Before the Civil War, a group of men gathered in Lebanon with the goal of improving their lives to be better role models and community leaders.
The organization disbanded during the war but restarted in 1898 to become what is now known as the Lebanon Valley Family YMCA, located at 201 N 7th Street in Lebanon.
The YMCA’s purpose is to improve the quality of life in the community by “offering programs, services and facilities that promote strong families, good health, fitness, wellness, community services, child and adult development with equality for all,” according to its website.
Their approach is well-rounded and community-oriented, according to the Lebanon YMCA’s CEO Phil Tipton.
“If there’s anything going on in Lebanon, we want to be a part of it,” he said. “If there’s challenges, we want to be a part of the solution.”
Tipton said the YMCA has about 5,000 members, all of whom can access its workout equipment and indoor track, fitness classes, a pool, courts for various sports — including pickleball, racquetball, basketball and volleyball — and childcare services.
Diverse communities form throughout by using the equipment and taking part in programs, he said.
This is especially true in Rock Steady Boxing for people with Parkinson’s disease, which includes stretching, running, jump-roping, balancing and non-contact boxing led by trainers and coaches.
“We see that there’s a camaraderie there,” he said. “They come to this class and they see there’s a dozen other people that are facing the same challenges, and then we’ve seen some of them have expanded, so they’re going in the weight room and their lifting or they’re going in the pool and swimming.”
Tipton said the childcare services are also a major resource.
The Y offers before-school and after-school care where students are supervised and encouraged to take part in activities. This can be especially helpful for working parents, with most sessions going from 6:30 to 9 a.m. and 3:30 to 6 p.m.
They also bought Camp Rocky Creek about three years ago, according to Tipton, and offer both day-long and overnight camping experiences for kids and teens.
He said this is where a lot of their energy and resources are going now, but they’re always looking to expand and offer more services as ideas are brought up.
“A lot of times, we’ll have someone come to us and say, ‘I was here and I saw that — is that something that we might be able to do in our community?’” Tipton said.
Individual membership rates vary. It costs $185.40 per year for kids up to age 15, $441.60 per year for young adults ages 16 to 23, $577.80 per year for adults ages 24 to 61, and $510 per year for seniors 62 and older.
There are also family and single-parent family rates that allow households to take advantage of Kids Korner, where children can be supervised while parents exercise.
But Tipton said they regularly work with people who might not be able to afford these prices.
“If we have someone come and we take them on a tour and they’ll say, ‘I’m not sure if we can afford this,’ we’ll let them know that is not a barrier for us,” he said. “We’ll work with you.”
He said they use Department of Housing and Urban Development guidelines when considering their income level, and might scholarship either a portion or the entire price tag.
”Whatever it takes — we won’t turn anyone away,” Tipton said. “It’s part of our mission. Our mission is to be for all, so there’s nothing that we feel that should be a barrier to someone coming into our facility using our programs.”
He said he sees the YMCA as a leader in the community, but Lebanon County residents need to be aware of the available resources.
“It’s very important that the community knows we’re here. The YMCA needs to be a part of [the community], we want to be there,” Tipton said. “If we can help, we want to be a part of it. If we can lead, we want to lead.”
The YMCA is open Monday through Friday from 4:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Information about becoming a member can be found on its website.
Questions about this story? Suggestions for a future LebTown article? Reach our newsroom using this contact form and we’ll do our best to get back to you.
Free news isn’t cheap. If you value the journalism LebTown provides to the community, then help us make it sustainable by becoming a champion of local news. You can unlock additional coverage for the community by supporting our work with a one-time contribution, or joining as a monthly or annual member. You can cancel anytime.
More Top Stories
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
