OUR HISTORY
Young Men's Christian Association Bible study
Community leaders began the Montgomery YMCA as a bible study for young men to support godly living. The Y now includes everyone, but its mission remains committed to the development of character.
1868First building was built
Our first building, the Downtown YMCA on Washington Avenue, was built in 1906 as a residence serving only boys and men. Its membership was just 529 people.
1906Membership doubles
By 1912, Y membership doubled to 1,200 people. In those years, the YMCA reached out to the community with programs such as Indian Guides.
1912William Chandler is hired
William C. Chandler, who is responsible for transforming the modern-day YMCA, was hired and founded the Alabama Youth Legislature. The program has served almost 50,000 young leaders since its inception.
19484 new branches of YMCA are built
Community Leaders raised over $2.2 million to build four new YMCA branches – the East Y, the Cleveland Avenue Y, the Southeast Y and the Central Y. The program expanded to women and girls and Montgomery became the first YMCA in a city of that size to have multiple branches.
1950Fund Drive, Good Times Program, Camp Grandview
In 1996, the community raised over $4.5 million to reach even more young people. The Fund Drive renovated Camp Chandler and over 2,000 more children were able to attend. The funds built a new gymnasium for the Goodtimes Program, which offers quality, affordable childcare, to care for more children and expand to girls sports. The 1996 campaign also transformed Camp Grandview into the Grandview YMCA and Conference Center, serving over 225 families as a full-service YMCA in Millbrook.
1996Britton YMCA, Soccer Facilities
The youth program branch moved into the new Britton YMCA, which provided staff headquarters for teen programs. This branch was unique in the world of YMCA’s – dedicated 100% to 2,400 high school youth. The Montgomery YMCA also opened a state-of-the-art indoor soccer facility in 1999. The soccer program now involves 2,700 youth and hosts seven state and regional tournaments a year with over 100 teams each.
1999OUR LEGACY
Every year, over 4,000 volunteers and staff members will actively go into the community during our Annual Support Campaign to raise the dollars needed to make sure that everyone, regardless of age, gender, race, faith, ability level, income or background has the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive. Financial assistance funded by Annual Campaign donations keeps the Y available for kids and families who need us most and provides programs that are responding to pressing community needs. 100% of all donations go directly toward providing life-changing experiences that will have a meaningful, enduring impact right in our community.
Because our mission is to serve ALL people, financial assistance is made available to any individual or family who wants to participate in a YMCA program or activity, but cannot afford the fee. Annual Support Campaign helps our Y live its mission every day.