When Nathan G. Williams and several dozen other leaders began meeting in 1894 for the purpose of establishing a YMCA in Bellows Falls, their motivation was to address some pressing social and economic needs of the day. They probably could not have imagined the many ways that their organization would change over the next 110 years as it responded to ever-changing community needs.

Today's regional leaders are now working with Meeting Waters YMCA volunteers and staff on the most significant strategic planning process since our founding in 1895. They are charting our organization's course for our next century of service to the region.

Volunteers from the Bellows Falls and Fall Mountain region (aka "Great Falls") have recently begun research and planning related to facility needs in that area. Our current facility is over 170 years old and in need of between $500,000 and $1,000,000 in renovations. Guided by the YMCA system's "20 Step Capital Development Process," our staff and volunteers have begun their planning for the future with a Community Needs Assessment.

In April, 2005, our Board members engaged 39 leaders from various sectors of the Great Falls community in identifying the most pressing social and health issues facing youth, families, adults, elders, and the community as a whole. An Executive Summary of the study can be found here.

The results of this assessment are now being studied by our program staff leaders who will develop a service delivery plan that they feel can have a positive impact on many of the region's needs and challenges. Staff and volunteers will then determine what facility resources are needed to support the programs and services that will address those needs. Options include renovating the current facility, relocating to an existing facility in the BF area, building a new facility or becoming a "Y without walls."

Our Board of Directors is currently soliciting involvement on a Facility Founders Board--the leadership team that will guide the research and planning process. As we move forward from there, several other volunteer opportunities will emerge. We will soon form committees focused on collaborations and partnerships, site identification, and other planning needs.

If you'd like to get involved with this process, please contact our Executive Director Steve Fortier.