History
The original YMCA Mens Christian Association
started modestly enough - in London in 1844 - as a small group of men concerned
with serving fellow young men who, like themselves, were new to the city.
Twenty-two year old George Williams and eleven friends were compelled to help
yound men find what they felt: God's Grace.
Years later, Boston sea captain and missionary, Thomas Vallentine Sullivan also
worried about the temptations facing young men in cities. Inspired by the
work of the first YMCA, he led the formation of the first U.S. YMCA in Boston,
on December 29, 1851.
Although the YMCA was born well over 150 years ago as the "Young Men's Christian
Association", now half of the YMCA members are female and half are over the age
of 18. The YMCA has never lost the mission of Christian principles shared
by all faiths and practiced each day.
More than 2,400 neighborhood YMCA's today serve more than 17.5 million members
in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rice. YMCA's are the
largest not-for-profit organization in the nation and benefit from the
leadership of more than 600,000 volunteers.
The YMCA has been at the forefront of developing new programs for over 150
years. Programs started at the Y include basketball, volleyball, bowling,
bodybuilding, Boy Scouts and even Father's Day.
History of Great Miami Valley
YMCA
The Great Miami Valley YMCA Association
includes 6 branches, 1 camp, 4 full time childrens centers, and numerous before
and after school child care centers - and still growing!
Here is a a little about our GMV YMCA Association:
The first
YMCA in Hamilton
was located on the corner of Third & Dayton Streets in a shared facility, and
opened its doors in 1889. In 1913, the same year as the great
flood, the foundation was dug for the Hamilton Central YMCA on
North Second Street.
100 men raised a then unprecedented, $100,000 to construct the Hamilton Central
YMCA.
YMCA Camp Campbell Gard was established in 1926.
Located just north of Hamilton along the Great Miami River on land
donated to the YMCA by the Gard Family,
Campbell Gard
YMCA Outdoor
Center has developed over the years from a
boys’ camp with construction of summer cabins to a year-round facility that
serves more than 30,000 youth and families each year. The Camp’s 600 acres offers campers
and others everything from a swimming pool to miles of trails, from horseback
riding to teen leadership and adventure programs.
The Camp is also open to the external corporate community for team
building and leadership building activities on the challenge course and group
dynamics programming at the Hughes Center. In 1968, two family branches were
established, one on the west side of Hamilton
and one in Fairfield.
In 1997,
the Hamilton –Fairfield YMCA, reflecting its broader community mandate,
officially changed its name to the Great Miami Valley YMCA. In 1999, more than one hundred
donors collectively contributed nearly $8 million dollars to build the East
Butler County YMCA in Fairfield Township, as well as renovating and expanding
the Fitton Family Branch, the Fairfield Family Branch, and the Hamilton Central
Branch, enhancing childcare offerings, creating new state of the art fitness
centers, warm water therapy pools, and the establishment of Teen Centers, a safe
recreational place designed specifically for youth and teens with educational
and social programming.
In 2003,
the Hamilton West YMCA, officially changed its name to the Don W. & Nannie V.
Fitton YMCA, in recognition of a major gift by the Fitton Family and in of
appreciation of five generations of Fitton Family involvement and dedicated
leadership to the cause of the YMCA. In June of 2004, the Great Miami
Valley once again made news with the
announcement of a merger with the Middletown Area YMCA. In August of 2008, the GMV YMCA
dedicated it’s seventh branch, the Atrium Family YMCA, as the direct result of a
collaboration with the Atrium
Medical Center,
located on the medical center campus.
The Great Miami Valley YMCA Association currently
more than 33,000 people, an increase of 173% in the past ten years alone. Currently the GMV YMCA provides
services to Butler County, as well as parts of Preble and Warren counties
through seven branches including one Camp, four full day child care centers, and
before and after school programming to 23 different schools in five different
school districts, and multiple dynamic community collaborations, offering
programs that promote a healthy spirit, mind and body for all and build a sense
of community.
Although
the YMCA has undergone an amazing metamorphosis, what has remained an enduring
and integral piece of every YMCA program, is the emphasis on building and
enhancing in youth the Character Development Values of Faith, Caring, Honesty,
Respect and Responsibility. It has
always been the policy of the YMCA not to deny services because of an inability
to pay.
Throughout
this amazing metamorphosis, what has endured is an integral piece of every YMCA
program: our commitment to building strong kids, strong families, and a strong
community. The YMCA has been a
viable, growing, mission-focused, non-profit organization for 150 years. In a world where so much comes and
goes so quickly, the YMCA has lasted.
It is community–based, professionally managed, volunteer-driven, and able
to meet the changing conditions of the future.
2011 Financials
IRS FORM 990
501c3