The Y has about $70,000 of that pledged and a series of fund-raiser planned between now and the deadline.
If they don’t reach the goal, the banks that hold its loans could shutter one of the few organizations providing services to the western part of the county.
The Y offers child care, teen programs, swim programs, gymnastic programs and fitness and martial arts classes. It does things like sponsor blood drives and other community events. It has the only warm water therapy pool in Clark County.
If it goes under, there’s going to be a big hole in the services offered in the New Carlisle-Enon area.
It got to this point through what in hindsight looks like some wishful thinking and bad planning. The recession amplified the problems.
Some in the community apparently think the Casa Amiga program to help migrant workers is still based at the Y. They are using their anti-Hispanic prejudices to strike at the Y. Casa Amiga, of course, has been defunct for some time and in any case didn’t detract from the Y’s mission.
But the major problems facing the Y is the Catch-22 of needing people to buy memberships in the Y despite the fear that the institution faces being shut down.
Moreover, there are few businesses in the Y’s service area that can be tapped for financial help. In fact, it can’t approach businesses a few miles from it over the county line because of the rules of the national organization that apportion territory.
But there are a few things working for the Y.
First, if it can get past this crisis, it will be in good financial shape. The Turner Foundation has made a sizeable gift and if the Y does raise the $175,000 it will be debt free.
This near-death experience has also concentrated the organization on a plan to make sure it’s on a sound financial basis going forward. Moreover, the Y has a new board and administration that had no part in creating the current problems.
The Y has the support of its employees, many of whom have worked for free.
Western Clark County has very few institutions aside from its schools and libraries.
The Y is a strong link in bring the people together as a community.
There are other Ys in neighboring counties, but much will be lost if this institution dies.
The western part of Clark County is not exactly being flooded with services.
If the Tecumseh YMCA can’t meet its folds, it will create a huge hole in the quality of life for people who live in the New Carlisle area.
To make a pledge to the Save the Tecumseh YMCA Fund, log on to tecumsehymca.org or call 845-3513