Return to Spaces & Places
B’ruchim HaBa’im – Welcome
Throughout late March through May, while JCC program teams were engaging with our members and our community in Beyond a Building virtual efforts, a core group of JCC leadership remained focused on the eventual return to safe, sustainable in-person service in our core impact areas – the Spaces & Places of our JCC facilities.
Before any decisions could be made, the board of directors and leadership staff established 5 key decision making metrics to guide their work: Governmental & Expert Leadership; JCC People & Places; JCC Vision, Values & Unique Spirit; JCC Sustainability; and JCC Policies, Procedures & Protocols. In using these metrics, JCC leadership was able to effectively guide us through our response to this community health moment while continuing our commitment to empowering our families to ‘return to work’ and stabilizing our community.
In addition to the continual in-person drive-thru service of the Jewish Community Pantry during the State of Wisconsin Safer at Home orders, throughout June 2020 the JCC rolled-out plans to welcome members back to its physical Spaces & Places for the following services:
- June 1 – Self-directed fitness floor usage (WFB)
- June 1 – Scheduled open/lap swim (WFB)
- June 8 – Early childhood education (WFB & Mequon)
- June 15 – Youth Summer Programs (WFB)
- June 29 – Youth Summer Programs (Fredonia)
- July 1 – Locker room access for members (WFB)
- July 1 – In-person group exercise classes (WFB)
- July 6 – Hy & Richard Smith JCC Water Park (Mequon)
- July 13 – Basketball hoop availability (WFB)
The JCC is focused on providing physical spaces that are safe for everyone, every time they engage with our programs and services. Even as we returned to our facilities, we remained deeply committed to physical distancing, believing that the risks of COVID-19 continue to remain real and relevant – particularly for at-risk communities, many of whom we serve every day.
When we have had to make a choice – in our operations, in our programs, and in our service to our community – we always, always default to making the safest choice, even if it’s not the quickest or most convenient. One of the core pillars of our brand is flexibility – and we have needed to practice that behavior like never before. We learn, we make adjustments, and we continue to communicate. Above all, we have given ourselves permission to embrace change and look at it as a strength, not an obstacle.
Thank you for continuing this journey with us, for joining us in this commitment to community health, and for empowering us to try this new way of serving you in this new world we’re building together.
