Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ithaca & Tompkins County

The Ithaca Alternative Gift Fair is a fun way to bypass the annual stress of holiday shopping and the accumulation of stuff while honoring friends and relatives with donations to causes that fit their values. You can give a gift to the Friends of the Ithaca Youth Bureau in lieu of giving a physical gift this year to a loved one!

Artis Stevens was recently named the new President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. He was featured in Black Enterprise for his ongoing commitment to ensuring all youth have someone in their corner. https://www.blackenterprise.com/artis-stevens-named-new-pr/ --- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ithaca and Tompkins County is a program of the Ithaca Youth Bureau and an affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Volunteers provide Littles with one-to-one time and attention. What Bigs and Littles do depends on what they like, but they each benefit from learning about each other, discovering new interests and skills, and forming a true friendship together. #BiggerTogether #KeepKidsConnected

Series 1 Skate Lessons are scheduled to begin this week for all ages and some groups need a few more participants in order to happen. Want to learn but don't have ice skates? No problem! You can rent them at Cass Park for $3.50. Why not get some fresh air and have fun on the ice while learning to skate? To see class details and to sign up visit https://register.communitypass.net/reg/cat_program_list.cfm For questions, please talk to front counter staff or contact Cass Park at 607.273.1090 or casspark.org.

We are grateful to have the support of the Friends of the Ithaca Youth Bureau!

We are grateful to have been selected as one of the beneficiaries of the Moment of Movement fundraiser, hosted by Marriott Ithaca Downtown Commons and Ithaca Tompkins International Airport! Moment of Movement is a FREE live-streamed workout that will be held outside on the ITH’s tarmac. Learn more at www.ithacayouthbureau.com/news-and-updates

All Ithaca Youth Bureau programs, including Cass Rink, are closed today. We hope you have a safe, healthy, and relaxing holiday!

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America has a new CEO!

Studies show physical distancing can lead to social isolation for vulnerable youth, but a mentor can make a positive impact. Click here https://bit.ly/3bj5jF0 to learn how YOU can help BBBS #KeepKidsConnected! #BiggerTogether #BBBSMonth

The Ithaca Youth Bureau provides a broad variety of recreation and youth development programs to promote the health, happiness, and well-being of all youth and families in the greater Ithaca area. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are changes in the way school and other activities are being offered. We are working to adapt our programming delivery, style, group size, etc. to adjust to our new reality. Your responses to this survey will help ensure that we are meeting the needs of our community during these challenging times. Click here to provide your feedback via our survey: https://forms.gle/vyMsmUuHJUVfAE44A

Today is #InternationalYouthDay, which is an initiative that celebrates the qualities of young people and that recognizes the challenges that today’s youth can face. The Ithaca Youth Bureau embraces this theme every day, as our mission is to provide youth with the tools they need to build a successful life for themselves and change the world for the better. We believe that all citizens can be physically, mentally and spiritually healthy, and socially and civically engaged. We... help prepare youth to live successful lives as adults by providing a variety of recreation and youth development opportunities that will help youth develop to their full potential. We lend support to discouraged youth who are struggling to find their place in the world. We help our program participants understand that all people have a place in this world and together we can create a better tomorrow. Established in 1948, the Ithaca Youth Bureau has expanded to serve more than 7,500 youth annually through a wide array of programs. Learn more about all the IYB programs: https://www.ithacayouthbureau.org/

More fun this week! Have you registered for a summer program yet? Learn about all our great programs and reserve your youth's spot today: https://bit.ly/3i9CuNx Programming looks a little different this summer, and we will be limiting the number of children in each program to be sure they are safe and we are able to implement new required COVID-19 protocols.

New Program Alert! Week 3 Sport Spot: Tennis August 11-13 from 9:30 am - 12:30 pm at Stewart Park Tennis Courts ... This program is open to co-ed players from 6-12 years old looking to build their tennis skills and have fun while doing it! Register now on Community Pass: https://bit.ly/3i9CuNx

As Youth Bureau staff slowly return from their furloughed status, we want to share the information from our recent press release about our current status. The press release is pasted below. *** COMMUNITY SUPPORT ALLOWS IYB TO RETURN STAFF AND PROGRAMS...Continue reading

Ithaca Bike Rental and Ithaca Youth Bureau athletic fields opened this week, with safety protocols in place. Please visit the IYB website for the current listing of open and closed amenities. https://www.ithacayouthbureau.org/news-and-updates.html

Ithaca Bike Rental staff are busy cleaning and sanitizing bikes for rentals. Ithaca Bike Rental will be open for reservations beginning on Monday! Reservations can be made online by visiting www.ithacabikerental.com The first 10 reservations will get a free water bottle. Additionally, kids 14 and under can ride for free the week of July 6!

Local schools are providing summer meals for kids and teens. Most districts start next week. There is no application needed for families to pick up food to-go. Find locations and more information below!

Economic and health/safety impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have caused the City of Ithaca to make drastic decisions around our services. All Ithaca Youth Bureau programs and services were cancelled for the summer. We are hopeful that we will be able to serve the youth of Tompkins County again beginning in the fall, but we will not be able to do that without funding. The City of Ithaca 2021 Budget Survey is an opportunity for you to voice your thoughts on how the city’s 2021... budget, including funding to the Ithaca Youth Bureau, should be allocated. Please review the information below and complete the survey. Original post from the City of Ithaca Facebook page: City of Ithaca Seeks Feedback on 2021 Budget Priorities The preparation of the 2021 budget will be more challenging than ever due to the historic decrease in revenue as a result of the financial impacts of the Covid19 pandemic. We are also aware that the public has expressed an overwhelming interest in providing feedback on funding allocations to our Police Department, Youth Services and other community focused programs. The City has prepared a short document to give you some basics on the revenues, expenses, and expected budget shortfall. We have also broken down in more detail how we fund the Police Department as well as several youth and community focused programs. The Mayor spends the summer months developing the City Budget that will be presented at the October 2020 Common Council meeting. He is seeking input from the community not only on how to allocate resources, but how to plan for the significant shortfall that is anticipated due to the loss of sales tax and other revenues. Please take the time to review the Budget Basics document for some background before you complete the 2021 Budget Survey. The budget survey link is embedded at the end of the Budget Basics document found here: https://bit.ly/COI2021

As it is safe to do so, some Ithaca Youth Bureau spaces are re-opening. Please follow COVID-19 protocols and practice safe hygiene and social distancing measures (https://www.cityofithaca.org//COVID19-Outdoor-Guidance-031) Below you'll find a list of the current closures and openings. Current Openings:... The City of Ithaca Tennis and Pickleball Courts at Cass and Stewart Park are open to the public for SINGLES play ONLY City Park Green Spaces Cayuga Waterfront Trail Open Air Pavilions (not for reservation) Cass Park and Stewart Park restrooms (as staffing allows) Skate Park Ithaca Children's Garden Current Closures (until further notice): Cass Pool, all playgrounds, fitness equipment, drinking fountains, Ithaca Bike Rental, basketball courts, and athletic fields.