Highlights

Dear Members, Guests, Parents and Guardians,

We continue to hope that you and your loved ones are all still safe and healthy.

We wanted to provide you another update of our current situation. We had all hoped that we could reopen this week. However, that is not currently possible. We hope you had a chance to process Governor Baker’s Reopening Massachusetts Four-Phase Plan announced on Monday. Phase 1 is Start, Phase 2 is Cautious, Phase 3 is Vigilant, and Phase 4 is New Normal. There is a minimum of 3 weeks in between each phase and we cannot move to a new phase until the health data indicates it is safe to do so. If you have not seen Governor Baker’s Reopening Massachusetts Plan, you can get more information at www.mass.gov/reopening.

As far as what this means for the WCC, let me start by saying this is still a work in progress. We do not have a definite opening date yet, but at least we have more information than we did before.

The majority of the WCC cannot open until Phase 3. At this point, that looks like the end of June or early July, depending upon the health data and the sector specific protocols and guidelines still to come. It is POSSIBLE that our pools and Camp Whitin could open earlier but we are waiting for more guidance from the Department of Public Health and our local of Board of Health before a decision can be made. At this time, our Blackstone Valley Children’s Place childcare program is scheduled to reopen on June 29^thbased on current guidance from the Department of Early Education and Care.

In the meantime, a limited number of staff can work on some of our WCC “Honey Do List” items under the leadership of our Head of Maintenance, Tom Clarke, that we didn’t get to finish before we closed on March 24^th. This includes additional cleaning, painting, and landscaping projects.

The most important work we are doing right now is with our Safety Committee. This committee is working on a reopening plan that will ensure the safety of our staff, members, guests, and families by adhering to guidelines and directives from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Department of Public Health (DPH) and our local Board of Health (BOH), Department of Early Education and Care (EEC), and the Governor’s Mandatory Safety Standards for Workplaces and Sector Specific protocols and best practices. This plan addresses our activities and decisions related to communication, requirements of personal protective equipment (PPE), training for staff, screening and check in, social distancing, hygiene protocols, staffing and operations, and cleaning and disinfecting for all areas of our facility.

I will continue to update you as more information becomes available.

Please continue to stay safe, healthy, and enjoy time with your loved ones. Your WCC Family is looking forward to seeing you soon!

Stay Well,

Heather Elster, Executive Director

The WCC has been offering Zoom Classes to our valued Members during the COVID-19 epidemic in an effort to provide health & fitness options. As we continue to try and meet your fitness needs during this difficult time, we hope you will take the time to answer a few questions, that will help us improve the quality, variety, and delivery method of these online classes. It should only take a few minutes. Thank you in advance for your time and feedback!

The Whitin Community Center has put together a special series of Wellness Calendars that will go out periodically throughout our shutdown. Please enjoy our Spiritual Health & Well-Being Wellness Edition by clicking the link!

Spiritual Health & Well-Being Edition Sneak Peek

• What Is Spiritual Wellness?
• WCC Meditation YouTube Videos
• WCC Informational Crystal YouTube Video
• Meditation Techniques & Apps
• UMass Memorial Center For Mindfulness – FREE Online Course
• Local Church Information
• Mass.gov – Maintaining Emotional Health & Well-Being
• CDC – Stress & Coping
• Spiritual Practices – Disarm Fear & Uncertainty

The Whitin Community Center has put together a special series of Wellness Calendars that will go out periodically throughout our shutdown. Please enjoy our Social Wellness Edition by clicking the link!

Social Edition Sneak Peek

• Staying In Touch
• WCC Zoom Classes!
• Virtual Social Connections
• No One Walks Alone Peer Recovery Support Center (NOWA)

Dear Members, Guests, Parents and Guardians, 

We continue to hope that you are all still safe and healthy.

We wanted to provide you an update of our current situation. Given that the Whitin Community Center is considered a non-essential business, our stay at home order has been extended until May 18th. At this time the Board of Trustees and I have agreed that in addition to our previous decisions to defer membership payments and suspend childcare payments for the duration of the closure, we will refund paid programming for the 2020 Spring sessions of swim lessons, swim specialty & Red Cross classes, and men’s basketball leagues as well as any pre-paid parties and long-term rentals. We were not able to run most of these programs at all due to the timing of the closure.

While this is not our normal refund policy, these are not “normal” times. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, the lost income from membership dues, childcare payments, and now paid programming as a result of the closure, is a considerable financial loss. However, we are focusing instead on why we made this decision, as simply put, because it is the right thing to do. We are reminded that times like these speak directly to the very nature of our organization, to support the health and well-being of individuals and families and build a stronger community in the Blackstone Valley, as best we can.

We thank you for your continued support and ask that you continue to be patient as we are still working from home. We will provide refunds in the same manner as you originally paid, whether by credit card or check, by the end of the month.

We look forward to having you back for our upcoming Summer season. 

Thank you,

Heather Elster

Executive Director

• Click the Zoom button below to download the Zoom app or to access the website to join a Meeting.

• Use the Virtual Aerobic Class Schedule below to obtain your specific class Meeting ID & Password.

• Click Join A Meeting and enter in the prospective class Meeting ID and Password. Then you’re in!

The Whitin Community Center has put together a special series of Wellness Calendars that will go out periodically throughout our shutdown. Please enjoy our Kindness Wellness Edition by clicking the link!

Kindness Edition Sneak Peek

• Local Businesses Adapting To Help
• Peace Of Bread Community Kitchen
• Food Assistance
• Acts Of Kindness
• Show Us Your Heart
• Donate Blood
• WCC Spreading Joy & Sharing Your Stories!

