Category: News Updates

To our community,

Over the past week, the national conversation has moved from the pandemic crisis to racial inequalities that equally plague our community.

The YMCA of Southwestern Indiana is an organization for all and condemns racism and divisions in our community. Our mission is to respond to community needs; but that can only be achieved when we listen to and understand one another.

As we attempt to get back to “normal” from the pandemic, we must all acknowledge that the unfortunate truth is that what may be “normal” for vulnerable populations is racism, inequity, and fear. Already traumatized by a pandemic virus, we are also facing another long-standing silent plague. And the trauma is real. Children are asking their parents to make sense of this world and many can only look back and say, “I don’t know.”

We need to ensure that the next generation of children no longer have to live in a state of fear and inequity. At the Y, one of our areas of focus is Social Responsibility. We are on the front lines of the issue of equality. Every day our staff not only have the opportunity, but the duty, to help shape the hearts and minds of young children and youth in our care.

In EVERY program we run at the YMCA, we have the chance to create a learning opportunity for love of neighbor, equality, and conflict-with-civility. It’s not just basketball, swim team, camp, or youth & government; it’s an opportunity to teach and mentor. There isn’t a greater reminder of the need to speak truth into the hearts and minds of impressionable youth than now. But this isn’t new. What’s happening around us now is a reminder that vigilance is a never ending duty that we owe our neighbors and our children.

The Y’s core values of caring, honesty, respect, responsibility, and faith are elements that guide us during these challenging times and all the days ahead. We must remain optimistic. We must also be honest about this crisis and be willing to take positive steps forward.

We, the YMCA of Southwestern Indiana and its Board of Directors, commit ourselves to:

1. Have zero tolerance for racism and prejudice among our staff, members, program participants, and volunteers;
2. Encourage staff and members to speak up when they see something unjust happening;
3. Connect our communities in order to create greater harmony, understanding and interconnectedness;
4. Remain steadfast in our commitment to a culture that values diversity and inclusion;
5. Collaborate with our public officials, community leaders and partners to combat inequities locally for greater collective impact;
6. Increase our investment in social responsibility programming that supports youth and young leaders as they organize to change our community and the world for the better; and
7. Educate ourselves, across our Association, on what it truly means to be for all.

In the coming days, we will undoubtedly continue to experience the pain and sorrow of injustice and inequity. We must remain connected and dialogue about what we witness and experience. Remember that we are in this together, and we must extend grace to one another as we do so. We know that when we work as one, we move people and communities forward.

With respect and gratitude,

Johnathan Pope

President & CEO

YMCA of Southwestern Indiana

Brian Hancock

Board President

YMCA of Southwestern Indiana

Since schools are out for the rest of the academic year and many of us are trying to figure out how to work from home, keeping kids occupied when school is out can be a challenge. Indulging them with a little bit of screen time here or there shouldn’t worry you. When you are out of options though, here are a few ideas:

1. Get them outside. It doesn’t matter whether it’s shooting hoops, taking a bike ride, a run, skateboarding, digging in the garden, drawing with chalk or a photo scavenger hunt. The act of simply getting some fresh air (and burning off excess energy) is what’s important.

2. Motivate them to help out around the house. Appeal to younger kids’ pride that they’re “allowed” to sweep (and wash) the floor, dust, or fold laundry. Let them know chores are a way that they can help out so we all get through this together.

3. Crafty is always cool. Sure coloring is commonplace, but sometimes messy is what’s needed to hold a child’s attention. Paint, make a collage, cut out paper garlands, or create colorful masks. For older kids, encourage them to make embroidery floss friendship bracelets, draw comics, cover their bedroom walls with their favorite photos, or make necklaces or earrings. Check out some of our craft projects on Virtual Y!

4. Drag out those collections. We’re talking theirs and yours. They have their seashells, action figures, Pokemon cards, etc. But do you still have YOUR 80’s collection, stamp collection, crystal/mineral samples, or coin collection? You might be surprised how fascinated kids might be with what you were fascinated with.

5. Build a fort. Yeah, you might not be able to walk through the living room, but it will keep kids occupied with the engineering of building it plus the creative imagination of what happens inside it.

