By CJ Vetter
HAYS COUNTY – In recognition of 15 years of service to the community, the YMCA of Hays County celebrated its birthday on July 30.
The community center, which serves the Kyle and Buda area, offers not only gym and pool access, but also childcare and sports programs.
The celebration was in honor of the branch’s establishment in 2007, as part of the greater Austin branch of the YMCA. It was created with the goal of helping serve the community by providing a place for recreation and exercise and has gone on to establish numerous programs serving the community.
Jill Adams, the senior program director of health and wellness, has been with the branch since its opening and has helped shape its direction since.
“It’s crazy to think that it’s been 15 years. That's a long time and everything has changed around Buda, Kyle and I-35,” Adams said. “What I find profound is that the need for the services of the YMCA has never gone away. From the day we opened, we have provided volunteerism opportunities and partnerships with local businesses, as well as financial assistance with joining. It’s one of the biggest things people may not know, but everybody can be part of the YMCA regardless of their income.”
This anniversary also comes at a crucial turning point in the history of Hays County, with the population of the county doubling since the YMCA first opened. With such rampant growth, the YMCA of Hays County has expanded to the maximum number of facilities allowed on its properties and has made efforts to better utilize its existing grounds.
Executive director Andy Lemons has only recently joined the branch, but has a long history with the branch, and plans to help maximize the impact of the YMCA on the community.
“Even when we have things that we celebrate, the YMCA is all about giving back. The YMCA is all about helping those that need help and building community,” Lemons said. “ What we’ll be embarking on over the next couple of months to years is identifying those opportunities with current structure that might need to be revisioned or reimagined.”
As part of its birthday celebration, the YMCA also ran a toy drive for the nonprofit organization The Birthday Box. Toys donated by the community would then be packaged in recycled cardboard boxes, and then delivered to under-served children in the area on their birthday.
In addition, the YMCA also offers reduced rates for qualified applicants based on household income as part of a mission to never turn away community members due to an inability to pay program or membership fees. This is in addition to child care programs such as daycare or their Child Watch, where parents can drop off their children while they work out.
Lisa Young, the director of youth and family, helps oversee these programs.
“One of the big mission points of the YMCA is social responsibility and that’s something we try to instill at a very young age,” Young said. “We’ve spent 15 years in the building, but the YMCA has spent 176 years building relationships.”
The focus on the community remains a strong tenant of the organization as they seek to grow and better work to serve those around it. Even as Kyle and Buda grow, the YMCA of Hays County has made it clear that they intend to not only stick around for another 15 years but also are here to help. As their birthday celebration slogan says, they’re “here for good.”
