The YMCA of Greater Boston is Boston’s premiere social service organization who over the last 160 years has made strengthening our community its cause through programs that focus on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Throughout our history, we have adapted to respond to the key social issues impacting the city’s residents –such as being on the forefront of offering high quality, affordable childcare for working families in the 1980’s, partnering with police and key community leaders to combat youth violence in the 1990’s or today working in tandem with Boston’s leading medical institutions to address heath disparities that exists in some Boston neighborhoods. As a result, today more than 100,000 youth, adults and seniors are embarking on a journey towards improving their lives and the lives of their families and their communities. Our doors are open with programs that are affordable and accessible to everyone in the communities we serve.
Over the past fifteen years – in partnership with communities, business and civic leaders - the YMCA of Greater Boston has invested more than $50 million in improving our Ys throughout the city to better the lives of its residents.
Today, we are renewing our commitment to contributing to a thriving city through the renovation and expansion of our YMCA located in West Roxbury.
A PLAN FOR THE FUTURE
About the West Roxbury YMCA
It is 9:00 a.m. on a weekday morning at the West Roxbury YMCA, and the 60-year old facility is bursting at the seams. With the small parking lot long ago filled, cars now line up along the edge of the driveway as parents loaded down with towels and swim goggles corral eager children into their swim lessons while crossings paths with seniors having coffee in the cramped lobby after just leaving their morning stretching class . At the Y’s busy welcome center a staff member tries to tame the chaos as she greets most of the Y participants by name. Today, she will assist more than 600 people during her 4 hour shift.
Virtually every space at our out-dated West Roxbury YMCA is double and even triple programmed to meet the needs of the more than 60,000 nearby households. A multi-purpose room converts from before school care to morning yoga to senior stretch to after school enrichment space during a single day.
So, why do some many turn to the YMCA when our facility is out-dated and cramped? Because the Y serves as the heart of community life in West Roxbury. Every day, we bring together individuals from diverse backgrounds for a common good to strengthen their community.
“The Y helps me to support my family” says a single mom, “I can go to work everyday and focus on my job knowing that my children are well-cared for. When I told the director that I couldn’t afford the full fee, she provided me with financial assistance to reduce the cost.”
Each year, we serve more than 4,755 children enrolled in toddler, pre and nursery school, before and after school programs, youth development and summer day camp at the West Roxbury YMCA. We prepare children to enter kindergarten ready to learn through fun, creative curriculum that supports literacy and math. The Y’s before and after school programs focus on character development and academic support while ensuring that every child is engaged in structured, fun physical activities.
Through partnerships with the local Boston Public schools in West Roxbury, we reach children who travel to West Roxbury each day for school from Dorchester, Roxbury, Mattapan and Jamaica Plain and as a result the impact of the West Roxbury YMCA is felt throughout the city.
Despite the large number of children the West Roxbury YMCA serves, we are still not able to meet the demand for high quality child care in our community. Our early education programs all maintain long waiting lists and parents line up around the block when registrations begins for the new sessions.
And, the demand for the Y programs does not just exist within the youth population. With the largest senior population in Boston, the West Roxbury Y is committed to serving an aging population that wants to remain active in their community.
“After having had two knee replacements over the last eight years, I joined the West Roxbury YMCA Seniorcise program.” said a 71 year old member. “This program has improved my stamina, energy level and lessened the pain in my joints so much so that I recently spent three hours on my feet touring the Museum of Fine Arts. The last time I visited the museum I needed a wheel chair and was barely able to walk.”
Partnerships with leading medical providers enable us to help people with arthritis, joint pain and other issues of mobility that rob people of their daily life. This commitment is made more challenging in an aging building insensitive to the needs of people with physical challenges.
The YMCA of Greater Boston plans to invest $13 million in renovating and expanding the West Roxbury YMCA creating a modern YMCA that can better respond the needs of our community. Strategic investment in the former US Post Office and former Blind Aid Building on Centre Street now creates an opportunity for the Y to have a strong physical presence on Centre Street, enabling the Y to consolidate its core services out of expensive, leased facilities, and provides needed expansion room to expand Y services to address waiting lists and the need for more Y services.
To learn more about how you can become involved in this exciting community investment contact Kathryn David, kdavids@ymcaboston.org or 617-927-8199.
