Director at Tri Valley YMCA talks about the most popular programs at the Y, how the organization is getting members back after COVID-19 and plans to build a brand-new $21 million facility in Rome
David L. Podos
Q: How long have you been the branch manager?
A: I have been branch manager for 17 1/2 years.
Q: What is the history of your facility?
A: Sure, I would like your readers to know a little bit more about us, I think they will find it quite interesting. First off, we are the YMCA of the Greater Tri-Valley, so we have a branch in Oneida and our headquarters are right here in Rome. We have been in the Rome community for 152 years and are one of the oldest YMCAs in the country. Actually, Springfield, Massachusetts, has the oldest YMCA. Also, there used to be a YMCA in Utica, however they had some financial challenges, so we took it over for a couple of years, but unfortunately, they lost their charter because they couldn’t handle the financial burden that they were under.
Q: That’s very interesting; 152 years of service in Rome. How about the services and programs that you provide to the community, do you offer those to all age groups?
A: Yes, we actually have programs that cover a wide range of ages. For example, from the newborn, to one member we had that was 103 years old. So, we really do cover the whole age gamut.
Q: What are some of the programs that you offer?
A: We have kids in our child watch program that are newborn, (6-8 weeks old) where the parents come and drop them off, then they go work out while we watch over their child. We have kids who are 6 months to a 1-year-old taking swim lessons with mommy-and-me classes. We also have a large senior population, (at both our Rome and Oneida branches), which is great because they do everything from Silver Sneakers classes, to water aerobics. The water aerobics is extremely popular because it’s better for your joints and muscles, so we have a lot more people trending into the pool.
Q: Do you have a therapy pool here at your facility?
A: At one time we did. Over 30 years ago the state put in a therapy pool for us. That pool cost over a hundred grand to operate and when the pandemic hit, we drained both our pools because we knew we would be down for five to six months. When it came time to re-open, we realized we really did not have the money to keep both pools open. The state stopped funding it, so we chose to close the therapy pool and keep our main pool open.
Q: COVID-19 hit many businesses in so many ways but certainly financially. How bad was it here?
A: It was a very big thing for us. Initially we lost 50% of our membership. Before the pandemic we had about 9,000 members between Rome and Oneida locations. Now we have 3,600 members [in Rome] and 2,555 members [in Oneida]. The good news is — we are making progress working our way back to pre-pandemic numbers.
Q: You mentioned a number of programs that you offer your members, but tell me, what is your No. 1 program?
A: By far, our hottest program is our aquatic classes. While many seniors love these classes, it is starting to trend to a younger crowd as well, members who are in their 30s and 40s. The classes are a great workout and your joints and muscles don’t get strained because being in water there is less resistance upon the body, [but] you’re still getting a great work out. So, in our water classes we offer many options such as aqua yoga, aqua Zumba, hydro spin bikes which are made to be placed in the pool and people really love that.
Q: You mentioned something about silver sneakers. What is that all about?
A: Silver Sneakers is actually an insurance base program for 55 and older, so, many insurance plans will pay for membership to a facility such as ours. Anyone who has health insurance can call customer service and find out if they are covered, it’s a great benefit.
Q: What are the funding sources you receive to operate this great facility?
A: Our main source by far is our membership, which accounts for approximately 60%-65% of all our funding. Our school-age program brings in about 15%. We also have a number of grants that support us as well.
Q: How many staff do you employ?
A: Around 175 staff.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to share?
A: Actually, yes. We are looking to build a brand-new building here in Rome, a $21 million facility. We are at the process of getting very close to that and the goal would be to break ground at the end of this year and or the spring of 2024. We anticipate to be open at the end of 2024 or early 2025. The building will be a 44,000 square foot facility.
For more information about the Tri- Valley YMCA call 315-336-3500. For more information on services, programs, upcoming events: www.ymcatrivalley.org