Greater Philadelphia YMCA

The 2024 YMCA Gymnastics National Championship & Invitational was a DREAM! 🤩 Congratulations to the participating YMCA teams and their gymnasts! 🏆 We are so thankful for everyone who was involved - gymnasts, coaches, parents, sponsors, volunteers, organizers, and spectators! 👏 Special thank you to Willow Grove YMCA for hosting an amazing experience! Thank you to our sponsors at Highmark Inc.!

During Safety Around Water Week, our Ys taught over 200 kids life-saving water safety skills including floating, turning, jumping, and rescue techniques! This program is provided at no expense to participating families to ensure they can have a safer summer without a financial barrier.

Earlier this week, our Phoenixville YMCA Synchronized Swim Team welcomed NBC10 Philadelphia's Matt DeLucia to learn more about synchronized swimming before the start of the Olympics! 🏊♂️ Keep an eye out for the NBC10 coverage video and more clips of Matt's synchro practice!

"Becoming a lifeguard was 'transformational' for Theresa Edmondson, the Advanced Aquatics Director at the West Philadelphia YMCA." We're proud of the work that our team in West Philly is doing to train local youth while combating the regional lifeguard shortage.

On Monday we joined The Philadelphia Juneteenth Family, Inc. and other local leaders at City Hall for a flag raising ceremony to commemorate Juneteenth. Greater Philadelphia YMCA CEO, Shaun Elliott, was honored to speak at this year's event. We'd like to extend heartfelt thanks to The Philadelphia Juneteenth Family for their continued dedication to increasing the education and commemoration of Juneteenth in our community and throughout the country.

We'd like to thank everyone who joined us in celebrating the incredible honorees at this year's Y Honors event, including our generous sponsors, volunteers, and emcee for the evening, Gray Hall! Special thanks to our honorees, Jane Scaccetti, Karla Trotman, MBA, and Bruce White, who continue to make a tremendous impact in our communities and beyond!

In 2023, we awarded more than $250k in financial aid for summer camp, helping families at double the industry average. Last year we welcomed over 6,500 kids to camps throughout the region. We believe in the power of the camp experience to set children on a path towards physical, mental, and emotional well-being for a lifetime. Click the link below to read more about our commitment to being an industry leader in affordability, financial aid, and accessibility.

Thank you to our sponsors and everyone who joined us at our 51st Annual Mount Laurel YMCA Golf Classic! It was a day packed with generous organizations, friendly competition, beautiful weather, and a few laughs! Your support at this event allows us to offer discounted membership, swim lessons, child care, and camp to families in our community who need it most.

Congratulations to Leigha Coates and Tariq Moore, leaders at our Christian Street YMCA, for their work with Hillary M. Kapa, MPH, Miriam Jaffer, MBBS, MPH, and Center for Violence Prevention. They presented their research on "Staff Perspectives of the Impact of Trauma-Informed Practices within Community-Based Programs".

During Mental Health Awareness Month, we're making sure our connections and Y family understand the importance of regular exercise and its positive effects on mental health and the brain. Regular exercise can change how your brain functions, which can make you happier, help you sleep better, improve your focus and enhance your energy levels! Click the link below to read more about the connection between exercise and mental health.