I have told you before, that we are in contact with the Local YMCA (the North Suburban YMCA) to see whether we can come to a working relationship, most specifically, through a group membership. This will be of great help as the YMCA has great resources, throughout the year, in many towns.
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March 7 2019
Dear Ms. Gibbons,
On behalf of the Intercontinental Science Foundation, I am reaching out to you seeking to reach a partnership that would be of mutual gain, to the YMCA and the community we serve. ISF Inc is an organization that harnesses education to empower communities in communities that need a push, through knowledge generation, transfer, and application of knowledge. We actively seek to create a culture, and a community of active inquirers, that is appreciative of pertinent interaction between natural sciences, technology, and human agency.
Sports is one such agency yet many communities, and sub communities struggle to involve their children in it. Through Sports Matters a big, and growing community of immigrants from Africa living in the Greater Boston areas, would like to participate in this wellness activity. YMCA. We would like to work with you to see how we can open up a group membership at the Woburn YMCA.
I know this is possible because a few years ago a church I represented arranged such a collaboration with the Waltham YMCA (under the Global Evangelical Church). This will have two big gains: the YMCA will be opening its doors to tens of thousands of people, many of whom will one day become independent or family members in their own. Secondly, the YMCA will be performing its number one mission, to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.
If you can spare a few moments, I would like to meet with you and see whether such a group membership will be possible.
Yours sincerely,
Herbert Kibuuka
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March 20, 2019
Hi Herbert,
Thank you for your interest in the North Suburban YMCA! My coworker Cheryl tried reaching out to you last week via phone but she was not able to reach you. She did leave a message asking for a little more information about what you were looking for in terms of membership. Here at the North Suburban branch we typically do not offer group memberships. Would you be able to provide a little more information on what you were looking for with this membership?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best,
Michelle Gibbons
Director of Membership Sales and Services
North Suburban YMCA
137 Lexington St.
Woburn, Ma 01801
P:781-305-2909
F: 781-933-5177
The Y: We're for youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.
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Dear Michelle,
I am very grateful for this response to my email. No, I must have missed Chryl's call and I think I she did not leave a message.
Sports matters for all children, be they poor, middle class, or rich. We are a group of mainly first generation immigrants (from Africa for the most part) who have to work very hard to support our families. As is expected, our children do not have many opportunities; we don't have much money saved yet, and so, we do not have enough time to dot over them. Some of our families have found their way into the sports system, others in summer camps. Many of those in camps, however, are their only through special arrangements, usually with government sponsorship.
We have a compromise approach we are bringing on the table. Some of us have tried YMCA memberships before, only to cancel them after we find we cannot keep up with the monthly fees as individuals. Yet we want our children, who are American, to have opportunities this great country has and can afford even for its not-so-fortunate (yet) citizens.
We know some families can apply and get some discounted memberships. But, like charter schools, this is a minimal fix that caters for a small percent. We have come up with a group membership option at the North Suburban YMCA as a compromise. We would pay, and our children would play and learn.
What we want
We have a blog we started: https://sportminc.blogspot.com/ and through it, we are asking our member parents to register their children, for different games. Some of our children indeed participate in town games but still a majority do not, partly because many parents do not know, partly because their parents cannot afford the registrations, the gear and/or, quite simply, the time. With Sports Matters, the Intercontinental Science Foundation is finding ways to help these children, and one way is to partner in a way, with the North Suburban YMCA, to help.
This is how the North Suburban YMCA can help:
Again, I stress the fact that the North Suburban YMCA will gain for by allowing this membership, you will find a novel way to reach your social responsibility goal, ensuring that your programs are accessible to all, even to those who cannot qualify for the $205,000 in financial assistance each year to your programs and services. Besides, as we gain footing in the area, we and our children will, in due course, eventually transition to full individual memberships.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
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