Click the buttons to view a wide variety of resources that are available to you, including free resources during COVID-19.

The Whitin Community Center has put together a special series of Wellness Calendars that will go out periodically throughout our shutdown. Please enjoy our Kids Wellness Edition by clicking the link!

Kids Edition Sneak Peek

• WCC YouTube KidFit Activities
• Resources From Beginning Bridges CFCE
• Girls On The Run
• Keeping Kids On A Schedule
• Virtual Museums & Science Learning

The Whitin Community Center has put together a special series of Wellness Calendars that will go out periodically throughout our shutdown. Please enjoy our Nutritional Support Wellness Edition by clicking the link!

Nutritional Support Edition Sneak Peek

• Simple Healthy Recipes & Tips
• Let’s Boost Our Immune Systems
• Wellness Elixir
• Sports Nutrition
• Healthy Children
• Support Our Local Restaurants & Farms

The Whitin Community Center has put together a special series of Wellness Calendars that will go out periodically throughout our shutdown. Please enjoy our Physical Support Wellness Edition by clicking the link!

Physical Support Edition Sneak Peek

• CDC Tips – Physical Activity For A Healthy Weight
• Tips From The WCC Trainers
• WCC YoutTube Fitness Workouts
• Silver Sneakers – Engaging Members Digitally
• Can’t Swim? Here’s 3 Things You Can Do On Dry Land!

The Whitin Community Center has put together a special series of Wellness Calendars that will go out periodically throughout our shutdown. Please enjoy our Emotional Support Wellness Edition by clicking the link!

Emotional Support Edition Sneak Peek

• CDC Tips For Managing Stress & Anxiety
• Virtual Museum Tours
• Virtual Aquarium Activities & Zoo Tours
• Natural Stress Relief Tips
• No One Walks Alone Peer Recovery Support Center (NOWA)

Bottle & Can Drive For Youth Outreach

May 25th-September 7th

Partnering with HMEA’s Redemption Center

**Your donation will be matched!**

Please drop off your bottles & cans to the WCC or RYC

***POSTPONED*** New Date TBD

Give The Gift Of Life

Blood Drive In Honor of David & Debra Moore

Looking for the perfect gift?

Not sure what they want?

Give a WCC Gift Card!

They can be used toward any program! 

See a Member Services Representative for more information! Or call 508.234.8184 ext 100

NEWBURYPORT — More than $1.34 million in Workforce Training Fund Program (WTFP) grants that will fund training for 1,141 workers and are expected to create 223 new jobs over the next two years were announced today by the Baker-Polito Administration.

The 12 awarded grants involving 20 companies will fund customized training that promotes job growth, retention, and increased opportunity for workers by enhancing businesses’ productivity and their ability to grow their business in Massachusetts.

The Administration announced this round of $1,342,532 in WTFP General Program Training Grants at MacDiarmid Machine in Newburyport. The company provides precision CNC (Computer Numeric Control) state-of-the-art machining and has grown over the last three decades into a 6,000 square foot facility with a wide variety of equipment. Its workers are undergoing WTFP funded training focused on updating quality management systems, so that the company can upgrade its certifications and prepare for growth opportunities in the aerospace and medical devices sectors.

Approximately $6 million is currently available for additional Workforce Training Fund grants. Businesses are encouraged to visit WorkforceTrainingFund.org to learn more about how to use these grants to address workforce training needs.

“These investments keep our businesses at the forefront of new and emerging industries, create jobs and opportunity across Massachusetts, and allow our small businesses to remain competitive in a dynamic global market,” said Governor Charlie Baker.

“This program makes strategic, demand-driven investments based on the skills that businesses say they need in their employees to thrive,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito.

The Workforce Training Fund is a program of the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and is administered by Commonwealth Corporation, a quasi-public state agency that fosters partnerships between industry, education, and workforce organizations.

“Businesses that completed WTFP grants in 2018 had a job growth rate three times that of the state and national rates,” said Commonwealth Corporation President and CEO Dr. J.D. LaRock. “These grants are a proven way to empower workers with new skills to advance their careers, while fueling the expansion of small businesses in Massachusetts.”

Since the beginning of the Baker-Polito Administration, the Workforce Training Fund has awarded 673 grants totaling over $58 million to train more than 50,000 workers from over 800 different Massachusetts businesses. This is expected to result in over 6,200 new jobs.

The Workforce Training Fund provides grants ranging from $10,000 to $250,000 to companies in Massachusetts to pay for employee training over a two-year period. Grant recipients contribute a matching investment of at least one dollar for each grant-dollar awarded, with wages paid to trainees during training hours included in that investment.

In addition to the General Program grants, the WTFP also offers an Express Grant program that subsidizes up to 50% of the cost for pre-qualified courses chosen from a database, and a Small Business Direct Access Program that subsidizes 100% of the cost for pre-qualified courses in highest demand.

In March, the Baker-Polito Administration announced $7.48 million in WTFP grants that will fund training for almost 6,000 workers and is expected to create more than 1,100 new jobs over the next two years.

The following is a complete list of the grant recipients awarded Workforce Training Fund Grants today (listed by community):

Whitinsville:

Whitin Community Center was awarded $74,800 to train 122 workers; 8 additional jobs are expected by 2021.

Refer a friend & earn rewards!

It has been our experience that satisfied parents are our best advertisers. Our way of recognizing your efforts on behalf of BVCP, will be $150 for every referral you make to us! Please refer to your Parent Handbook for more information. Or contact BVCP Director, Ginny Alicea at 508.234.8184 ext 105 or Ginny.Alicea@OurGym.org for more information.