Editor, Gazette-Journal:

On behalf of the board of the Mathews YMCA, I want to first thank our many members who have stuck with us during this difficult time when our building has had to be closed. Even though you may not be able to show up at our facility to work out or take classes, you recognize the Y’s value to our community and most of you have continued as a sustaining member. Several of you have even increased your support.

Second, I commend our terrific staff who have pivoted to adapt our Y to the COVID-19 crisis. I am pleased to report that thanks to our affiliation with the YMCA of the Virginia Peninsulas and the generosity of the Mathews Community Foundation, we are able to maintain all our staff, even part-timers, at full salary and wages. Not only does this help them directly, it means they all will be available to come back to work when the time comes for the YMCA to reopen.

In the meantime, our staff is hard at work. We have partnered with the Middlesex Y to of...