CDYMCA History
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Brief Statement of history

The Capital District YMCA is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of fitness and healthy lifestyles, strengthened family life, community development, the instilment of leadership qualities in our young people and strengthened international understanding based on Judeo-Christian principles.

Founded in April of 1990, the Capital District YMCA is the result of a well planned regional initiative designed to enhance the delivery of products and services to the region.

With a history far greater than the 15-year-old organization, the branches of the Capital District YMCA have provided a unique blend of community service to the youth, adult and senior sectors of their respective communities for more than 150 years.

While each individually provided services to meet the needs of their specific areas and communities, the YMCAs shared values, common objectives, and similar systems for delivering services.

The leadership of the existing Schenectady, Albany, and Troy YMCAs had envisioned something greater; ideas to improve and expand service and programs on a more comprehensive scale to the Capital District region. The YMCAs were folded into a new corporate entity in early 1990 under a single administrative organization serving five counties.

Shortly thereafter, the Southern Saratoga community petitioned the Capital District YMCA to add an additional branch, expanding services to a population within its realm.

The Guilderland Community Center also sought to expand its services to their constituents, and in June of 1995 merged with the Capital District YMCA, rounding out the fairly extensive and equally impressive service area of what has become known as the Capital District YMCA.

This merger provided the YMCA an opportunity to serve those families and individuals that were most underserved. Satellite offices opened in Albany’s Empire State Plaza and the O.D. Heck Center in Schenectady, and, in 1997, the Capital District YMCA partnering with the East Greenbush Town Library purchased land in East Greenbush for a YMCA facility, which opened in 2001.

Through this combined regional approach, the founding Board of Directors of the Capital District YMCA, comprised mostly of YMCA members who also happened to be respected and prominent business and human service leaders, realized the trend of the future was in maximized service delivery and minimized costs.

Utilizing the synergy of its combined forces, the new YMCA positioned itself to offer more services and programs to more people at less cost. Through a reciprocal membership plan, members of the Capital District YMCA have been afforded non-restricted use of all branch facilities and programs.

By combining the wisdom, experience, and success that these independent YMCAs possessed, the Capital District YMCA has emerged as the leader in the health and human service sector in upstate New York.

Revenues and members rank the Capital District YMCA in the top 17 of more than 1,000 YMCAs in America and one of the top 10 fastest growing in the nation.