About Our YMCA
YMCA Focus, Mission, Values
Focus
For Youth Development, For Healthy Living, For Social Responsibility
Mission
To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.
Values
Caring, Honesty, Respect, Responsibility, Faith
Our History
The history of the YMCA of Central Texas began during the 1970s when the Round Rock United Way formed a committee to study the feasibility of a community-owned and operated youth facility.
Their efforts resulted in a United Way “Youth Contingency Fund” in 1976, which eventually became the seed money for the Y. The first Y executive director then began working from a portable building at the intersection of Liberty Avenue and Lampasas Street. From this humble beginning, Y programs in Round Rock began to flourish. That is how the history of the Y started.
During the 1980s, the portable relocated to Main Street (on property provided by the Trinity Lutheran Home), additional seed money was raised toward building a Y facility, and the Jim Mills family donated 23 acres of land in northeast Round Rock. From there, the Y’s programs grew rapidly. In 1987, the Texas Baptist Children’s Home donated building space on Mays Street in Round Rock for a child care center and aerobics. One year later, a fitness center was established down the street by leasing space in a partially vacated shopping center. By 1990, the Y leased the entire shopping center before purchasing it in 1992.
Programs continued to expand through the 1990s as building renovations, including a teen center, multipurpose room, child development center, and kids gym was completed. The Y then adopted a metropolitan structure in 1994 and also assumed management of the 50-acre Twin Lakes Park (in Cedar Park), which paved the way for park improvements and expanded day camp programming (with the start of YMCA Camp Twin Lakes operations).
From there, the Hill Country Family YMCA in Cedar Park opened in 1997 (which would eventually become the Twin Lakes Family YMCA) and programs expanded to Taylor in 1998. The YMCA of Greater Williamson County also established its first school-based after-school program in 1989 by partnering with Round Rock ISD.
Plans to build facilities to meet the ever-growing needs of Williamson County in the 21st century and beyond continue to this day. The Y is dedicated to helping children reach adulthood equipped for the future; providing families with adequate child care and recreational activities they can enjoy together; and helping communities stay together to build a safer, healthier environment. Our future depends on the strength of our children, our families, and our communities.
Although the overall Y organization was born over 150 years ago as the “Young Men’s Christian Association,” today, half of the Y members are female and half are over the age of 18. The mission of the Y is based on Christian principles shared by all faiths and practiced each day in Ys across the United States and in 130 countries around the world.
Our Commitment
The YMCA of Central Texas is committed to a diverse and inclusive environment where all are welcome and have access to Y programs and services.
Our mission driven focus includes three areas: Youth Development, Healthy Living and Social Responsibility. In order to maximize the service delivery impact in these areas, the YMCA of Central Texas Volunteer and Staff Leadership recognize and work toward growing diverse representation to appropriately mirror that of the communities we serve.
As such, the Branch Boards have the latitude to recruit community leaders that have the Time, Talent, Treasure and Cultural connections necessary to help expand the mission of the YMCA in their respective areas.
In addition, YMCA of Central Texas provides Staff with a Career Development program designed to ensure a fair and equitable approach to advancement where each and every employee has the opportunity to grow and thrive.
The Y values a diverse workforce and bases employment decisions on Association need, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, age, disability or any other legally protected status.
Facts & Figures
- The Y is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.
- The Y is a powerful association of men, women, and children committed to bringing about lasting personal and social change. With a focus on nurturing the potential of every child and teen, improving the nation’s health and well-being, and providing opportunities to give back and support neighbors, the Y enables youth, adults, families, and communities to be healthy, confident, and connected and secure.
- In the U.S., the Y is comprised of the YMCA of the USA, a national resource office, and more than 2,600 YMCAs with approximately 20,000 full-time staff and 500,000 volunteers in 10,000 communities across the country.
- The Y engages 9 million youth and 12 million adults in 10,000 communities across the U.S.
- Worldwide, the Y serves more than 45 million people in 124 countries. Ys across the U.S. play an integral role in strengthening the leadership and youth programs of the Y around the world.
- Members, staff, and volunteers of the Y include men, women, and children of all ages and from all walks of life.
- The Y offers programs, services and initiatives focused on youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility, according to the unique needs of the communities it engages.
- The Y is accessible to all people. Financial assistance is offered to individuals and families who cannot afford membership.
- The Y is guided by four core values: caring, honesty, respect, responsibility, and faith.
Our Cause Defines Us
We know that lasting personal and social change comes to fruition when we all work together. That’s why at the YMCA, strengthening our community is our cause and at the center of everything we do. We work side-by-side with our neighbors to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive. This is all regardless of age, income, or background.
Our Impact is Felt Every Day
We have a mission to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind, and body. This impact for all is felt when an individual makes a healthy choice, when a mentor inspires a child, and when a community comes together for the common good.
Our Strength is in Community
The Y is a nonprofit like no other. We have over 10,000 neighborhoods across the nation. With this type of presence, we have the reputation and partnerships to not just promise, but deliver positive change.
- The Y is community centered. For nearly 160 years, we’ve been listening and responding to our communities.
- The Y brings people together. We connect people of all ages and backgrounds to bridge the gaps in community needs.
- The Y nurtures potential. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive.
- The Y has a local presence and global reach. We mobilize local communities to effect lasting, meaningful change.
