For Strength. For Community. For Change.
The YMCA remains committed to the ideals with which it was founded, love for neighbor, a welcome and safe haven for all, and a place where each person can experience growth and acceptance. As an inclusive, welcoming organization we will continue to champion those who need us most.
We have worked collaboratively with organizations and groups within our community to build connections and support them as we all join together to strengthen the fabric and foundation of our city, county and region. We are proud of that work but know that it is not nearly enough. We can do more. Organizationally we commit to actions which affirm and champion every person of color, race, gender, age, background, or ability. Join us as the YMCA will continue to be the organization with open, welcoming doors, compassionate and able staff inside, and the commitment to do great things together. We have put the shoes on our feet but it is a long road ahead, but together, we are confident that as we walk, we can do great things.
We invite you to join us in this journey as we work to strengthen commUNITY, by choosing kindness over hate. By speaking up and speaking out when injustice is present. What unites us will be stronger than what divides us. As part of our Y, our community needs you to stand together and support each other. We Must Do Better.
The Y is committed to learning more about how we can embolden our efforts to reduce health disparities in our marginalized communities.
The Y is committed to putting into practice what we learn and promoting a community of caring, racially conscious people.
The Y is committed to strengthening our partnerships with organizations and schools to unify our community for social justice for people of color.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Code of Conduct
What we say and how we behave matters. We must take responsibility for how our words and actions may affect others.
We ask you to:
All YMCA staff, volunteers, members, and program participants are expected to apply the DEI Code of Conduct uniformly in recognition of the impact words and actions have on others.
Our YMCA is stronger when we embrace the diversity of our community, both in and outside the Y. We are more effective when we offer valuable, inclusive experiences that provide equitable opportunities for people to serve, lead, and participate with us. As an organization committed to our mission of service for all, we become a stronger, more dynamic association when we prioritize DEI. With your support and participation, we are doing just that.
For Strength. For Community. For Change.
This is a call to action for our staff. To that end we have a dedicated DEI Committee of staff across our branches that work together to identify priorities that strengthen our community and advance our work to make the YMCA of the Inland Northwest an inclusive organization for all.
While the DEI Committee identified many priorities, it was important to choose 3-4 goals each year to ensure objectives are met. Here are this year’s goals:
Translation Services are a Priority
Overcoming language barriers can be challenging but with patience, effort, and the right strategies, it’s possible to effectively communicate across languages. Our Staff Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee identified translation services as a top priority in our work. To date, we have translated child care flyers, program flyers, our New Member Welcome Brochure and Youth Guidelines flyer into the following languages (identified as needed by our community): Arabic, Spanish, Russian and Ukrainian.
Here are some additional resources available to you:
Did you know our website is set up to translate the content into 17 different languages?
Check out the images below to get started or click here for instructions on how to select languages.
