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YMCA OF GREATER MONTGOMERY

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.

1868

First 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.

1906

Membership 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.

1912

William 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.

1948

4 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.

1950

Fund 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.

1996

Britton 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.

1999

OUR 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.