YMCAs in WA Make a Difference Thanks to Harris Donor Support

(ST. Paul, Minn., April 20, 2021) – Thanks to the YMCA of Snohomish County, Skagit Valley Family YMCA, YMCA of Greater Seattle and Whatcom Family Y, families and individuals living in the communities they serve are getting help with many of the hardships they face as they live through a global pandemic.

The Y is the leading nonprofit committed to strengthening community by connecting all people to their potential, purpose and each other. From empowering young people, to improving the health and well-being of all, and inspiring action in and across communities, the Y ensures that it provides access to opportunities, relationships and resources necessary to learn, grow and thrive.

In Snohomish county, the Y recognized that COVID-19 was disproportionately affecting young people, in large part, due to the need for remote or hybrid learning. Social isolation, loss of structured activities (school, clubs, social activities), increased screen time and potential exposure to stress at home rose. Of the nearly 87,000 K-12 students in Snohomish County’s eight largest school districts, 32,700 students live in poverty and of those, 2,165 students are homeless. Both circumstances compound these challenges. Luckily, the county’s Y is doing something about it.

“This generation of young people deserves extraordinary consideration, support and guidance,” says Rob Millard, Property Management Director, YMCA of Snohomish County. “That’s why our annual giving effort this year includes the hiring of 12 new teen directors. Having additional staff leading our youth development programs means we can serve more area youth. We’ve already made tremendous progress toward our goal and every dollar counts.”

Funds raised will also help expand the Y’s affiliation with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Snohomish County, which provides mentors for kids. “Every child deserves a caring role model,” adds Millard, “and these gifts will allow the BBBC program to have a presence at all six of our Snohomish county branches.”

Companies like Harris, a leading mechanical contractor, are helping the Y reach its goal by donating to important initiatives and programs. “We greatly appreciate Harris’ donation,” says Millard. “They’re a company not just building structures for us, they’re helping us build a strong foundation for our local teens who need a helping hand.” Harris, with a regional office in Bellingham, WA, recently completed a Heat Recovery Unit change out in the pool area at the Marysville Family YMCA, one of the county’s branches. For members that means belonging to a community committed to energy conservation and healthy spaces. The Y is also engaging Harris for an in-depth energy program to optimize building efficacy.

Recognizing the role the Y plays in so many communities, Harris has also supported the Y in Skagit County. And, it’s donations that helped make it possible for Skagit Valley Family YMCA members to continue their wellness regimens during the pandemic. In 2019, the Skagit Y completed its new Hoag Road facility, featuring an ionized air cleaning system to reduce potential airborne contaminants, an HVAC system with a centralized computer system and a state-of-the art UV filtration system for its pool water. Harris has stepped in for service fine-tuning.

“Many of our members have shared, that because of Hoag Road and our virtual wellness programming, they were able to continue to focus on their health and wellbeing, in a safe environment,” says Terry Karper, Facilities Manager, Skagit Valley Family YMCA. “We sincerely thank our donors and members who helped us build our new building, without which, we would not have been able to continue serving our Skagit Valley community through the COVID-19 pandemic.” Harris also recently completed HVAC work at Skagit Valley’s Early Learning Center in Burlington to enhance the environment and comfort of staff and the children they care for.

Youth, families and communities throughout King County have also been helped by the Y during the pandemic, as Loria Yeadon, President & CEO, YMCA of Greater Seattle, recently shared.

“I am forever grateful to our members, donors, staff, partners and elected officials who stood by us during this difficult year, supporting our work and helping us meet the many ever-shifting needs of those we serve,” said Yeadon. That work included creating an Equity and Justice Center of Excellence, expanding affordable behavioral health for all, offering free or low cost childcare for first responders and health care workers, opening new housing facilities in South King County and Tacoma, feeding more kids than ever before through its Hunger Initiatives, helping students and families in virtual classrooms, and enabling 277 teens to experience the great outdoors through summer backpacking trips.

Providing safe, comfortable surroundings for members is equally important to the Y of Greater Seattle where Harris was called in for boiler service to optimize efficiencies at both the Dale Turner Family YMCA and Northshore YMCA. An entire energy audit was even performed at the Dale Turner branch.

The Whatcom County Y has also continued to serve the ever-changing needs of its community during these unprecedented times thanks to community support. Keeping kids engaged and excited about outdoor activities, safely, 779 area youth participated in the branch’s outdoor running programs — with safety measures including temperature checks, social distancing and mask wearing. Additionally, more than 200 families were served by its Emergency and Essential Worker Childcare and its senior population logged into its virtual fitness programs more than 15,000 times over eight months. The branch also met the needs of families and individuals facing food disparities, delivering over 6,000 boxes of food throughout Whatcom County.

“This has been a time of many uncertainties,” says Tracy Diehl, Relationship Development Director, Whatcom County Y. “We’ve needed to pivot our focus from previous years and become much more intentional with our service and support.” That includes having vans, for instance, that previously transported laughing children for Y activities to now being used weekly for food delivery with the onset of the pandemic.

“We would not have the capacity to serve such a breadth of population and meet these needs without the help of supporters like Harris,” says Diehl. “We thank everyone for their continued support!”

About the Y
Driven by its founding mission, the Y has served as a leading nonprofit committed to strengthening community for more than 175 years. The Y empowers everyone, no matter who they are or where they’re from, by ensuring access to resources, relationships and opportunities for all to learn, grow and thrive. By bringing together people from different backgrounds, perspectives and generations, the Y’s goal is to improve overall health and well-being, ignite youth empowerment and demonstrate the importance of connections in and across 10,000 communities nationwide.

About Harris
Headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, Harris is a leading national mechanical contractor specializing in design and engineering, construction, controls, service, manufacturing, conveyors and end-to-end building systems with twelve offices nationwide. Customers who partner with Harris benefit from our national reach, regional offices, local expertise and more than 70 years of experience. From power plants to stand-alone hospitals, stadiums to concert halls, we bring a spirit of creative problem solving and a commitment to excellence to every project, no matter the size, complexity or location.

CONTACTS:
Angela Mork
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651.602.6538

Gina Swanson
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612.298.2631