Our 150 Years

When a group of Portland men met in the vestry of the Federal Street Baptist Church in October 1853 to "consider the expediency of forming a Young Men's Christian Association," they could hardly have foreseen the far-reaching effects of their mission.

150 years later, the original 60-member Portland Young Men's Christian Association has evolved to become the Cumberland County YMCA, an organization that serves nearly 15,000 members in its four branches annually, and sees an average of 1,500 people every day.

Portland's "gentlemen" initially held prayer meetings, performed Sunday services, and established several chapels in the area. Though this focus on religion has changed, the early tradition of outreach to the community remains as vital a part of the Y's mission today as providing programs that promote a healthy spirit, mind and body for everyone, regardless of ability to pay.

Today's umbrella Cumberland County YMCA includes not only the downtown Greater Portland YMCA on Forest Avenue, but also the Casco Bay Regional YMCA in Freeport, the Cumberland County YMCA at Pineland in New Gloucester, the Otter Pond Wilderness Day Camp in Standish and the Greater Portland YMCA's Child Care Center on Noyes Street in Portland.

The Y's commitment to service has manifested itself in both great and small ways through the years:

The Greater Portland YMCA is an important asset to the Portland Community, serving everyone who comes to our door. This inclusion of all people in a variety of programs - from youth swim lessons to wellness programs to housing - enables the Y to transcend social, ethnic and economic boundaries. It is a special place for a lot of people.

Since its opening in 1927, the flagship Portland facility has seen several key upgrades, such as the 1967 completion of the Malcolm wing with its new pool, racquetball and squash courts, locker rooms and exercise room, and the addition of a wellness center in 1985. But the changes to the physical plant are not the most important the Y has seen.

The Y is striving to be more program-focused, rather than use-focused. Not just keeping the doors open to everyone, which we do, but making sure that when they come here there are activities in which people can quickly be included.

The Greater Portland YMCA, after nearly 145 years of providing its programs and services from one downtown facility, saw a dramatic transformation take place in the mid-1990s. It began to look outside of this geographic area and broaden its scope of service. Considering its long history, the last five years have been ones of rapid growth and expansion.

The first step in this process came with the founding of the Casco Bay Regional YMCA, celebrating its 5th Anniversary this year. This branch plays a vital role in providing programs and services to the Freeport, Yarmouth and surrounding communities, designed for every member of the family. "We love to get families involved, and so many of the programs here are family-oriented," said executive director Scott Krouse. "The Y serves people at all points of their lives, from children to their parents." Such programs range from youth swim lessons to adult wellness programs, and include family activities such as parent and child playgroups along the way. Older youth, such as teens, enjoy a rapidly growing teen center, while older adults enjoy social activities and outings. In its young history, this YMCA has become a place for the entire family.

Moving just a few years ahead in the timeline, though kids have been camping with the Greater Portland YMCA for over 80 years, this program became its own branch of the Cumberland County YMCA in 2002. The Otter Pond Camp in Standish was first established in 1971 with the intention of serving 400 to 500 boys every summer. Today, this camp serves nearly 1,500 boys and girls annually. "It's not just the archery or the swimming that keeps kids coming back to camp, but the safe and welcoming environment, the new friends and the mentoring relationships with counselors," said camp branch Executive Director Suzanne Wantland. "This is the foundation from which everything else grows here."

Then, just months later, the fourth facility of the Cumberland County YMCA was established. Though the Cumberland County YMCA at Pineland will celebrate only its 1st Anniversary this year, the facility is already expanding with a new 3,000-square-foot wellness center. This expansion comes in response to its overwhelming success in meeting an obvious community need in the Gray-New Gloucester area. After four months, this facility saw 600 new members - three times what Y officials had expected. That membership has since doubled to 1,200 and the rapid growth has been phenomenal and heartening. The Pineland Y offers new opportunity for our community. Ys tend to locate in more densely populated locations, but this was a great opportunity for the Cumberland County YMCA to have a presence in this semi-rural area, through the generosity of the Libra Foundation. And it's just been a great hit - the need was obviously here.

For the future, the prospect of growth continues to look bright. A master planning committee has developed a plan for interior and exterior improvements at each facility. Additionally in 2003, the Y has "been assisting a very active core group in Scarborough" to study the possibility of building a new branch in that community, said Horace Horton, president of the Cumberland County Y Board of Directors.

As the Y celebrates its accomplishment of 150 years of serving this community, and stands on the verge of the next 150 years of service, its mission to "build strong communities, families and individuals through programs that promote a healthy spirit, mind and body for everyone, regardless of ability to pay" continues to guide the way.

Historical Timeline

The Cumberland County YMCA, with its Greater Portland , Casco Bay Regional, YMCA at Pineland and Otter Pond Camp branches, is committed to building strong kids, individuals, families and communities through programs and services that promote a healthy spirit, mind and body for all, regardless of ability to pay.