All for community: YMCA of Greater Birmingham, Alabama
The YMCA of Greater Birmingham provides services and support for the community that goes way beyond basketball. (contributed)
The Alabama Power Foundation recently released its annual report for 2022, highlighting the good works of its nonprofit partners. Alabama News Center is sharing the stories of four foundation partners that are featured in the new report, titled All Forward. Today’s feature is about the YMCA of Greater Birmingham.
To many, the YMCA is known for basketball leagues (a YMCA instructor invented the sport in 1891). But sometimes, the pickup games score powerful points, too.
“We are so much more than a gym and swim spot. One of our greatest strengths, what we do really well, is create community,” says Terri Harvill, chief social impact officer with the YMCA of Greater Birmingham.
Connecting a wide cross section of people in Jefferson and Shelby counties through its programs and services is intentional. But relationships also form organically at the YMCA.
“I love poking my head in the gym and seeing this diverse group of guys shooting hoops. I certainly love seeing the older men with the younger ones,” Harvill says. “Sometimes, they’re off the court, sitting down and just chatting. There is impactful mentoring happening there.”
Indeed, many young men have told Harvill how these encounters reap profound benefits.
“Just recently, a young man broke down in tears talking about the valuable life lessons and compassion he received on one of our courts,” she says. “He grew up without a father, but he found part of what was missing here.”
Beyond B-Ball
Young men definitely find good things at the YMCA. Yet Harvill stresses how much the organization has evolved since its founding in 1844.
“We are no longer just for the young, no longer just for men and no longer just for Christians,” she says, a reference to the organization’s formal name, the Young Men’s Christian Association. “Our mission is to build healthy spirit, mind and body for all,” she says. The key is a continual focus on the final but foundational phrase in this mission: “For all,” Harvill says, putting the emphasis on “all.”
“That’s the vital piece. We’ve always focused on inclusion, but we’re taking a hard look at what that means now, and working to serve all ages, men and women, all backgrounds, all mental and physical abilities – all.”
The YMCA of Greater Birmingham: Helping improve lives across the region from Alabama News Center on Vimeo.
She sees it in the Y programs, services and resources promoting youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. But it begins with accessibility.
“We are a nonprofit, and yet some don’t know that. There is a fee for membership, but we offer financial assistance and even scholarships to cover that, and for everything we offer.”
The YMCA is also working to address health inequities. One example: taking diabetes education outside the Y’s walls and into churches and places where people gather. “We bring the nutrition and exercise information people need to get and stay healthier to them,” Harvill says.
Meeting basic needs hasn’t historically fallen under the Y’s umbrella, but the Greater Birmingham YMCA bridged that gap during the pandemic.
“We started distributing food boxes during COVID and have not stopped. It’s still very much needed.” At its Northeast branch, the organization distributes 10,000 to 13,000 pounds of food each month.
Opportunities For All
Enhanced education for all comes in the form of after-school programs, pre-K and other initiatives to curb summer learning loss, like Camp Cosby on Lake Logan Martin, where hundreds of Birmingham-area kids enjoy summer camp for a day or a week. Even short visits at this special spot resonate.
“There are outdoor activities, hands-on learning, fun and games, and it’s all an oasis away from stress, especially for city kids, some of whom have never experienced anything like it before,” Harvill says. “It sounds simple, but Camp Cosby changes lives.”
A day at Camp Cosby. (YMCA of Greater Birmingham)
The Y’s Youth in Government program, funded in part last year by the Alabama Power Foundation, teaches young people the democratic process. Students hold mock elections, create their own government, and sit in the same chambers where state senators and representatives debate and vote on bills. “This program clearly shows the deep and wide impact of the Y,” Harvill says. “There are leaders across our city who were once a part of it.”
Community For All
The YMCA of Greater Birmingham is embarking on a new venture, one that will combine many of its resources in one spot. Using funds from an Alabama Power Foundation grant, and in partnership with Habitat for Humanity Greater Birmingham and Christ Health Center, the Northeast YMCA – built in 1962 – will be renovated and refreshed. And an adjoining property will see exciting additions, creating a community hub for the surrounding neighborhoods.
When Y leaders began considering renovations at the branch, they decided to think big.
“We wondered, how can we go beyond needed fixes and upgrades to make a real difference in this area?” Harvill says. “We met with community leaders and residents, plus Y members, and asked, ‘What are the unmet needs? What are your concerns?’”
They spoke, and YMCA leaders listened.
They heard about a lack of affordable and attainable housing; so, the updated Y will emerge amid some 20 single-family homes, to be built by Habitat for Humanity.
The YMCA staff heard about issues with accessible, affordable pediatric healthcare; so, a health clinic will serve the insured and uninsured, with a family counseling center to address emotional wellness. Classrooms for early childhood education and after-school care, age-specific playgrounds and a splash pad, and community gardens complete the vision.
The Y expects to break ground on the project in the fall of 2023 and begin construction soon after, starting with roads and other infrastructure.
“This plan connects all the dots, and it gets me really excited. I believe it will be a model for other Ys and even other organizations.”
“We want to meet needs but also create a place that the community can be proud of,” Harvill says. And she believes area residents will be as pumped as she is.
“This idea really came from them,” she says.
“That’s how we are engaging everywhere. Nothing we do is a cookie-cutter approach.”
The Y relies on each branch’s volunteer advisory board, which are diverse and include people of different ages and backgrounds. “That is where our inclusion efforts have most improved,” Harvill says.
“We ask questions. We get input from those we serve. What one community desires and needs can be totally different somewhere else,” she says.
It’s just one way the YMCA is keeping close to its “for all” focus.
“It’s no good for us to sit in our office and make decisions without having the community involved.”
Learn more about the YMCA of Greater Birmingham at ymcabham.org. To learn more about the Alabama Power Foundation and view the latest annual report, please visit powerofgood.com.
