Petition to preserve the indoor playground at the Chinatown YMCA for all families
Background: The indoor playground at YMCA, a service provided for years to families as part of their “youth” membership, is now only accessible for families with “family” membership, while all others must pay a daily fee of $10.Prior to the current fees for indoor playground, families used to be able to purchase youth memberships for each of their children ($165 per child per year) and now they are being asked to pay over $1800 per year. A typical family of four will go from paying $330 per year to over $1800 per year, making access prohibitive to many working class parents with few affordable options in the community.
Petition:
We, the families of the YMCA, for many years, have used the indoor playground for our children to have an affordable space to play, socialize, exercise, and work on motor skills. It is one of the few programs offered in downtown Manhattan where this type of program exists and is accessible for a wide range of income levels.
By adding this fee, it is taking away from the YMCA families with “youth”membership the ONLY service that a young child can participate without additional cost. We believe this goes against the mission of the YMCA to “Improve our community’s health and wellbeing” for ALL of its members. It also clearly discriminates against lower income families who have relied on the affordable Youth Membership as a way for their young children to get daily exercise throughout the year and for many years.
Also, many of these children, who have been coming for many years, have built strong community bonds. Separating these children and preventing them access, we believe, goes against the spirit of what the YMCA is about.
Young children need to be nurtured and provided with programs that make a positive difference in their lives.We request that Chinatown YMCA stays true to their mission and maintains the Indoor Playground free for ALL levels of membership of the YMCA without exception.
If you agree with the points raised in this petition, please sign and let the Chinatown YMCAknowthat you support keeping the indoor playground affordable for ALL community members!
12 Comments
Our family is very upset by the new policies regarding the indoor playground. We have many memories of the Chinatown Y as our gathering spot that we shared with a diverse group of families in the neighborhood. The experience was never about the equipment or physical space--two budget items the staff told me the money raised from the new fee would go toward-- but about the other families who gathered there. By imposing this fee on those without a family membership, the Y has stripped the community of an affordable place to gather in inclement weather. Although we have a family membership and the fee does not directly impact us, we are concerned by this change in policy.
The indoor play at the Y allows families in lower Manhattan to get together and has been a special place for the children in our community. PLEASE don't make this limited to only families who can afford the expensive family membership, that is not what the ymca stands for, abd would do a great disservice to our community. Many of us have formed strong bonds at the y, important for our children that reached outside of the doors of the gym, and this should continue for all families going forward. I hope the ymca can think of other ways to generate income not at the expense of the families who need their services most.
keep the Y affordable and accessible for families below median income!
Keep YMCA Affordable!
Keep this indoor playground affordable and accessible for neighborhood families with children
I'm shocked by this poor choice initiative by the YMCA. I joined two weeks before this new rule came into effect due to the wonderful sense of community this playground fostered. I am seriously considering canceling as this is false advertisement and short term thinking on behalf of the Y. I was interested in paying for actual classes, swimming, youth ballet etc... But with my budget being depleted by this outrageous and definition of a class, I truly question if my business won't be appreciated more elsewhere.
We were about to sign up for one youth membership, but we are unable to afford the new cost structure.
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Petition to preserve the indoor playground at the Chinatown YMCA for all families
Background: The indoor playground at YMCA, a service provided for years to families as part of their “youth” membership, is now only accessible for families with “family” membership, while all others must pay a daily fee of $10.Prior to the current fees for indoor playground, families used to be able to purchase youth memberships for each of their children ($165 per child per year) and now they are being asked to pay over $1800 per year. A typical family of four will go from paying $330 per year to over $1800 per year, making access prohibitive to many working class parents with few affordable options in the community.
Petition:
We, the families of the YMCA, for many years, have used the indoor playground for our children to have an affordable space to play, socialize, exercise, and work on motor skills. It is one of the few programs offered in downtown Manhattan where this type of program exists and is accessible for a wide range of income levels.
By adding this fee, it is taking away from the YMCA families with “youth”membership the ONLY service that a young child can participate without additional cost. We believe this goes against the mission of the YMCA to “Improve our community’s health and wellbeing” for ALL of its members. It also clearly discriminates against lower income families who have relied on the affordable Youth Membership as a way for their young children to get daily exercise throughout the year and for many years.
Also, many of these children, who have been coming for many years, have built strong community bonds. Separating these children and preventing them access, we believe, goes against the spirit of what the YMCA is about.
Young children need to be nurtured and provided with programs that make a positive difference in their lives.We request that Chinatown YMCA stays true to their mission and maintains the Indoor Playground free for ALL levels of membership of the YMCA without exception.
If you agree with the points raised in this petition, please sign and let the Chinatown YMCAknowthat you support keeping the indoor playground affordable for ALL community members!
12 Comments
On this, the coldest of winters in recent memory, the indoor playground is more essential than ever. Our favorite thing about raising children in Chinatown and the Lower East Side is the diversity of the families we get to meet and play with. With no other indoor space available to many of those families, the Y is unfortunately not a place where those relationships can be built. Please reopen the indoor playground to all families.
Our family is very upset by the new policies regarding the indoor playground. We have many memories of the Chinatown Y as our gathering spot that we shared with a diverse group of families in the neighborhood. The experience was never about the equipment or physical space--two budget items the staff told me the money raised from the new fee would go toward-- but about the other families who gathered there. By imposing this fee on those without a family membership, the Y has stripped the community of an affordable place to gather in inclement weather. Although we have a family membership and the fee does not directly impact us, we are concerned by this change in policy.
The indoor play at the Y allows families in lower Manhattan to get together and has been a special place for the children in our community. PLEASE don't make this limited to only families who can afford the expensive family membership, that is not what the ymca stands for, abd would do a great disservice to our community. Many of us have formed strong bonds at the y, important for our children that reached outside of the doors of the gym, and this should continue for all families going forward. I hope the ymca can think of other ways to generate income not at the expense of the families who need their services most.
keep the Y affordable and accessible for families below median income!
Keep YMCA Affordable!
Keep this indoor playground affordable and accessible for neighborhood families with children
I'm shocked by this poor choice initiative by the YMCA. I joined two weeks before this new rule came into effect due to the wonderful sense of community this playground fostered. I am seriously considering canceling as this is false advertisement and short term thinking on behalf of the Y. I was interested in paying for actual classes, swimming, youth ballet etc... But with my budget being depleted by this outrageous and definition of a class, I truly question if my business won't be appreciated more elsewhere.
We were about to sign up for one youth membership, but we are unable to afford the new cost structure.
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On this, the coldest of winters in recent memory, the indoor playground is more essential than ever. Our favorite thing about raising children in Chinatown and the Lower East Side is the diversity of the families we get to meet and play with. With no other indoor space available to many of those families, the Y is unfortunately not a place where those relationships can be built. Please reopen the indoor playground to all families.