Hundreds of youth were able to take advantage of this year’s YMCA Summer Camp as the program was able to quickly transition to meet pandemic safety standards with the help of partners like Covanta.
Tracy Fuller, Haverhill YMCA’s regional executive director, said programs won praise from families for in-person activities after remote learning for part of the school year. A parent of a child in the Y Summer Readers Program at Haverhill High School thanked the Y for the “normalcy” it provided.
“Safety was a major concern with us sending him to an in-person program, but the YMCA took great protocols to ensure that our children were safe at all times. Even with the mask requirements, (the student) was able to learn and have fun in the classroom.”
Besides Summer Readers, Fuller said, programs included day camps at the Haverhill YMCA, both gymnastics and Shoe City, and Y Camp Tricklin’ Falls—a traditional day camp.
“We are grateful with support from community partners such as Covanta that we were able to provide over 300 students with a safe, fun summer camp experience and memories to last a lifetime. YMCA Summer Camp provides social-emotional development as well as skill building, teamwork, problem solving skills and so much more!” Fuller said.
Covanta Market Area Manager Mark Van Weelden said he recognized the Y’s dilemma in having to make “rapid safety changes.”
“These days kids and adults need the help, support and friendship of the YMCA more than ever. It is truly remarkable how fast the YMCA made changes in light of the COVID crisis,” he said.