The holiday spirit is among us as Redwoods, and we’d like to wish you, your staff and your families and very happy holiday season! In light of the holiday we’re making meaningful contributions to support our customers and their communities. The Redwoods Group Foundation is donating to: Association of YMCA Professionals (AYP) Emergency Assistance Fund. This donation...
In the midst of the challenges society faces in protecting our children, it is important that we salute the diligent efforts of the Y and Darkness to Light. Following a severe case of abuse in Massachusetts, Y leaders committed themselves to end child sexual abuse in America. This was the start of their initiative,...
Slips, trip and falls are one of the most frequent injuries among our customers. The severity of these injuries varies from a sprained ankle to a fractured hip, or worse. At first glance, falls may seem uncontrollable – and to some extent they are. We cannot expect to prevent every fall; however, you can...
On December 9th, the NY Times published an article by Ginia Bellafonte titled, “At Elite Prep School, Abuse Case Won’t Go Away”. Bellafonte completely understands the issues surrounding abuse in institutions. The article is a great read, but this quote stood out, “In truth, all children are vulnerable in institutions that prize status and reputation above...
Last week, several hundred camp professionals from across the nation attended the Christian Camp & Conference Association’s National Conference in Asheville, NC. The focus of the conference was to “Engage – with God, the speakers and each other.” The Redwoods Group CEO, Kevin Trapani, led a workshop during the conference on scaling social impact,...
Often this time of year, pools are drained, cleaned, repaired and refilled. What seems like a pretty straightforward task, though, can end in disaster if the proper protocols aren’t followed. Water damage can cause a suspension of programs or even facility closure, and damages can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. The keys to safe...
For Kim Grooms, the Executive Branch Director of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA, prevention is the answer to ending child sexual abuse. The Y adopted a training model created by Darkness to Light (D2L) and a goal to train 5% of the Chapel Hill/Carrboro community in sexual abuse prevention. This is a large undertaking and...
Previously, I wrote an article on the importance of listening to social media channels to hear what your audience is saying about your organization. Listening is a key first step, and I outlined some tactics to get started. It’s also important to find and use the right tools to help you listen more effectively....
This post is the first in a series about our new initiative, Mission First: Employee Safety. The purpose of this initiative is to re-frame the conversation about workplace safety to one about the important role of staff in pursuit of your mission and ultimately, reduce injuries by providing the resources and guidance to create...
Winterizing your facilities is an important annual ritual, and for some it’s already underway! Whether you’re just beginning your preparations or you’re already dealing with snow it’s important to make sure your facilities are prepared for dangerous winter conditions. Icy paths can cause your members and staff to slip and frozen pipes can force parts...