A Safe and Warm Space
Winter in the Bay Area
The sound of rain bouncing off the roofs, windows and sidewalks, the glow of lights in the windows, and a chill in the crisp air reminds me that winter is here in the Bay Area.
Many of you are likely reading this message from a safe and warm space. Many of our neighbors are not.
Creating Safe and Trusted Places
For some of our neighbors, the chill in the air is a reminder that security is fleeting. Instead of looking out the window at the signs of winter, they are living right under it. Some are facing the dilemma of choosing between paying rent and paying for food. This year, nearly every major city in the Bay Area is seeing numbers grow in the thousands of people who don’t have a home, while nightly temperatures are falling into the low 40’s. Whatever the struggle, the long arc of the Y has been about creating safe and trusted places both emotionally and physically.
Meeting the Needs of our Community
We were founded on the principles of crossing the lines of social class and meeting the needs of society’s people. We’re giving young children that safety at our Child Development Centers. We’re giving San Francisco adults that safety through our family resource centers, and we’re giving aging adults that safety in our active older adult programs. Today – 166 years after the first Y opened in San Francisco – we are still creating programming based on the unique needs of our communities.
Spread Warmth
Let our thoughts for this season be about expanding this sense of warmth and trust. Let’s ensure that all have a place of safety where we can build upon our legacies towards a just, equitable and sustainable world within this beautiful planet we call home.
Happy New Year,
Chuck Collins
President and CEO
YMCA of San Francisco