Quote Originally Posted by indysteel View Post
While I imagine each Y approaches it differently, I'd suggest at least asking your membership director if you have a compelling reason to put your membership on hold. I know that when the economy started to tank, we were doing our best to work with members so that they didn't have to cancel their membership altogether. The YMCA is not a for-profit gym. While they do need to generate revenue, there is a charitable mission as well, largely supported by donations, to help make the Y's programs and facilities open to all.
"I wanna ride my bike more" doesn't strike me as a compelling reason, especially when I know how many families have a genuine financial issue these days. This also factors into my emotional tension over looking at the less-expensive gym near work. Although I'd love to save that money each month, I'm torn about considering that as part of my decision when my Y chapter does so many good things in our community and there are those truly in need.