At times like these words seem so inadequate to express the sorrow and grief we are all feeling regarding the death of George Floyd. On behalf of the entire YMCA, our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Floyd’s family, friends, co-workers and community. Our Y team’s hearts are broken and our sadness is deep as we stand with all in our community who are devastated, disappointed, disgusted and distressed by a tragedy that was avoidable. Every day we work with you to strengthen our community so all can thrive. Unfortunately, tragedies like this can make us feel helpless and hopeless. The pain and suffering of young and old alike who live in the Minneapolis neighborhood where this heartbreak happened touches all of us.
Your YMCA is committed to continue to work even harder with you and our community to erase racism, inequities and disparities that exist. Human dignity and empathy are paramount – always. Here are some of the ways the YMCA is increasing its efforts to serve our community:
- Redouble our efforts of the YMCA Equity Innovation Center by adding more classes, forums and listening sessions so our community can heal and learn from each other.
- Bolster our YMCA staff serving youth and families so more people in our community can get the support they need to manage trauma constructively and peacefully as well as deal with the effects of the coronavirus crisis on their health and wellbeing.
- Collaborate more with our local and national community partners to combat inequities locally, nationally and globally.
We invite you to join us in our efforts. The Y’s values of caring, honesty, respect, responsibility and equity will continue to guide us as we navigate challenges our community faces. The Y is here for you and we firmly believe that together we are stronger.
We Are For All,
Glen Gunderson
President and CEO of the YMCA
Bruce Mooty and Ravi Norman
Board Chairs of the YMCA