YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties launched the Raise Up Our Youth campaign on April 26 to expand space and programs at the Quakertown branch.
The Y is raising $3.5 million to build an expanded gymnastics center, a multi-sport field house, and add a gymnasium and indoor walking track.
The Raise Up Our Youth campaign, focused primarily on expanding and updating popular youth spaces, aims to create more opportunities for community youth and teens to come together at the Y. The $3.5 million campaign will provide the resources for the facility improvements, and help remove barriers to community participation by providing financial assistance to all who qualify.
“Among the goals of the campaign and expansion are to create a destination for the youth in the Upper Bucks community,” explained Allyson Fox, vice president of operations for the Upper Bucks region of YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties. “The YMCA in Quakertown has always been a place for people of all ages and backgrounds to come together. We are now expanding upon that, as well as making the statement that the Y is here for the youth of our community, who need a hub for connection, health and wellness in their lives.”
Lack of healthy social connection has exacerbated a youth mental health crisis, with social media leading many down an antisocial, sometimes dangerous path. In the 2021 Pennsylvania Youth Survey, 37.4% of students in Bucks County ages 11-18 reported “feeling sad or depressed most days in the past 12 months.”
Expanding the gymnastics center from 6,000 to 13,000 square feet will allow the Y to accommodate hundreds of children currently on wait lists for gymnastics classes, programs and teams. The plan is to construct the new gymnastics center within a currently unused space at the branch, which frees up the full-size basketball gym where the gymnastics center currently resides. The second gym provides the opportunity to expand youth/adult basketball leagues and classes, adds three new pickleball courts and additional space for adult volleyball. Having a second gym also allows the Y to foster relationships with local sports teams who often need indoor athletic space to rent for training and tournaments.
In addition to the renovation of the gymnastics center, basketball courts and field house, the campaign will also fund the expansion of community impact programs in the Upper Bucks region. YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties serves veterans, cancer survivors, pre-diabetics, seniors, individuals with differing abilities, and adults recovering from mental illness in uniquely planned sessions led by skilled wellness professionals. Expanding reach in Quakertown will help the Y provide more assistance to those in need, along with volunteer opportunities for those who want to get involved.
To learn more about the Raise Up Our Youth campaign, please visit the Quakertown branch, the Raise Up Our Youth webpage, or email Angela Jacobsen, ajacobsen@ymcabhc.org.
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