue to offer swimming, and virtual and outdoor exercise opportunities, we know some individuals require indoor exercise as their bodies recover from various medical conditions, and we are proud to be able to offer this to our members.”
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Taylor Brown is the assistant editor of Community Rec Magazine. She can be reached at taylor@peakemedia.com.
