Our Mission & History

OUR MISSION + HISTORY

OUR MISSION

MISSION
To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.

AREAS OF FOCUS
The Y is For Youth Development, Healthy Living, and Social Responsibility.

VISION
To be the premier community-based, charitable organization that embraces collaborations to build strong kids, strong families and strong communities.

VALUES
The Y is guided by four core values: caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.

OUR MISSION IN ACTION

Every day at our branches and through our programs, someone's life is positively impacted by their association with the Y.

Partly that's because we're in a helping field, providing services and support for healthy living, youth development, and social responsibility across a wide spectrum.

Partly it's due to the staff that's in place - hardworking, conscientious, caring.

And it's all derived from our mission: to provide a welcoming, all-inclusive environment where no-one is ever turned away for inability to pay; where individuals are pushed to be good sports as much as good athletes; where adults can find a nurturing environment as they maintain and build their physical health; where families can come together during events structured just for them.

OUR HISTORY

It began in 1854, with a small group of idealistic young men gathered to start the Young Men’s Christian Association of Cleveland. What began as a group devoted to the doing of good deeds and the mission of spreading the gospel, has evolved into a community service and charity based organization committed to the promotion of diverse principles through the balanced development of mind, body and spirit in the Greater Cleveland community. From strong beginnings with founding members such as Henry A. Sherwin, Serano P. Fenn to philanthropists John D. Rockefeller, L.H. Severance and S.T. Wellman, the foundation of the Y’s past has remained the blueprint of our future.

Since its founding in 1854, the YMCA of Greater Cleveland has provided quality programs and services across an increasingly wide spectrum that encompasses fitness, education, civic service and community health and well-being.

Among the nation’s oldest and most influential associations, its first building was on the north side of Public Square, a site now occupied by KeyBank.

Through the years it has played a significant role in the establishment of Cleveland’s juvenile court and probation system, city playgrounds, and the Legal Aid Society.

The Greater Cleveland YMCA was also the site of the first separate Boys’ Branch in the United States, which opened on November 12, 1901 in Ohio City.

In World War I, the Greater Cleveland YMCA partnered with the Red Cross for a fund-raising effort that eventually led to the creation of the United Way.

In 1921, the Cleveland School of Technology of the YMCA (Y-Tech) was organized. This school later became known as Fenn College and eventually Cleveland State University.

THE NATIONAL YMCA MOVEMENT
The Young Men’s Christian Association was founded in London, England, in 1844 to address the deteriorating social conditions of the time. The YMCA offered positive alternatives to street activities.

Today, there are YMCAs in more than 120 countries, serving an estimated 45 million people. The 2,686 YMCAs in America serve 10,000 U.S. communities, uniting 21 million children and adults of all ages, races, faiths, backgrounds, abilities and income levels. Our reach and impact can be seen in the millions of lives we touch every year.

Across the nation, YMCAs are committed to helping:

Children and youth deepen positive values, their commitment to service and their motivation to learn
Families build stronger bonds, spend time together and become more engaged with their communities
Individuals strengthen their spiritual, mental and physical well-being
At every stage of life, YMCAs are there to help children,families and individuals reach their full potential.

1,496 YMCA's serve communities where the median family income is below the U.S. average
Y's give financial assistance to 20 percent of kids in their child care programs
All are welcome at their neighborhood YMCA, regardless of age, race, sex, faith, background, ability or income
America’s 2,686 YMCA's are collectively the largest not-for-profit community service organization in the United States
1,525 Ys have committed to YMCA Activate America®, our bold approach to directly address the nation’s growing health crisis by engaging and supporting all health seekers and communities in their pursuit of well-being in spirit, mind and body
YMCA's work abroad, serving more than 45 million people in more than 120 countries
More than a half million volunteers across the country make it all happen.

DID YOU KNOW...

Basketball was invented at the Y
In 1891, at the International YMCA Training School, James Naismith invented the sport. The first professional basketball team also came from a Y -- the Trenton YMCA in New Jersey.

Volleyball was invented at the Y
In 1895 William Morgan created the game when we felt basketball was too strenuous for business men.

Racquetball was invented at the Y
In 1950 at the Greenwich, CT, YMCA by Joe Sobeck, a member who couldn't find other squash players of his caliber and did not care for handball.

Bodybuilding was invented at the Y
The term was first used in 1881 by Robert Roberts, a member of the staff at the Boston YMCA.

Father's Day was invented
at the Y
In 1910, Louise Smart Dodd petitioned the Spokane, Washington, Ministerial Alliance to recognize and support fathers.

The first African-American Baseball League started at the Y
In 1920, the Negro National League started in Kansas City, MO.

Learn more about the Y's impact on society here.