Portage Township YMCA Y-Care

All Y-Care sites are set in elementary school cafeterias.

The YMCA stands for the Young Men’s Christian Association, and it has a long-standing, rich history throughout the world. It was founded in London on June 6, 1844 by George Williams. The first YMCA was formed as an outreach to men on the streets. They offered Bible studies and prayer. Throughout history, YMCAs have adapted their services to fit the needs of the communities they serve.

Did you know that volleyball and basketball were invented at YMCAs? At the International YMCA Training School in December 1891, James Naismith invented the game of basketball, doing so at the demand of Luther Gulick, the director of the school. He invented the game to occupy the time of some of the students at the school who had gotten too violent with their rugby and football games. Volleyball was invented at the Holyoke Massachusetts YMCA in 1895 by William Morgan, an instructor at the Y who felt that basketball was too strenuous for businessmen.

Today, our Portage Township YMCA is carrying on that same tradition. We are constantly thriving to offer new and efficient programs to serve our community. Currently, there are YMCAs in over 124 countries throughout the world. Each YMCA is run differently, yet they are all alike in mission:
“Putting Christian principles into practice through programs that build spirit, mind, and body for all.”

The four core values of the YMCA are: Caring, Honesty, Respect, and Responsibility. These values are incorporated into each YMCA program to constantly remind our staff and members about the Christian values we are here to uphold. The mission statement of the Portage Township YMCA is similar to that of the YMCA of the USA, however ours is worded differently. It is as follows:

The mission of the Portage Township YMCA
is to enhance the quality of life
in the community we serve
by promoting healthy lifestyles
through ample opportunities
available to all
for physical and mental development
in a Christian atmosphere.

The Portage Township YMCA has been actively involved in school age child care for the past twenty years. It is a member of the Indiana Association of School Age Child Care and practices a limited child to staff ratio.

Our Y-Care program has taken a step in the way of leadership in our community through various community service, service-learning, and philanthropic activities. We have made breast cancer awareness bracelets, tye-dyed shirts with senior citizens, and help a carnival to benefit the family of one of our program participants who are struggling with medical bills from his inoperable brain tumor.

children enrolled in the program can expect fun, friends and memories through organized activities including arts and crafts, small and large motor activities, music, wellness activities including Wii Fit games, service-learning projects, and multicultural & diversity education.