Blog — Greater Joliet Area YMCA

Greater Joliet Area YMCA July Personal Training Sale

July 2, 2020

We invite you to kickstart your summer YMCA experience by taking advantage of our July Personal Training Sale. Throughout the month you can buy 3 personal training sessions for $99!

You can find information about personal trainers at your local Y branch below.

C.W Avery Family YMCA
Galowich and Smith Family YMCAs
Morris Community YMCA

If you would like to make a specific personal training request you can do so here.

The sale continues through July 31 for all Greater Joliet Area YMCA branches. Use promo code 3FOR99PT when you sign up. Please note: There is a maximum purchase of 3 sessions per member. Register for sessions by clicking below.

Avery
Galowich
Morris
Smith

Always Here For Our Community: Members Invited to Participate in Weekly Prayer Calls

June 29, 2020

At the Y, we remain dedicated to providing support for the mind, body and spirit of our members and individuals living in our communities. In keeping with our mission, and to support our community during these very uncertain times, the Y will host weekly prayer calls.

Prayer calls will be held Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. and will be led by a member of the Y’s staff team. To participate, please follow the steps below. Please note the meeting ID number has changed from prior calls:

Dial (312) 626-6799
When prompted, enter the meeting ID of 959-324-091 and then press #
When prompted for a participant number, press #

If you would like to submit a message of prayer you can do so by clicking here.

We thank you for your continued support of the Y.

Weekly Prayer Call Recap
Wednesday, July 1

This marked the day of our first weekly prayer calls. Greater Joliet Area YMCA President and CEO Jim Watts led the call and spoke about 5 spiritual habits to consider making part of your day.

Give thanks! In Psalm 75:1 it says We praise you, God,we praise you, for your Name is near;people tell of your wonderful deeds.
Spend 5 minutes in silence with God each day. John 15:4 says “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”
Remember who you are. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
Meditate on God’s word—Ask Him to speak through His words. God’s word is truth.
Focus on what is good and what is excellent Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Prayer requests:

Pray for the YMCA community and continued health for the staff, members, and volunteers.

Greater Joliet Area YMCA Announces Updated Summer Day Camp Health and Safety Guidelines

June 25, 2020

We are so glad to welcome children to YMCA Summer Day Camp in 2020! Our camp team has spent countless hours planning and preparing for camp season to begin, and we are so excited to welcome our campers back starting on Monday, June 29.

Although our summer day camp programs will look a little different this year, we remain dedicated to providing all YMCA campers and their families with a healthy and safe camp experience, full of fun and wonderful memories.

We encourage camp families to review updated summer day camp health and safety guidelines by clicking here.

Greater Joliet Area YMCA Facilities Set to Reopen on Monday, June 29

June 22, 2020

As we have previously shared, the YMCA will be permitted to reopen in Phase 4 of the governor’s Restore Illinois plan. If our region stays on track, we are very excited to be planning for a phased reopening of all four Greater Joliet Area YMCA branches on Monday, June 29.

Because the safety of our YMCA community remains our highest priority, we are doing everything possible to ensure our facilities meet the highest standards for hygiene and safety, and we are working to modify our policies and programs to facilitate new safety and social distancing guidelines. We will be sharing additional information about our reopening plans later this week. So please be sure to watch your email, follow the Y on Facebook, or monitor our website for the latest updates.

MEMBERSHIP FEES
In anticipation of the YMCA’s June 29 reopening, all members who are set up to draft on the 28th of the month will draft their membership fees on June 28. All members who are set up to draft on the 15th of the month will draft their membership fees on July 15.

Your membership fees will not be drafted if you have previously contacted the YMCA and requested that your membership be put on hold.

If you are not ready to return to the Y at this time, you can request that your membership be put on hold for up to 120 days by clicking here.

We know that this pandemic will have a financial impact on many in our community, and the Y is here to help. Y members who have experienced financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 health crisis are encouraged to apply for financial assistance through the Y’s newly created Emergency Member Assistance Fund. Made possible by our generous donors, this new fund provides up to 120 days of financial assistance, with no questions asked.

If a reduction in membership dues would help to ensure that you and your family can stay active and involved at the Y, please complete a brief application by clicking below:

Apply Today

We can’t wait to open our doors and begin serving the community from inside our YMCA buildings once again. We look forward to seeing everyone soon!

