For 175 Years, the YMCA Has Put Community First. Here’s What That Looks Like Today at the YMCA of Greater Brandywine

A lot of organizations can point to a successful year.

Some can point to a successful decade.

Few organizations can say they’ve remained essential to their communities for 175 years.

The YMCA can.

For 175 years, YMCAs across the country have helped communities grow stronger by investing in people first. And nowhere is that legacy more evident than in Pennsylvania, home to more YMCAs than any other state.

Here in southeastern Pennsylvania, the YMCA of Greater Brandywine (YGBW) has a rich history that began nearly 133 years ago with the founding of the Coatesville YMCA. Today, YGBW serves more than 110,000 people each year across the western Philadelphia suburbs through nine YMCA branches, 16 embedded program sites and a mobile wellness unit.

Annually, more than 2,000 employees discover their purpose at YGBW – named a Top Workplace for three consecutive years and counting – by serving the community as lifeguards, early childhood educators, teen mentors, nationally-certified medical fitness professionals, and more.

But this isn’t simply a story about longevity.

It’s about continually evolving to meet the changing needs of our communities. YGBW is helping shape the future of the YMCA movement by investing in innovative programs, expanding access and responding to the issues that matter most to the people we serve.

For generations, people have come to the Y for different reasons. To learn to swim. To find childcare. To join a sports league. To recover after a health scare. To make friends in a new place. To give their kids opportunities they might not have had themselves.

The specifics change over time. But the need behind them doesn’t.

People need places to belong. Families need support. Children need opportunities. Older adults need connection. Employers need healthy, engaged workforces. Communities need trusted institutions that bring people together.

A Legacy of Innovation

Long before basketball became one of the world’s most popular sports, it began as a simple solution to a community need: students needed a way to stay active indoors during a New England winter. The same spirit of community led to other innovations that feel woven into American life, from Father’s Day to English as a Second Language classes.

But they didn’t begin as institutions. They began because someone recognized a need in their community and chose to do something about it. They began at the YMCA.

Building the Next Generation of Community Locally

While the challenges facing communities may look different than they did a century ago, the principles behind strong communities remain remarkably consistent.

“For 175 years, the YMCA has helped define what community means in America. We don’t just respond to needs; we anticipate them. And when it comes to community-first innovation, there is no place like the YMCA of Greater Brandywine,” shares Bertram L. Lawson II, President and CEO.

Lawson started his career at the Greater Philadelphia YMCA and has held leadership roles at YMCA associations throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York before joining the YMCA of Greater Brandywine as President and CEO in 2023.

“Our first location was founded in Coatesville nearly 133 years ago to serve a rapidly changing community during the industrial boom. That same mindset continues to guide us today. Whether we’re helping working families access affordable childcare, providing teens safe spaces and preparation for future careers, improving community health through evidence-based wellness programs or ensuring people of every ability have a place to belong – our role is the same: strengthen communities by investing in people.”

Under Lawson’s leadership, YGBW also recognizes that no single organization can solve today’s pressing challenges alone. Work is done collaboratively alongside school districts, healthcare systems, municipalities, employers and nonprofit partners and funders to create lasting and sustainable solutions. Collaboration–not competition–is at the heart of the movement.

“It’s what the YMCA has done for 175 years–and what the YMCA of Greater Brandywine will continue to do for generations to come,” Lawson says.

Here are five lessons they learned along the way.

Lesson #5: Change isn’t a bad thing.

The world looks a lot different today than it did 50 years ago.

Families are busier. Adults are living longer. Technology is shaping how kids learn and connect with each other.

That’s why the Y continues to evolve alongside the community. Today, YGBW is investing in the issues shaping our region’s future – from teen leadership and workforce readiness to evidence-based health programs that help people live longer, healthier lives.

With nine locations across Chester County, 16 program sites in local schools, a mobile wellness unit, and integrated partnerships in the community, YGBW invests in the spaces where community happens. From new outdoor pools and wellness amenities to upgraded technology and expanded program offerings, these investments reflect the changing needs of today’s communities.

The programs may look different than they did a generation ago, but the goal remains the same–helping people to build healthy lives, strong relationships and a sense of belonging.

Lesson #4: Connection creates confidence.

Each year, more than 110,000 people of all ages connect with the YMCA of Greater Brandywine through memberships, programs, camps, and community initiatives. And more than 500 youth are introduced to careers at YGBW that pave a path to their future.

For many people, the YMCA may be where they learned to swim, took a CPR class, or found their first job. But for just as many, it’s where they found their people.

A parent meeting friends during a youth sports season. A retiree joining a ForeverWell program after moving to a new town. Kids discovering their confidence on stage through a performing arts program in Jennersville or the Upper Main Line.

It’s the feeling of being welcomed into something bigger than yourself.

Lesson #3: Access is everything.

Strong communities grow when opportunities are available to everyone.

That’s why one of the YMCA’s most enduring commitments has been to ensure that people can participate regardless of income or circumstances.

Last year, the YMCA of Greater Brandywine provided $2.8 million in financial assistance, helping 18,700 youth and their families access childcare, camps, memberships, and programs they otherwise might not have been able to afford. Because talent, potential and opportunity should never be determined by someone’s zip code or financial circumstances.

For some families, that support means a safe place for their kids to spend the summer. For others, it can mean access to wellness programs to improve their health, inclusive programming to ensure that people of all abilities can participate and grow, or simply a place where they feel they belong without question.

Lesson #2: Community is a mindset.

One of the most significant changes over the last decade is how people connect.

Sometimes that happens in a gymnasium, a pool, or a fitness class.

Sometimes it happens online.

The YMCA of Greater Brandywine’s virtual offerings recognize that community looks different for different people. Busy parents, older adults, caregivers, and professionals can participate in wellness programs and still stay connected even when getting to their branch isn’t possible.

Today’s community doesn’t exist in just one place. It exists in schools, neighborhoods, workplaces, parks and community events. That’s why YGBW increasingly brings programs beyond its branches through partnerships with school districts, healthcare providers, nonprofit organizations and the YMCA Fit Truk, helping remove barriers before they become obstacles.

Lesson #1: Put people first.

After 175 years, this may be the YMCA’s most important lesson.

Buildings matter.

Programs matter.

But the people who fill the buildings and programs matter most.

People are the backbone of strong communities. That’s why the Y continues to provide opportunities that change lives–and shape communities.

It’s a child’s first swim lesson. A teenager’s first paycheck. A cancer survivor rebuilding their physical and mental strength. A parent’s relief in finding high-quality childcare. An older adult discovering friendship after retirement.

For 175 years, the YMCA has proven that healthy communities aren’t built through buildings alone. They’re built by investing in people. Every swim lesson, every mentoring relationship, every childcare classroom, every fitness class, every volunteer, and every act of belonging helps strengthen the community we all share.

That’s what the YMCA has done for 175 years. And it’s what the YMCA of Greater Brandywine continues to do every day across Chester County and the western Philadelphia suburbs.

These moments rarely attract attention beyond the families experiencing them, but they help shape what life is like in the Greater Philadelphia area. And for generations, the Y is the place where many of those moments begin.

 To learn more about programs, memberships, and opportunities to get involved at the YMCA of Greater Brandywine visit ymcagbw.org.

This is a paid partnership between YMCA of Greater Brandywine and Philadelphia Magazine