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YMCA has long history of caring
By Mark R. WEAVER
The Village People were right when they sang “It’s fun to stay at the YMCA.” For years, working-class people across America – and here in the Mahoning Valley – knew the “Y” was available when a pricey hotel room was beyond a wallet’s reach. At one point, YMCA accommodations numbered more than 100,000 – more rooms than any hotel chain at the time.
That’s what brought my great-grandfather to Youngstown. After losing his job as a teacher in Pennsylvania, he set out alone and crossed the Mahoning River with the sunny-minded hope of finding employment and a place where he could bring his young family. With little money, his only housing option was the Youngstown YMCA.
When he stepped into the lobby on North Champion Street, the building was luminous, having been built just two years earlier. The promise of a fresh start beamed from every shining surface. Yet, 100 years ago this weekend that same YMCA was where my great- grandfather met his untimely death, slipping on the stairs and hitting his head. A short story in The Vindicator told the tale.
He died not knowing that his great-grandson – me – would later follow his lead and move from Pennsylvania to Ohio for a better job. In 1995, I moved here to become deputy attorney general of Ohio. And one day, on behalf of the attorney general, I visited the Youngstown YMCA. The staff took me back to the oldest part of the building. Before long, I found the infamous stairwell where my ancestor perished. I left with history swirling in my head.
Bible study
Founded in 1844 in England, the Young Men’s Christian Association began as 11 friends gathered for Bible study. They later opened their meetings to young men fleeing the despair of life on the grim streets of London. YMCAs in America soon followed. It’s now our country’s leading nonprofit organization committed to helping people learn, grow, and thrive. And the North Champion Street branch in Youngstown is a bright spot in a downtown that’s seen better times and livelier days.
This history reflects a noble mission. Starting with my great-grandfather, five generations of my family have relied on the YMCA to help us become better people. My grandparents and parents counted on the YMCA and so did my sisters and I.
As a teen, when I wanted to learn more about government, the YMCA Model Legislature program took me to the state capitol, where I debated policy with other youths. Self-governance became understandable to us in a way no textbook or teacher could rival. I was even elected Youth Speaker of the House, presiding over all the deliberations in that chamber.
With four generations placing their faith in the Y, my wife and I introduced our children to it, and they became our fifth generation of YMCA participants. They learned to swim there, studied karate, and took their own place in the Ohio Model Legislature program, advancing to leadership positions.
Teens in YMCA programs like this are preparing to confront the challenges of the future.
At a time when too many kids indulge the self-centered impulse of iPhone and iPad, YMCAs train youth to embrace the community impulse of “I care” and “I can.”
Maybe the Village People were on to something.
Mark Weaver moved to Ohio in 1995 to become our state’s Deputy Attorney General. He is now a lawyer in private practice and he teaches at The Ohio State University College of Law.