A Message to Y Members From Greater Joliet Area YMCA President and CEO Jim Watts

June 10, 2020

We want to thank you again for being a loyal member of our YMCA community.

Earlier this month, Governor Pritzker announced a new five-phased plan to reopen the state of Illinois. Based on guidelines outlined in the governor’s new Restore Illinois plan, we are now preparing for a phased reopening of our YMCA facilities on Monday, June 29.

With new guidance being shared almost daily by our state and local officials, we continue to update our reopening plans. Although the Y will not be permitted to open our facilities until Phase 4 of the governor’s plan, we will be able to offer small group outdoor fitness classes as well as virtual and outdoor personal training during Phase 3.

Because the safety of our members and our staff remains our top priority, we are doing everything possible to ensure our facilities meet the highest standards for hygiene and safety, and we are working to modify our policies and programs to facilitate new safety and social distancing guidelines. As we prepare to reopen safely and swiftly when we are permitted to do so, we wanted to share some important updates regarding membership fees and summer programming.

Membership and Programs

At this time, all membership drafts remain on hold. We will not be processing additional membership payments before June 28.

We appreciate all the members who have already reached out and generously indicated that they would like to continue to pay their membership fees to support the YMCA during this difficult time. Membership fees paid during our COVID-19-related closure may be considered a charitable gift to our Mission Strong Fund, and will help to ensure the long-term sustainability of the YMCA.

If you would like to make a donation to the Y by continuing to pay your monthly membership fee, please contact a member of our Membership team.

C.W. Avery Family YMCA Members
Megan Payne, Membership Director
Email: [email protected]

Galowich Family YMCA Members
Michelle Weston, Membership Director
Email: [email protected]

Morris Community YMCA Members
Jamie Nelson, Membership and Wellness Director
Email: [email protected]

Smith Family YMCA Members
Aracely Rubio, Membership Director
Email: [email protected]

Summer Session Programing

We are planning to delay the start of session-based programming until mid-July, with our Summer 2 session scheduled to begin on July 13. Registration for Summer 2 programming is now underway. You can learn more by checking out your local YMCA’s Summer Program Guide or register here today.

Summer Camps
The first day of YMCA summer day camp and sports camps will be on Monday, June 29, as permitted by state and federal guidelines. Although our summer camp programs will look a little different this year, we remain dedicated to providing all YMCA campers and their families with a healthy and safe camp experience, full of fun and wonderful memories. Online registration for summer camp is currently underway. Learn more about YMCA summer day camp here.

Youth Sports Leagues
Based on guidelines outlined in the governor’s plan, we have made the difficult decision to cancel all of our spring soccer, t-ball, baseball and softball leagues. Registered families will receive system credits for future programming. Refunds are also available upon request.

JETS Swim Team
The JETS Swim Team will resume activities in early July and will participate in a 6-week modified practice season. The summer season will end on August 15. Summer registration information will be shared with JETS families via Team Unify when it becomes available.

Before and After School Kid Zone Program

As a reminder, Kid Zone registration for the 2020-2021 school year is underway. To learn more about Kid Zone, please click here. If you have questions about the Y’s Kid Zone program, please contact a member of our Before and After School Care team:

C.W. Avery Family YMCA Members
Trisha Dust
Before and After School Care Director
Email: [email protected]

Galowich Family YMCA Members
Brooke Hall
Childcare Director
Email: [email protected]

Morris Community YMCA Members
Sarah Porzel
Youth and Family Director
Email: [email protected]

Smith Family YMCA Members
Catie Wallis
Youth, Family and Outreach Director
Email: [email protected]

We Are Stronger Together

As a non-profit, community-based organization, the YMCA relies on your membership to provide services and financial assistance for children, adults and families living in our community. We know that by working together we will get through these difficult times. And when we do, please know that the YMCA will be here to support you and your family, like we have for more than 90 years.

Because this situation is ever-changing, please watch your email, follow the Y on social media, and visit our website at www.jolietymca.org for additional updates. Please stay well and take good care of yourselves and your loved ones.

God Bless You,
James Watts
President and CEO
Greater Joliet Area YMCA