In 1844, when a dozen young working men founded the YMCA of London, bringing young men like themselves to God through Jesus Christ was their primary focus. They worked to bring their peers into a safe environment where they could reject the vices of the street and develop in spirit.

Much has changed in the YMCA movement since those early days. The Y no longer serves just Protestant young men. Last year it served 14.5 million men, women, boys, and girls of all ages, races, incomes, abilities and religions. As community needs have evolved, YMCAs have responded with a wide range of innovative programs and effective collaboration with other community groups.

One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is the YMCA’s commitment to putting Christian principles into practice. Now YMCAs across the country focus on the core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. These values are clearly drawn from Christian teachings and represent what most major religions consider good moral behavior.

Shared values hold families and communities together. And character development must be a responsibility shared by the whole community. If we work together to live out our values every day, and pass them on to our children, we can go a long way toward solving some of our society’s most pressing problems. Please join us in accepting this challenge to make our community and our world a better place – a place where everyone can succeed.

The rich history of our local association, which dates back to the late 1880s, has been captured in writing by local historian John Appleyard. To request a copy of this book, email Andrea Rosenbaum.