EVANSTON, IL — Today, the McGaw YMCA released its combined 2020 and 2021 Community Impact Report, highlighting the ways in which we have adapted and innovated to address the needs of our community over the past two challenging years.
Since the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have worked tirelessly to provide creative solutions that help all people in Evanston reach their full potential in spirit, mind, and body – even in the most difficult circumstances. In close partnership with nearby institutions, we rolled out new programming to serve Y members, residents at the McGaw YMCA, and the wider Evanston community.
Among the many ways we’ve meaningfully impacted our community since 2020, we have:
- Supported 165 men who live at the McGaw YMCA with housing, rental assistance, supplemental food, supplies, and wrap-around services.
- Welcomed 1,850 in-person visitors and 150 virtual visitors each week to participate in fitness activities to strengthen their physical and mental health.
- Provided continuous child care and school-age programming to over 150 children of working families to ensure they received ongoing care and support while schools were closed.
- Offered Camp Echo for the whole family, serving 1,300 people, who safely participated in our camp to foster community and enable emotional connections.
- Formalized our commitment to equity and established a vision for becoming an anti-racist, multicultural organization where everyone belongs.
In addition to our COVID-19 response, the Community Impact Report examines all our efforts through the lens of four key strategic priorities that will guide us through 2024: Strengthening Community & Social Responsibility, Education & Youth Development, Community Health & Well-being, and Organizational Excellence.
As unprecedented challenges affected life at the McGaw YMCA, in Evanston, and around the globe, we came together to do amazing things and to recommit ourselves to our mission of cultivating the whole person and strengthening our community.
Reflecting on the impact we’ve made with the help of our neighbors, supporters, and community partners, McGaw YMCA President and CEO Monique Parsons said, “The Y has been here for our community, and our community has been here for the Y. I am so grateful that we have each other.”