People Helping People – Our Commitment to Our Neighbors

At the Y, we believe that everyone deserves a YMCA experience, regardless of their financial circumstances.  For nearly 160 years, we have been committed to providing support to our neighbors and creating opportunities for them in the name of stronger community.  Despite changing times, the YMCA of Central Ohio has remained faithful to its mission of serving the whole community through programs that nurture the potential of youth, promote healthy living and foster a sense of social responsibility. 

One of the ways we further our mission is through our People Helping People initiative. At the Y, no child, family or adult is turned away.  Recognizing the increased financial challenges that many face in today’s economy, we work side-by-side with our neighbors to ensure that everyone regardless of age, income or background, has the opportunity to grow, learn and thrive.  People Helping People provides financial assistance to help individuals and families become more empowered with resources to improve their lives, be healthier, confident and connected to their communities. People Helping People exists because of the generosity of our members and the community. Contributing to People Helping People, along with volunteering time and talent is an act of social responsibility.

With a presence in more than 10,000 neighborhoods across the nation and a local presence in the Greater Columbus community, our impact is felt when an individual makes a healthy choice, when a mentor inspires a child and when a community comes together for the common good.  We believe that lasting personal and social change can only come about when we all work together. 

If you would like to join us in our cause or are interested in learning more about how you can make an impact through People Helping People, please visit: www.ymcacolumbus.org

Follow Your (Heart) to the Y!

Happy Valentine’s Day! Today is a time we set aside to express our love for those near and dear to us through gifts or acts of kindness.  Although February is often thought of as the month for romance, it has also been designated for American Heart Month. Sadly, we all know someone who has suffered from a heart attack or a stroke.  According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.   The good news is that heart disease can be prevented through changing the way we eat, increasing our physical activity and eliminating tobacco use. 

In communities throughout Central Ohio, the Y is a leading force on health and well-being.  Through our commitment to strengthening the community through healthy living, we help to ensure that children, adults and families live 

a healthy, happy and longer life.  In an effort to bring awareness to this chronic disease on 

a national level, the Y has partnered with the CDC by participating in their Million Hearts campaign. Launched in 2011 by the Department of Health and Human Services, this initiative seeks to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes over the next five years.  

As part of our commitment to increase awareness of this disease, the YMCA of Central Ohio offers many community-based healthy living and chronic disease prevention initiatives.  At the Y we believe that being healthy means more than simply being physically active.  It’s about maintaining a balanced spirit, mind and body.  One of the ways to reduce your risk of developing heart disease is through regular and daily exercise and weight loss.  Our 12 locations offer a variety of physical fitness classes and facility amenities, but beyond that we provide educational programs that empower our members to make healthier decisions.

Through our commitment to the Million Hearts initiative, the Y has pledged to increase the availability of the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program.  This initiative helps those at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes adopt and maintain a healthier lifestyle to reduce their chances of developing the disease.  Type 2 diabetes is also a major risk factor for heart disease.  In fact, people who have diabetes are twice as likely to have cardiovascular disease or a stroke.

So this Valentine’s Day, as you exchange candy, cards and flowers with your loved ones, don’t forget about the most important part of them -- their heart.   Show them you care by talking to them about ways they can protect their heart to live a healthier and longer life.  You owe it to yourself, your family and your community!

To find a Y near you or to learn about ways to strengthen your heart, visit:   www.ymcacolumbus.org.

Here for Our Community

Spring Street YMCA, circa 1920's

Each year, during the month of February we celebrate the history and accomplishments of African

Americans. The origins of this holiday date back to 1915, just half a century after the abolishment of slavery, when Harvard historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson embarked on a journey to preserve the history of African-Americans.  

In his research, Woodson found that African-American contributions,“were overlooked, ignored, and even suppressed by the writers of history textbooks and the teachers who use them.” He further concluded that this intentional exclusion from history was race prejudice and “merely the logical result of tradition, the inevitable outcome through instruction to the effect that the Negro has never contributed anything to the progress of mankind.”

Frustrated with the lack of acknowledgement of the contributions of Blacks in American history, Dr. Woodson and his peers frequently met at the Wabash Avenue YMCA during his visits to Chicago to discuss strategies of disseminating information to the masses about the accomplishments of Blacks in our country. These robust discussions led to the formation of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), an organization committed to highlighting the achievements of Black Americans and those of African descent. The group went on to sponsor and establish the first national Negro History Week in 1926. The ASNLH chose the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of our 16^th U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and Civil Rights champion Frederick Douglas. In 1976, in honor of the holiday’s 50^th year anniversary, Negro History Week was expanded to Black History Month.  Today we proudly celebrate this holiday and reflect on the many contributions African-Americans have made throughout our history.

The YMCA movement has always sought to serve as a beacon of hope to communities across America, playing an integral part in the history of the African-American struggle for progress and equality.  In 1853, just 10 years before slavery was ended in the United States, the first YMCA for African-Americans was founded in Washington D.C. by Anthony Bowen, a former slave and abolitionist. The “YMCA for Colored Men and Boys,” provided a place for African-American men and boys to participate in Bible study, moral and spiritual learning, physical education and organized sports. The Y also provided opportunities for Black adults to receive formal education and vocational training through business and management courses.

In 1910, Sears, Roebuck & Company president Julius Rosenwald issued a unique challenge to African-Americans to raise money to build their own YMCAs by matching $25,000 for every $75,000 raised. The grant resulted in 25 Black YMCAs built in 23 cities over the next two decades.  It also inspired many African-American leaders and local white philanthropists to tap into their own resources. These Y’s provided clean, safe rooms and eating facilities for Black travelers, especially servicemen during the era of segregation and extreme racial discrimination. 

Among the Y’s established during this era was our own Spring Street YMCA in 1912. The Spring Street YMCA, now referred to as the Eldon & Elsie Ward Family YMCA was originally located on Spring and 5^th Street. The Spring Street YMCA was established to facilitate the physical, mental and spiritual enhancement of African Americans in Columbus. The Eldon & Elsie Ward Family YMCA continues to be a cornerstone of the Near East Side community today.

During the Civil Rights Era, the Black YMCAs often became a focal point for meetings and rallies. In fact, some of our most profound Black leaders including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and U.S. Ambassador Andrew Young stayed at YMCA residences. In 1967, racial discrimination was officially banned in all YMCA’s.

Today the Y is a powerful and inclusive organization of men, women and children joined together by a shared commitment to nurture every child, promote healthy living and to foster a sense of social responsibility. Through history we understand that in order to create lasting personal and social change, we must all work together. We remain even more devoted to our cause of strengthening communities and to ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive.