The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. Throughout the Greater Philadelphia region, we serve more than 150,000 members and 240,000 individuals a year- regardless of age, income, or background.
Our mission is all about connecting people to healthier lives - in mind, body, and spirit. While our programs and facilities are always based on the unique needs and interests of our communities, every Greater Philadelphia Y location has one thing in common: our people. The volunteers, staff, members, and donors of the Y are all united by a deep commitment to building stronger communities and being a place where all are welcome.
The Y is a non-profit.
As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the Y provides crucial programs and services to more than 250,000 people every year. With the help of generous donors, we are able to provide more than $6 million in financial assistance enabling members of our community to get healthy and provide safe, trusted care for their children.
The values that define the Y.
The Y was built on a premise of Y For All, and we will strive to remain true to that foundation every day. We are committed to serving everyone within our communities. By connecting to each other, we can create a stronger us.
Using our core values as a guide, we commit to:
- Being Honest
- To show each other Respect, by believing in the potential and value of every person, regardless of race, sexual orientation or beliefs
- By understanding, and working together for social Responsibility
- Demonstrating Caring by using our voice to start conversations, create change, and help our communities heal.
Supporting Our Communities
The Y offers a wide variety of free programs to meet the needs of the unique communities we are proud to serve. Through our Camden Y we offer youth opportunities to learn to play new sports, explore the local watershed while learning about wildlife and ecology, safe places to play, youth civic engagement programs, cooking lessons, and so much more.
Across the Greater Philadelphia Area we provide wellness programs for cancer survivors, support for new mothers, and access to job readiness and networking for women.
No Place for Hate
We partnered with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) to ensure the YMCA is available for everyone. Our branch has earned No Place for Hate accreditation through the ADL.
The accreditation comes after a year-long initiative to ensure a welcoming environment at our YMCA. The initiative was made up of events, pledges, celebrations, and daily acts of acceptance.
We welcome our neighbors of all races, genders, and abilities at the Y. We pledge to continue to ensure the Y is a safe place for all people.
Free or Low-Cost Access for Families
We believe that everyone in our community should have the opportunity to benefit from Y programs and services.
Our Financial Assistance Program is central to our mission. When someone loses a job, when medical bills become overwhelming, or when access to facilities or childcare might be financially out of reach, that is when our communities need the support of the Y the most.
Yearly, we provide millions of dollars in scholarships and financial assistance to individuals and families across the Greater Philadelphia Area.
Commitment to Youth & Child Safety
We are a KNOW. SEE. RESPOND. organization.
The Greater Philadelphia YMCA serves over 250,000 members. Half of those are under the age of 18. We are the largest provider of Child Care in Pennsylvania, and offer pre-school and school-age child care at our branches and off-site locations. A safe environment for children combined with quality programming is an important part of our focus on youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.
We place great value on providing the most child-safe environment possible and creating an atmosphere where children grow and thrive.
How the Y got its start.
The YMCA was founded in 1844 by 22-year-old George Williams to serve the young men who were flooding into industrial London looking for work. The idea found a home in the U.S. seven years later at the Old South Church in Boston.
Over the following decades, the Y spread around the world, becoming the birthplace of basketball and home to the world's first group swimming lessons. The Y sent volunteers to do relief work during and after both world wars. The Y proudly served as a safe meeting space for the organizers of the Civil Rights Movement. The last 170+ years have seen the Y's mission grow exponentially, and today the Y engages more than 10,000 communities across the U.S.
