Community comes together to help Frederick YMCA recover from flood damage

Frederick News-Post (MD)

May 27--From rain comes a rainbow.

Or in the case of the YMCA of Frederick County, from the recent flooding that ravaged its headquarters north of downtown has come an outpouring of community support that spans the city, county and even a national company based in North Carolina.

Chris Colville, the organization's CEO, hailed the financial and in-kind donations as "amazing" and "uplifting," something sorely needed in a time of devastation and loss.

About a week and a half after the deluge devastated the North Market Street building, it was back to business as usual -- at least on the main level that houses the health and wellness center, gym and a kid's zone. But below the first floor, it was a different scene entirely. Sump pumps were scattered around while crews shoveled the bare floor. Fresh water poured into the pool, which had to be drained and cleaned of floodwater first, Colville said.

The Early Learning Center, which houses the YMCA's child care program for infants and toddlers, was even more ravaged: skeletons of the walls separating the classrooms were exposed, the drywall having been removed due to contamination from the 1 1/2 feet of sewer water that covered the area. Despite open doors and circulating fans, the stench of sewage and debris lingered.

Financially and logistically, the organization has fared much better than when it was hit by a similarly devastating flood a little less than three years ago, thanks in part to changes made as a result of that first hit: flood insurance, a more efficient water pump, a new flood plank system and repositioning mechanical equipment out of the water's wrath, said Colville.

But the intangible ramifications of facing the uphill battle to recovery seemed worse the second time. Her voice wavered and tears pooled in her eyes as she recalled the emotions that ran through her as she watched the water fall, raining down from above and surging up from below through pipes.

"Emotionally, socially, spiritually, physically, it's draining," she said.

And then there were the families who depend on the organization's child care program, parents whose jobs might not give them the flexibility to work shorter hours or take time off to watch their children since the Early Learning Center was closed. Luckily, the nearby Beth Sholom Congregation came to their aid, agreeing to house the 90 infants and toddlers in the program until the permanent space could reopen.

Marcia Newfeld, the synagogue's executive director, said they were happy to help, noting that Beth Sholom had also served as the temporary child care center after the 2015 flood. Beth Sholom opened its classrooms, chapel and social halls to the program Tuesday morning.

Just as things were looking up, another mishap rained down. The new furniture and toys ordered to replace what had to be thrown out after the flood was shipped from Kaplan Early Learning Co.'s North Carolina headquarters Tuesday, set to arrive the next day. As luck would have it, or rather, lack of luck, the UPS truck carrying the goods was involved in a crash, the various items sent spewing across the highway.

A few phone calls later, Kaplan employees were en route to Frederick with a new order, delivered to Frederick and assembled just in time for the center's reopening at Beth Sholom, Colville said.

Colville was amazed that Hal Kaplan, the company's CEO, went along for the ride, helping put together cribs and highchairs alongside his employees.

"That's a real human interest story," she said.

The Community Foundation of Frederick County also contributed, awarding the YMCA a $25,000 grant from one of its unrestricted funds to cover the flood insurance deductible.

Betsy Day, the Community Foundation's president and CEO, pointed to the various donations offered in the wake of the flood as evidence of the community's generosity.

"Our citizens are community-minded, and we're at our best when we all work together," she said. "I believe if everybody does their part, we can get the Y back to where it needs to be."

Colville hoped to have the pool reopened Saturday, with the Early Child Learning Center up and running again within a month. Looking ahead, she emphasized the need for a more holistic examination of how city and county infrastructure could be improved to protect against future flooding.

"There's no overnight fix," she said. "Right now, I'm focusing on what do I have to do to protect myself in the interim ... hoping that kind of master plan for flood prevention comes together."

Follow Nancy Lavin on Twitter: @NancyKLavin.

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