YMCA suspends summer day camps in Portland and Standish

Jul. 18—YMCA of Southern Maine has suspended day camp programming this summer at the Portland Branch and at Otter Pond in Standish as the organization strives to get its membership and finances back to pre-pandemic levels following deep staffing and program cuts.

Summer camp at the Portland Branch on High Street has been suspended because the space where youth activities usually are held is being used as a family shelter for asylum seekers and other immigrants, said Helen Breña, president and CEO.

The Otter Pond Outdoor Adventure Camp was canceled this summer because of a sudden staff leave of absence, Breña said. Both programs may resume in the future depending on available space, staffing and demand, she said.

"The shelter was a desperate need in the community, so we did step in to meet that need," Breña said. The shelter currently serves about 77 people, she said.

YMCA of Southern Maine is still offering day camps this summer at the Northern York County Branch in Biddeford and the Casco Bay Branch in Freeport. Activities for children ages 5-12 include creative games, arts and crafts and nature exploration, at a weekly cost of $31 to $305, depending on family income.

The suspension of the summer day camps in Portland and Standish follows the closing of the Pineland Branch at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester in September 2022. Breña attributed the closure to a 70% decline in branch membership, from about 2,200 before the pandemic to 650 in 2022. At the same time, Kennebec Valley YMCA closed its Manchester campus, also citing a membership decline.

Future changes in Otter Pond programming were indicated last summer, when YMCA of Southern Maine noted on its website that it would be "pivoting" in September 2023 to serve the community in a new way and "actively seeking opportunities to offer classes and services in other locations."

Breña said membership in YMCA of Southern Maine branches has rebounded to more than 4,000 families, or about 10% fewer than before the pandemic. Nationally, she said, Y memberships fell from 19.6 million in 2018 to 11 million in 2020.

"Memberships are coming back and continuing to grow," she said. "Like all YMCAs across the country, members canceled their memberships during the pandemic but have been slowly recovering since then. Since 2023, we've seen a steady increase in membership and program participation."

The organization also is regaining ground financially, she said, thanks in part to continued support from donors like L.L.Bean, which recently raised $46,000 for Y programs through its annual 4th of July 10K and 1-Mile Family Fun Run/Walk.

YMCA of Southern Maine also is resuming its largest annual fundraiser, the Peaks-to-Portland Swim For Kids, on July 20. The first since before the pandemic, the 2.4-mile Casco Bay swim is expected to raise $100,000 for Y youth and family programs.

But the nonprofit still faces financial challenges based on its latest tax filings. Its 990 form for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2022, shows its $8 million in expenses exceeded revenue by $1.1 million, and net assets tumbled to a low of $7.7 million from a high of $11.2 in 2014.

The financial outlook improved somewhat in fiscal 2023, when revenue held steady at $6.9 million, but $7.8 million in expenses left the Y just over $865,000 in the red, and net assets fell further to $6.9 million.

And while total assets increased from $13 million in fiscal 2021 to $15.4 million in fiscal 2023, total liabilities jumped from $3.9 million to $8.5 million in the same period.

Meanwhile, as memberships fell, the Y grew more dependent on donations and grants. Annual contributions and grant revenue increased from $1 million before the pandemic to $2.5 million in fiscal 2022, while program revenue dropped from $10 million to $4 million in same time frame. In fiscal 2023, program revenue ticked up to $4.3 million, while contributions and grant revenue dropped a bit to $2.3 million.

Total employee compensation also fell — from $6 million to $3.7 million, including salaries and benefits — as the total number of people employed by YMCA of Southern Maine dropped from 639 in 2018 to 199 in 2022.

Executive compensation peaked in fiscal 2021 at $482,000, including $203,000 for Breña and $126,000 for District Executive Scott Krouse. The following year they were paid $239,000 and $117,000, respectively. Krouse left the Y after 30 years in February 2023, when Breña's annual compensation was $226,000.

Breña said the Y now has 155 employees — a 75% reduction in six years — and program revenue has increased by 31% since 2022.

"The grant increases we saw are due to the hard work of our staff and an increase in work that furthers our mission to support the communities we serve," she said. "We have significantly increased our work with new American families since 2022. Support for this work came from a partnership with Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition through state funding."

Looking ahead, Breña said, the Y has hired a housing navigator to launch a new initiative with Portland public schools. The navigator will provide guidance and support to help keep housing insecure families in their homes and prevent school disruption for students.

Also this fall, the Y expects to nearly double the number of swim lessons it provides and will open a second preschool classroom at the Casco Bay Branch to serve an additional 20 children, she said.

Other YMCAs in Maine that are offering day or overnight camp programming this summer include Camp Kennebec Valley in Readfield, Camp Knickerbocker in Boothbay, Bangor Region YMCA's Camp Jordan in Ellsworth and YMCA Camp of Maine in Winthrop.

Most day and overnight camps in Maine survived and have bounced back strongly from the pandemic, said Lucy Norvell, executive director of Maine Summer Camps, whose membership includes 145 camps and about 125 related businesses and organizations.

Maine has about 170 state-licensed camps, she said, and about 20 operated in the summer of 2020, at the height of the pandemic. They succeeded by working closely with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to maintain healthy environments through quarantines, social distancing and other practices, she said.

Some residual strains of the pandemic seemed to fade this spring, when many staffing directors at Maine Summer Camps' annual job fair said they were fully staffed for this summer but seeking applicants for 2025, Norvell said.

"Many camps found it easier hiring for this summer because many were rehiring from last summer," she said.

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