A Journey Home-Schuylkill YMCA

To understand the full extent of the journey of the Schuylkill YMCA, you have to go back to 1886 when the Y first came to Pottsville. Back then it was a wall-less Y until it found a home on Second Street, where it remained until 1970. Even in its earliest stages, the Y was always a safe, friendly place to meet friends, play basketball, or go to a dance-a place that didn't ask what side of the tracks you were from because you were always welcome.

The journey was sidetracked in 1970 when the Y was forced to close its doors. It wasn't until 1997 that the journey to bring the Y back to Schuylkill County began again. While still considered a wall-less Y, thousands of youth have been served, thousands of dollars in financial aid have been distributed, and hundreds of families have found a safe haven to play, learn, and grow. The Y's impact can already be seen in the number of youth who were served by the Y who come back as young adults to volunteer as coaches and mentors. Or by the numbers of families who repeatedly take out memberships in the Y because they want their children to be a part of such a healthy, stable environment.

While the accomplishments throughout the county have been numerous, the Y's journey will not be complete unless it can once again find a home in the county. Through the tireless efforts of the board and staff, the Y will once again call Pottsville home when it opens its doors at the former Pottsville Armory on Centre Street later this year.

That is no small task since funding is scarce, but the drive and determination of everyone involved with the Y led them to the Armory and to Sen. Jim Rhoades who acquired the funding to make it all happen. So with renewed spirit, the Schuylkill YMCA has a new focus-a focus that will guide them in their journey to bring the values, leadership, and respect of a YMCA back to Schuylkill County. Boys and girls will once again learn sportsmanship and fair play, along with rules and regulations of game play. And adults are already exercising and competing in the newly-refurbished gymnasium. Programs like childcare, an adult fitness center, and summer camp are already in the planning stages, aiming to meet everyone's needs.

While a full-service program center in the heart of the county is more than enough to meet the YMCA mission, the Schuylkill Y's journey doesn't stop there. As a full-county YMCA, the Y realizes that it has a commitment to provide quality services to the entire county. Over the last year, the Y has met with governing bodies throughout the county to examine each of their needs. The Y heard the call, and is now activating several alliances. In Schuylkill Haven, the Y is working with the Revitalization Committee and Evans Delivery to bring an Arts & Humanities center to downtown Haven. In Tremont, the Y is running several programs in the borough building, such as day camp and fitness.

The northern tier of the county is also receiving the Y's attention. The borough of Frackville is collaborating with the Y for services in its new community center, and in Shenandoah, the Y is joining with Mrs. T's and the Twardzik family to bring individualized, multi-function services to the former Shenandoah Heights High School.

In addition, the Y is also engaging the help of several service organizations like the Chamber of Commerce and Kiwanis Club to prepare the local facilities to become full-service YMCA's.

So while being an active community partner and operating a multi-facility YMCA has been a dream of agency executives for over 30 years, these dreams will become reality within the next year, making the Schuylkill YMCA the perfect candidate for Non-Profit Organization of the Year.

The Y is making things happen. And while they've come so far in the past year, the journey has just begun. It will be a journey to bring back an organization whose principles and values have remained the same for over 100 years, and they are values shared by so many companies and residents of Schuylkill County. The Y is committed to Schuylkill County, so remember…Keep Your Eye on the Y!

November 06, 2008

LOWES FUNDS SCHUYLKILL Y YOUTH FITNESS CENTER

Youth in Schuylkill County are about to get physically fit thanks to Lowe's and the Schuylkill YMCA.

With the presentation of a $25,000 grant from the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation, the Schuylkill Y will be adding a state-of-the-art fitness center dedicated just to kids ages 14 and up.

Dubbed the Virtual Edge, the new youth fitness center sits on the balcony overlooking the gymnasium of the new Schuylkill YMCA located in the former Pottsville Armory on north Centre Street. The space will feature video fitness equipment, sports games, and more, all designed to encourage healthy lifestyles and physical fitness in local youth.

Eric Seitzinger, board president of the Schuylkill YMCA, said the partnership with Lowe's will bring a new focus to the newly-renovated Y in Pottsville.

"Partnering with the Lowe's Foundation has enabled us to add youth fitness to our Teen Center on the second floor of our new facility which already features computers, a video game system, table games, and more," Seitzinger said. "The youth of our communities have always been a priority to the Y, and this partnership will give us the chance to keep them healthy in spirit, mind, and body."

Larry D. Stone, chairman of the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation, said Lowes has always been committed to its neighbors, so partnering with the Schuylkill YMCA in this major endeavor emphasizes that commitment.

"Lowe's is committed to recognizing and supporting efforts that enrich the lives of our neighbors and customers," Stone said. "By supporting the Schuylkill YMCA, we are contributing to a cause that's important to our customers and employees, but we are helping build a stronger foundation for the children who will be tomorrow's employees, homeowners and community leaders."

The Virtual Edge will be a state-of-the-art video fitness center that is new to this area. Youth will have the opportunity to work out while mimicking video arcade games, like dirt biking, skateboarding, dancing, boxing, and more. The system features big screen televisions, flashing lights, and actual equipment that simulate arcade games, while targeting muscle groups vital to healthy growth and overall fitness of young adults.

Seitzinger said the Schuylkill Y had always planned to incorporate a Teen Center in the new facility, but the Lowes contribution will enable them to expand the plans to include a total teen experience on the entire second floor.

"We started with the Teen Center itself when the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class took on the space as their class project," Seitzinger said. "Then the space grew to include a recording studio that we're designing with the help of T-102, and now the addition of the Lowes support will bring the concept to a total, comprehensive youth experience."

The Schuylkill YMCA took over the former Pottsville Armory last year when the National Guard relocated. With the help of a $600,000 grant from the Department of Community and Economic Development procured by Sen. Jim Rhoades and supported by Reps. Tim Seip and Neal Goodman, the Y is in the process of a total renovation of the structure that will ultimately include a gymnasium, state-of-the-art adult fitness center, an aerobics and yoga studio, and more.

Lowe's is a proud supporter of Habitat for Humanity International, American Red Cross, United Way of America, and the Home Safety Council, in addition to numerous non-profit organizations and programs that help communities across the country. In 2007, Lowe's and the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation together contributed more than $27.5 million to support community and education projects in the United States and Canada. Lowe's also encourages volunteerism through the Lowe's Heroes program, a company-wide employee volunteer initiative. Lowe's is a FORTUNE® 50 company with fiscal year 2007 sales of $48.3 billion and has more than 1,600 stores in the United States and Canada. For more information, visit Lowes.com/community.

For more information on the Schuylkill YMCA, call 622-7850. The Y is a member of the Schuylkill United Way.