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Our Mission: To be a community cornerstone that puts Christian principles into practice through programs that build a healthy spirit, body and mind for all.
The Summerville Family YMCA is a cornerstone of our community. We bring people together, compelling others to action. Our members, volunteers and staff work in an ongoing partnership to build a healthier, stronger community for children and adults of all ages.
Through our philanthropic, early childhood education, wellness and youth development programs, we build community and work to assure that Y programs and services are available to everyone regardless of their economic circumstances.
We operate with three core priorities:
- Youth Development, providing care and education for infants and preschoolers; and development for school-age children and teens through sports, athletics and leadership programs.
- Healthy Living, providing classes and programs to promote health and overall wellbeing.
- Social Responsibility, engaging the community in activities such as child protection education and philanthropic fundraising to assure broad access to Y programs and services.
Our History
In 1966, 150 women in the Summerville community founded the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) to establish adult programs promoting Christian values. An enthusiastic response from the community prompted the organization to expand its program offerings.
As the Y’s profile in the community grew, so did its scope of vision. In 1973, Jean Gantt and the Y (renamed the YWCO) organized the Y’s first annual Summerville Family YMCA Flowertown Festival. In undertaking this significant town event, the Y had grown beyond offering adults-only programs to include the entire Summerville community.
The YWCO voted to become a YMCA in 1976. Three years later, an outdoor pool and sports fields were opened at Oakbrook.
As the community wishes changed and residents requested not only improvements in the quality and scope of youth programs, but also increased program offerings for adults, the YMCA Board of Directors took on the task of building a wellness facility in the Downtown area of Summerville. Property for the Downtown Facility was acquired through the efforts of the Salisbury Family and Coca-Cola, who sold the historic bottling plant to the Y. Our John Tupper Gymnastics Center was opened in 1997 and the Downtown Summerville Facility opened in May 2002.
In January 2009, the Summerville Family YMCA opened its third facility, the YMCA at The Ponds. This facility was made possible, in large part, because of a $1 million land donation and a $3 million construction cost gift presented to the Y from Greenwood Communities and Resorts.
The Summerville Family YMCA is here for good to serve our community. Together, we are moving forward. There is more to come.
Our Leadership Team
Administration
- Joe Debney, Chief Executive Officer
- Catherine Black, Chief Financial Officer
- Kimberly Howell, VP of Community Relations
- Bianca McCoy, Director of Human Resources
Downtown
- Melissa Hope, Downtown Executive Director
- Kyle Giffen, Wellness Director
- Hannah Silvia, Director of Community Health
- Jordan Devlin, Gymnastics Director
The Ponds
- Jill Lewellyn, Ponds & Oakbrook Executive Director
- Tyler Reed, Wellness Director
- Drew Heschmeyer, Sports & Program Director
Oakbrook
- Jill Lewellyn, Ponds & Oakbrook Executive Director
- Andrea Dorman, Family Programs Director
- Barbara Gonzalez, Programs Assistant & Adult Sports Coordinator
- Stephanie Adams, Oakbrook Sports Director
2021 Board of Directors
Chairman and CVO- Nick Nydegger
Vice Chairman- Penny Merriman
Treasurer, President Elect- Charles Hudgens
Secretary- Amanda Metzger
- Ryan McElheny
- Tim Kennedy
- Greg Jones
- Steve Smith
- Chris Ackerman
- Lisa Tupper
- Corey Greene
- Sherry Ensley
- Katie McCravy
- Marianne Weinsten
- Nelson Akwari
Our Focus
The Summerville Family YMCA is and will be always be here for good. We are dedicated to building healthy, confident and connected children, adults and families. Every day our impact is felt when an individual makes a healthy lifestyle choice, when a mentor inspires a child and when our community comes together for the common good.
Non-Profit
As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the Y provides crucial programs and services to more than 230,000 people every year. With the help of generous donors, we are able to provide more than 250 homeless youth safe, stable housing, 115,000 healthy meals to school-age youth, and more than $9.5 million in financial assistance to more than 27,000 people to ensure everyone has a chance to succeed and belong at the Y.
Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
The Y is made up of people of all ages and from every walk of life working side by side to strengthen communities. Together we work to ensure that everyone, regardless of ability, age, cultural background, ethnicity, faith, gender, gender identity, ideology, income, national origin, race or sexual orientation has the opportunity to reach their full potential with dignity. Our core values are caring, honesty, respect and responsibility—they guide everything we do.