Lorraine Motola enjoys taking walks through Fort Wadsworth Park to clear her mind, exercise, and take in the views.

In January, she hurt her knee after a fall. She’s scheduled for a knee replacement and plans to use the gym at the Broadway YMCA for rehab. For now, that’s not an option.

"The quarantine ended, and as things progressed, people were waiting for the YMCA to anxiously open its doors and welcome us back in, but that didn't happen," Motola said.

What You Need To Know

  • The West Brighton YMCA has offered limited services since gyms began reopening

  • Councilwoman Debi Rose hopes that limited resources can be restored by the fall

  • Members were left thinking their YMCA would close

Since gyms started to reopen, the Broadway YMCA in West Brighton has only offered limited services including the early childhood center and off-site afterschool programs. But at the Y’s Eltingville location on the South Shore, the gym is open.

Motola and other members started to believe their Y was closing.

"I was almost picturing like there was a behind-the-scenes deal going on and so one night, we're gonna see bulldozers coming through, and it was getting very, very discouraging," Motola said.

A change.org petition was started to reopen the Y. The Broadway YMCA sent an email to its members saying it is not for sale and stated, "in a typical year, the Broadway Y does not raise enough money from membership or programs to cover expenses. We rely on other branches to subsidize our operations. Due to the pandemic, we can no longer rely on this model. Instead, we need to raise enough money to stand on our own."

"The Y is an institution in not only West Brighton, but in the North Shore, that provided the type of recreational facilities that nurtured our physical and emotional health," said Councilwoman Debi Rose.

Rose represents the 49th district on Staten Island. She says the YMCA is in talks with the City Council about funding.

"If things work out in terms of support from various elected officials and things, we could see maybe services restored at a very limited level by the fall," Rose said.

Motola says that during these tough times, the y and its services are needed now more than ever.`

For now, members of the Broadway location are able to come to the South Shore Y. Members say that option is not feasible because of the commute.