At our facility in Burbank, California, we pride ourselves everyday in our Diversity and Inclusion efforts. Our staff and team are made up of individuals from many different walks of life and backgrounds.
Of course, when we heard about the Black Lives Matter movement, we couldn't help but to be moved! The first thing we said out-loud was, "How can we help?!"
We saw on social media that one of our former campers organized a protest that would be passing by our YMCA on Thursday, June 4th, 2020. We decided that we can support the protest by handing out bottles of water. As soon as we saw that the protesters were approaching our facility, we quickly gathered our team, threw cases of water bottles on a hand truck and rushed over.
The response was immediately overwhelming as people were walking by thanking the YMCA for supporting and participating. We saw current families, former members, board members, and members of our community peacefully protesting. It was absolutely moving and powerful to see this as well as be a part of history in the making.
The Burbank Community YMCA is made up of diverse people of all ages and from every walk of life working side by side to strengthen communities. Together, we work to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential with dignity. Our core values are caring, honesty, respect and responsibility- they guide everything we do.
We are working closely with the city, keeping our eyes peeled on social media and an ear out for other opportunities for us to get involved, lend a hand, and provide resources to the community in support of this movement.
Author: Robert Rodriguez
Published on June 30, 2020