Petition Letter re: Euclid Family YMCA

To Whom It May Concern:

As citizens of the City of Euclid, we were saddened to hear of the impending closure of the Euclid Family YMCA.  Mr. Timothy M. Hilk, President and Chief Executive Officer, of the YMCA of Greater Cleveland, held three meetings with members and staff of The Euclid Family YMCA on 4/4/18.  The reasons Mr. Hilk gave for the decision to close The Euclid Family YMCA were:

• Deteriorating physical condition of the building creating unsafe conditions;
• The Building does not meet current ADA standards (the ADA was signed into law on 6/26/90); and
• Unsustainable operating costs due to building deterioration

Hilk invited comments, questions, and concerns regarding this news.  To say the least, there was much anger in the room and real concerns raised about the future of the local residents regarding their use of the Euclid Family YMCA and the many wellness programs it provides and the sense of community members feel when there.  Given the economic means of many of the Euclid Family YMCA members, closing the facility presents enormous hardships. 

Mr Hilk’s offered the following options:

• moving memberships to other YMCAs such as Hillcrest and Willoughby; and
• waiting for the Greater Cleveland YMCA board to develop partnerships with other local Euclid businesses and discuss possible future development of alternative health and wellness offerings at other sites in the City

As many of the Euclid Family YMCA do not drive or have developmental differences, transportation to other facilities is difficult to nonexistent.  Many members live within walking distance of the Euclid Family YMCA.

The Euclid Family YMCA is not only an exercise facility for the local community it acts as a community center where the residents come together.  A unique sense of comradery is shared by Euclid’s diverse population.  This gives members a very positive and unique sense of community reportedly not experienced at other YMCA facilities (e.g. Willoughby, Hillcrest) 

Closing the facility will most certainly break up the very real sense of community and be yet another sign of collateral damage … along with people moving away, community investment opportunities ignored or nonexistent, recent police shootings and being considered another inner ring suburbs where the citizenry are not considered with the same importance and priority as other wealthier suburbs. 

As members of the Euclid Family YMCA, we expect discussions to begin with the possibility of rebuilding the Euclid Family YMCA, with state of the art amenities deserving of the citizens of Euclid.  We also expect every effort to be made by the Greater Cleveland YMCA Board to engage corporate partners who could invest in this project or at the very least offer the kinds of positive discussions and problem solving other YMCA ‘s has been given in this system.

There is a petition at the Euclid Family YMCA front desk which can be signed by anyone in support of this action. The petition will be forwarded to the Mayor of Euclid, the Ward Councilperson, The Greater Cleveland YMCA Board, and the Euclid Family YMCA Board.

Sincerely,

Euclid Family YMCA Members and Supportive Residents of the City of Euclid