There are not enough words to explain the gratitude the Lynn YMCA has for transforming our playground AND giving our youth and staff the opportunity to experience art as it took place. The Beyond Walls programming with artists was amazing day for everyone, and exactly what everyone needed with remote learning an COVID fatigue hitting both kids and staff. Beyond Walls went OVER and BEYOND. The coloring books they created for our youth that corresponded with the new artwork on our wall, the swag, the lift, the FUN! Lynn is so lucky to have Beyond Walls, and the Y is lucky beyond measure to have you as partners.
Outside of their work bringing art to our YMCA via their Truth Be Told project, Beyond Walls provided the YMCA staff and youth high quality masks as part of their #LynnLoves program that were stitched by seamstresses in Lynn and featured Beyond Walls murals. I wear my mask proudly on the regular and was excited to see Beyond Walls could move so quickly to provide masks while supporting local seamstresses in their creation.
The YMCA was also fortunate to receive a WaSH Station from Beyond Walls. This remote handwashing station served a real need that the YMCA had shared as a member of the City of Lynn’s COVID-19 Vulnerable Population Taskforce. As The YMCA was serving our youth and families as well as housing residents and facilitating additional housing for the Lynn Shelter Association (who needed our assistance given COVID-19 spacing requirements for housing the homeless), a temporary outdoor hand washing station was critically needed for the safety of our community and staff. Beyond Walls stepped up and when they could not source a hand washing station for purchase or rental, they fabricated one and provided the station free of cost to The Lynn YMCA. It was simply amazing coupled with working safely with Lynn Vocational Technical Institute students to fabricate these makes this a truly fantastic response to our community’s needs. You are true champions of our community, and your continued dedication to the betterment of Lynn astonishes me each day. The YMCA and City of Lynn as a whole are so lucky to have you on our team.
