Feel Good Friday: Glasgow community helps YMCA members stay connected after fire

GLASGOW, Ky. — For Tootie Bishop, going to the Barren County Family YMCA is part of her daily routine.

“I look at it like a job, like a punch, a time clock,” Bishop said. “I go Monday through Friday.”

Bishop said she spends about three hours a day at the YMCA, where exercise and friendships have become important parts of her life. After experiencing a severe heart attack, she said her health has improved.

“The Y has been a life saver for me,” she said.

An early-morning fire Sept. 30 damaged the YMCA’s cardio room and forced its main facility to close for cleanup and restoration. The closure interrupted routines for members such as Bishop, but other organizations stepped in to help.

First Christian Church provided space for YMCA fitness classes, while Extreme Fitness offered YMCA members access to its exercise equipment at no cost.

Tara Bailey, the YMCA’s CEO and executive director, said continuing services was a priority because members depend on the organization for different reasons.

“Everyone has a different journey, and they come there for different reasons,” Bailey said. “A lot of reasons are for mental health.”

Bailey said interruptions can set people back in their efforts to improve their physical and mental well-being.

At the church, fitness instructor Elizabeth Shoemaker said members continued turning out for classes.

“Well, look at them. Look how many showed up for the senior class,” Shoemaker said. “These are our biggest classes at the Y. We can always depend on our seniors to show up.”

For Bishop, the temporary location meant she could continue exercising alongside familiar faces.

“I’m so happy that they opened their doors and welcomed us,” she said. “It means a lot.”

The YMCA also continued providing senior meals to go, while child care remained open in a separate section of the building.

The YMCA announced partially reopened Thursday, Oct. 8, with some areas remaining closed for additional cleaning and restoration.

For Bishop, the response reflected something she has long appreciated about Glasgow.

“Our community’s known for that,” she said. “They’ve always stepped up and helped when there was a crisis.”