Monroe County YMCA will distribute an Additional $50,000 in Membership Financial Assistance

The Monroe County YMCA is excited to announce it is re-opening the Y Membership Financial Assistance application period for 2020. More than $145,000 was already awarded for 2020 Y memberships, and an additional $50,000 will be distributed in an effort to help those most financially impacted during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Y is here to help the Monroe County community recover from the pandemic by remaining accessible to all.  

Through the financial assistance program, individuals, families, and children are able to access the Y facilities and services regardless of their age, income, or background. During the uncertain times of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s especially crucial to keep the Y services available to those in need. The Y offers quality included-in-membership programs and services, such as chronic disease prevention and rehabilitation through adult programing, on-site child watch called Play and Learn, and Group Exercise classes. 

This second open enrollment period for 2020 Y memberships is due entirely to the generosity of Y donors. Funds are raised during Y for All events held throughout the year, and ongoing donations through staff giving and member donations help support the Y’s cause.  

Perry Brown, a Y financial assistance recipient, shares how his life was changed thanks to the support from the Y. After 40 years of hard labor, a pinched nerve, several surgeries, and facing the threat of never being able to walk again, Perry could no longer afford physical therapy to help him recover and improve his mobility. His doctors recommended he join the Y, which he did with the help of the Y for All Scholarship Fund. 

“I couldn’t imagine what I would have done without the Y after my insurance ran out at the hospital after two years,” Perry said. “I had nowhere else to go. I sat on the sidelines for four years, not knowing if I’d ever walk again, if I was going to be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of my life. It was the most frightening and scary thing ever, facing a wheelchair at 53. 

My mobility, my strength, my coordination—everything is a thousand times better. Being a scholarship recipient has impacted my life immensely. I can’t imagine where I’d be without financial assistance. Going to the Y is the highlight of my day. 
 
The scholarship program is the most important program. I know how tough it is not to have a job, not to have money to pay for a membership, but then the Y is nice enough to give you a scholarship to help you. And I have benefited from it totally.“ 

You can read more about Perry’s story on the Y’s blog here: https://monroecountyymca.wordpress.com/2019/11/13/how-ymca-financial-assistance-changed-perry-browns-life/ 
If you or someone you know is in need of financial support in order to access the Y, please submit your application and supporting materials by July 1 via mail or at either the Southeast or Northwest Y branches in Bloomington. More information about the financial assistance application process for Y memberships can be found at www.MonroeCountyYMCA.org/FA.

If you would like to support the Y for All Scholarship Fund, please visit www.MonroeCountyYMCA.org/Giving or contact Matt Osgood, Y Development Director, at (812) 961-2169 or mosgood@monroecountyymca.org.