|
History
of the Greater Pittston YMCA
The "Young Men's Christian Association of Pittston, Pennsylvania”
(Greater Pittston YMCA) was established in the City of Pittston
in 1880 for the purpose of improving the spiritual, mental,
social and physical condition of young men. On April 4,
1904, ground was broken for the original YMCA building,
which was located at 34 Broad Street, Pittston. Before that,
the YMCA was operated in a large room on the second floor
of the annex to the Cash Block on Main Street in Pittston.
In 1910, funds were raised to enlarge the building and the
formal reopening took place on April 16, 1911. The original
YMCA burned in a fire in 1979. Up until it’s opening
in its new site, the YMCA operated out of a store front
in the northern section of the City. In 1983 the YMCA opened
it’s new state-of-the-art facility at 10 North Main
Street, it’s current location.
Greater
Pittston’s Community Center for over 120 years, the
YMCA is the areas largest charitable human serve organization,
serving 3 in 5 people from Greater Pittston annually. At
the YMCA ‘We build strong kids, strong families, and
strong communities.’
A registered 501©3 not-for-profit organization and a member
agency of the Wyoming Valley United Way, the YMCA serves
more than 5000 people each year in over 60 program areas.
The YMCA's strongest program areas are youth programs, older
adults' programs, aquatics, and fitness. The YMCA has a
large variety of programs including parent/ child programs,
school- age child care – referred to as Before School
and After School Programs, pre-school, day camps, youth
and adult sports, swim lessons, swim team, lifeguard classes,
CPR, first aid, adult exercise programs, aerobics, special
needs programs, arthritis exercise and much more.
The
YMCA has also continued to serve the community as the leading
family sports organization. Whether its kids playing soccer,
basketball, tennis, volleyball, or Inline Hockey, mothers
and fathers alike are always there, helping to nurture their,
and other peoples, children. Teaching skills is only part
of the YMCA program, building self-esteem, teaching sportsmanship,
and teaching the values of caring, respect, responsibility,
and honesty are the real outcomes of YMCA Youth Sports.
The
main service area for the Greater Pittston YMCA includes
the communities of Pittston City, Pittston Township, Hughestown,
Jenkins Township, Avoca, Dupont, Duryea, West Pittston,
Falls, Exeter, Wyoming, West Wyoming, Old Forge, Moosic,
Plains, and Laflin.
|
