''Two or three years ago, the vast majority of the Y's were on the favorable side,'' in terms of their finances, Mr. The slowed economy has affected some branches more than others. But nearly 70 cents of every dollar comes from its own programs and membership fees. The Y's $4.2 billion in annual income is bolstered by government grants and corporate donations. is also the largest provider of single-occupancy rooms, about 17,000, offering one of the few affordable places to live for people moving off welfare or out of homeless shelters. In addition to its child-care and teenage programs, the Y.M.C.A. It now serves more than 18 million Americans, half of them under age 18, and wields more social services' spending power than many small nations. And we've done it for 150 years.''ĭespite its religious origin and name, the Young Men's Christian Association (which has no connection to the Young Women's Christian Association or the Young Men's Hebrew Association) has a secular mission. He added: ''Is it okay for Y's to build and operate in middle-class, affluent communities, just as we operate and provide support in more disadvantaged communities? The answer is yes. ![]() ''This is not a matter of race, economic class or geographic boundaries.'' ''Our kids in America are challenged in getting access to a sustained, caring adult presence in their lives,'' he said. ![]() Gladish said that the mission of the Y - the nation's largest nonprofit with more than 2,500 branches serving 10,000 communities - remains the same, to nurture youngsters. And he states correctly that the Y is one of the largest providers in the country of day-care services and after-school programs for working and homeless families. There are discounted, or free, memberships that total about $65 million a year. The Y's policy, he points out, is that no one is turned away because of an inability to pay. Gladish acknowledges the ''swim and gym'' reputation, but said it was a misconception. Gladish, the national executive director of the Y.M.C.A., is aware of these perceptions, and he considers them grossly unfair. ![]() It has also been the object of lawsuits by several commercial health clubs that claimed the Y uses its tax-exempt status to compete unfairly in the luxury health-club business. is viewed as indifferent to the concerns of neighborhood residents and urban preservationists. In some neighborhoods in New York City and Seattle, where in recent years local branches have sold off suddenly prime real estate, the Y.M.C.A. In places like Greenwich, Conn., where well-heeled matrons show up for weekly bridge games, and in downtown Washington, where hard-charging professionals pour in at lunchtime to lift weights in sports rooms filled with the latest gear, the Y is viewed as a hangout for the elite. and everyone has a different notion of what it is all about.
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