6. Build anything. Now’s the time to drag out the Legos, Magna-tiles, model airplanes, construction sets, etc. It’s great STEM fun to build things.  Check out other STEM activities and videos on Virtual Y!

7. Play puzzles or board games. Jigsaw puzzles are great for all ages when piece sizes and counts are appropriate. Think beyond the traditional games but try to moderate any competitiveness among siblings.

8. Look at photo albums. Nostalgia reigns, even among the young. Break out the baby books and your childhood family photos. Make Throwback Thursday any day of the week.

9. Get cooking. Younger kids love to assist in the kitchen and older kids can scour cookbooks selecting a recipe or two that strikes their fancy. Cooking is a wonderful demonstration of measurement and math as well as the science of baking.

10. Read and write. Use downtime away from the classroom as an opportunity to have them order a title or two from an online bookstore that they can really get lost in. Or ask them to write a letter to a favorite aunt or grandparent or a friend they’re missing. Or get them hooked on journaling.

11. Listen to a podcast. They’re not screen time, but equally as entertaining. There are so many amazing podcasts for kids that can either enthrall them in stories or educate them.

12. Play with what they already have. Remember all those toys they played with a couple of times before they moved on the next thing? There’s a high probability that there are toys and projects in the house that they just haven’t used for a while or that just need finished. Dust them off, and get to it.

Source: RallyHealth.com; Ann Milanowski, March 16, 2020.

You’re on a conference call and somehow wandered into the kitchen. Next thing you now you’re eating crackers and dry cereal out of the box. Or maybe you got so caught up in a project that you suddenly realize you haven’t eaten a thing all day. Or perhaps the “I’ll just have a handful of chips as I work” mentality turned into accidentally eating the entire bag.

Keeping your nutrition in check can be tough when your home is your office. You feel comfortable and there’s plenty of food available. Unlike in the office, you’re free to graze all day and the fridge is all yours; but this habit can wreak havoc on your waistline and halt your productivity.

Here are ten tips to eating healthy while you WFH:

1. Don’t work in or near the kitchen. Try to set up a desk in an area that’s not near the kitchen. You might be tempted to wander over and check the fridge if it’s constantly in your line of vision. Only go into your kitchen during the workday for planned snacks and/or meals.

2. Plan your snack and meal times. Just as you schedule and plan your day (get up, work out, shower, etc), establish when throughout the day you’re going to eat. If you know you like to eat lunch around noon, plan for that. And if you’d like to have a snack in the late afternoon, plan for that too.

3. Make sure you actually eat. Once you actually start working, it can be hard to take a break to actually eat, but it’s important to know your hunger signs and realize that not eating can affect your alertness and productivity. If needed, set an alarm on your phone to remind you to get up and eat something.

4. Meal prep your lunches. There’s something freeing about being able to whip up whatever you’d like for lunch, but for some, it can be an additional source of anxiety. If you can, try to meal prep your lunch just like you would if you were physically going into work.

5. Focus on real food. Balanced, nutritious food makes us more productive. It keeps us fuller longer and helps us focus. Understand that what you eat will impact your mood and energy level. Focus on protein, fiber, healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables.

6. Drink plenty of water. Dehydration can lead to headaches and fatigue, which are both not good for your productivity. Just as you’d fill up a water bottle at work, keep water next to your work station at home too.

7. Be careful of too much caffeine. Having access to endless cups of coffee might seem like a great idea, but tread carefully when it comes to caffeine. Too much is known to cause headaches, anxiety, digestive issues and even fatigue.

8. Don’t buy junk food. Don’t stock your fridge or pantry like a vending machine. This can lead to eating just because you can! Try your best to keep junk food out of your house, especially food that you know can trigger a binge for you. Out of sight, out of mind.

9. When you eat, just eat. You might be tempted to continue working through your lunch break now that your co-workers aren’t physically there, but don’t do it! Being distracted during a meal can lead to over-eating and decreased satiety (satisfaction) from the meal.

10. Portion out snacks and meals before eating. Never eatout of the bag or original container because it’s much harder to control portions that way. Check the serving size on the container if you need extra guidance.

Source: RallyHealth.com; Staff Cleveland Clinic; April 7, 2020.