Category: Uncategorized

Outdoor Pool at the Eastside YMCA 

Thank you to everyone who came out to the recent Town Hall meetings to discuss the outdoor pool at the Eastside YMCA. Our team was grateful for your questions and feedback. If you were unable to join us but would like to review the presentation, you can find it here. 

Our team has met to review notes and define next steps. In the coming weeks, several things will be taking shape: 

• CEO Jim McEldowney will begin the process of researching a consulting firm that will engage the community to help determine the needs and best use of the existing space. Our goal is to make the facility a lively, useful space that best serves our community in a financially responsible way. We do not have any pre-determined agendas on what this might be – the long-term vision will truly be driven by public insight. He is also in the final stages of resolving the ownership issue of the pool and three parcels of property at the entry to the Eastside YMCA. 

• Our team received many messages from people interested in volunteering on a project committee. If you were not present at the meetings but would like to contribute, please reach out to Kelly Gibson, Executive Director at the Eastside YMCA, at [email protected]. We will be outlining subcommittees soon, and sharing opportunities to get involved. 

Lastly, as Jim shared in the meetings, the outdoor pool will not open this summer. We understand this is disappointing, but our team is looking at offering alternative ideas that may be of interest to our members and community. Please take this short survey to share ways we can make the Y meaningful to you this summer!  

In the meantime, please know that our property team will maintain the outdoor pool area to prevent further disrepair, and so that if the ultimate solution is a pool, we will be prepared to move forward. 

We will continue to share updates. Thank you again for being a key part of this next chapter for the YMCA of Greater Erie. 

At your YMCA, we are committed to offering you tools, resources and amenities that you find valuable and useful. After offering YMCA360 and its library of video content since 2022, we recognize that our members tend to prefer in-person classes with our engaging Y instructors. The primary use of YMCA360 has been to scan into the Y locations. With that in mind, we are making a shift in how we deliver virtual resources.

We are excited to re-introduce our Virtual Resource Hub, starting Dec. 1 on ymcaerie.org! Explore a collection of videos, articles, activities and helpful links focused on fitness, nutrition, mental well-being, and family activities — all selected by your local Y team to support your path to healthy living wherever you are.

YMCA360 will be discontinued as of Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025. Here are a few things to know:

• If you are using the YMCA360 app to scan in for entry at the Y, please stop at our membership desk to get a key tag or new digital barcode.

• Push notifications were facilitated through the YMCA360 app and will no longer be issued. We’re transitioning to text notifications in the near future, so please make sure we have your current cell number on file. We promise: no spamming, just helpful updates and reminders when you need them.

• Schedules, classes and all of our Y programming can still be found on our website at ymcaerie.org.

Thank you for continuing to make the YMCA of Greater Erie a part of your wellness journey. As we evolve to meet your needs, we look forward to supporting you with new ways to stay active and connected—within our walls and beyond.

YMCA of Greater Erie Team

Join us at Glenwood Park YMCA for a fun-filled morning of laughter, water balloons, and fundraising! 💙🎯 Take your shot at soaking our Program Coordinator, Curtis Jones, all while supporting the YMCA’s Annual Campaign. Upgrade to a Gold Balloon for a surprise twist that Curtis definitely won’t see coming! 👀🎁

📍 Location: Lower Parking Lot, Glenwood Park YMCA
📅 Date: Wednesday, July 16
🕙 Time: 10AM – 12PM

💵 Pricing:
1 Balloon – $5
5 Balloons – $20
Gold Balloons – $50 (Includes a surprise!)
Donate Here

Let’s put the “fun” in fundraiser and help continue our mission at the YMCA of Greater Erie! 🙌

Grab your friends and family, let’s make this an EPIC summer!

Check off 20 Items from our FREE Summer Bucket List Challenge and be entered into a chance to win EPIC prizes, including a Grand Prize of $2,000, a 28″ Blackstone Griddle, 2 Adirondack Chairs, or an Igloo Cooler.

How it works:

1. Scan the Bucket List QR code or visit StrongLife.org/registration beginning June 1st, 2025.

2. Pick up your Bucket List from any of our locations or download it here.

3. Grab your friends, family, or even fur-babies to complete the activities with you (WAY more fun than by yourself)

4. Complete at least 20 activities before July 31st, 2025, and return your Bucket List form to any of our locations to be entered for a chance to win prizes.

Complete List of Rules

May is National Water Safety Month. When the weather starts to heat up, the pools, lakes, oceans, rivers and other bodies of water start calling! While swimming can be a very enjoyable activity this summer, it is important to remind all parents and caregivers of the importance of water safety. The YMCA of Greater Erie is sharing these six tips on how children can stay safe in and around the water.

Tip # 1: Make sure children know to always ask permission before going in or near the water.

Teaching your children to be water smart is the first step in water safety – be sure they understand the importance of asking permission before going in or near the water.

Tip # 2: Never swim alone without a water watcher.

When children are swimming, make sure they are actively supervised at all times. Teach your children that they should only swim in locations where a lifeguard is on duty, or where a responsible adult agrees to watch the children in the water without distractions.

Tip # 3: Supervise your children whenever they’re in or near water.

Whether it’s bath time or taking a dip in a pool or the waterfront, make sure your children are within arm’s reach at all times.

Tip # 4: Don’t engage in breath holding activities.

Neither adults nor children should hold their breath for a prolonged amount of time while swimming, as this can be dangerous.

Tip # 5: Wear a life jacket.

Inexperienced or non-swimmers should always wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket while in or around the water.

Tip # 6: Don’t jump in the water to save a friend who is struggling in deep water.

If an adult or child finds their friend in deep water unexpectedly, their natural reaction may be to jump in the water to try and save them. Even if they are a great swimmer, a panicked person will overpower them, pulling the rescuer underwater. The Y’s Safety Around Water program teaches the “reach, throw, don’t go” concept of using a long object to reach for them and pull them to safety. By using this technique, an adult or child can help their friend without compromising their safety.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. As part of our commitment to protecting the children in our community, we’re participating in the Five Days of Action® – a week-long campaign to increase awareness of child sexual abuse and empower and equip us all to prevent it. By taking part in this important campaign and implementing abuse prevention practices year-round, The YMCA of Greater Erie is committing to the safety of all children in our community.

The Know. See. Respond. campaign is back this year, and Praesidium, Saprea, and Lauren’s Kids have shared resources to support this campaign.

Know

When evaluating camps, sports, and other activities for your child, do you KNOW what questions to ask about abuse prevention? As parents, caregivers, and trusted adults, we play a vital role in protecting children and teens from abuse. Learn the key questions to ask from Praesidium, the YMCA’s partner in child abuse prevention: praesidiuminc.com/6-key-questions-a-parent-should-ask-of-an-organization.

See

When we SEE grooming patterns—methodical, subtle, gradual, and escalating behaviors used to groom a child for sexual abuse—we can identify them, strengthen our intuition, and protect children. Learn the 6 grooming behaviors every parent or caregiver needs to know and what to do if you see them, from our partner, Saprea: saprea.org/blog/6-perpetrator-grooming-behaviors.

Respond

RESPONDing starts when a child or teen feels heard and is helped. How can you take action to prevent child sexual abuse? The Trusted Triangle (for younger children) and the Safety NETwork (for older youth) are strategies from Lauren’s Kids Safer, Smarter Families Family Safety Toolkit. These resources are designed to help families and caregivers teach personal and digital safety in a comfortable and accessible way.

Grades K-2: safersmarterfamilies.org/grades-k-2 Grades 3-5: safersmarterfamilies.org/grades-3-5

We take our commitment to child protection seriously, and we hope you do too.