LYNN — The soon-to-open Demakes Family YMCA in Lynn has received a $25,000 grant from Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospitals to purchase computer equipment and install internet access in ongoing efforts to provide community benefits in the space.
The new Lynn YMCA, scheduled to fully open to the public on May 10, will use the grant to provide technical support and training to users in need of computer literacy skills through its newly named Bruce and Patricia Herring Technology Center.
“This generous funding will help us stay responsive to emerging needs in our community,” said Andrea Baez, senior branch executive of the Lynn YMCA. “The lack of access to computers and technology is a key challenge in our area driving more health inequities and creating barriers for people to access health, employment, benefits, and other services that have shifted online during the pandemic.”
The Herring Technology Center will feature dedicated senior-only hours and provide bilingual equipment and materials to users. Users can also reserve private rooms for telehealth sessions, therapeutic visits, or job interviews, which YMCA representatives say have become more important during the pandemic.
“People often lack a private space they need to have a telehealth visit or a job interview,” said Sandy St. Louis, YMCA Metro North vice president of marketing and communications. “Imagine you’re a 21-year-old kid living with your parents and you want to talk with your doctor privately about something. Those types of things are challenging for a lot of people in the area.”
The funding, awarded through the hospitals’ 2021 Community Benefits Grant Program, is aimed at increasing users’ ability to manage their health, reduce social isolation, and encourage the development of programs that support health equity in the region.
“As a hospital that serves many patients from Lynn and the surrounding areas, our No. 1 priority is providing vital health care services to the community,” said Phil Cormier, president of Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospitals.
Data from Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospitals’ community needs assessment and other studies by groups, such as the Essex County Community Foundation, have identified technology access as an area in need of funding assistance, with one in five Essex County households lacking basic computer access.
The Bruce and Patricia Herring Technology Center will target households in need of technological support through outreach efforts with local, community-based organizations and provide spaces for groups to conduct information sessions on topics such as health insurance enrollment, Medicare, WIC (Women, infants and children), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), college application assistance, résumé building, nutrition education, chronic disease management, and financial education.
“People have identified what is needed in the community, and we have a ton of programs to serve those needs,” said St. Louis. “Programatically, it’s going to be one of the most advanced in the country.”
The Demakes Family YMCA will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, May 7, but the new gym will not fully open to the public until the following Monday.
