Maplewood YMCA Still Evolving, Improving After 100 Years

One hundred years of keeping Rochester healthy, and it's still going strong. Time Warner Cable News reporter Jordan Mazza shares how one local YMCA is changing to keep up with the changing times and people of the Rochester-area community. 

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The Maplewood YMCA is celebrating 100 years. George Eastman helped open it in 1916. It came close to closure in the 1990s until residents fought to save it.

As the needs of the community have changed, so have the programs and facilities.

“They’ve evolved over time, which is wonderful, so we’re celebrating 100 years," said Maplewood YMCA branch executive James Smith. "Now the needs are these pieces: families need support, teens need guidance, active older adults and seniors need a place to be a part of. And that’s our evolution.”

That evolution includes after school programs for young students and the Lifespan activities for seniors. Members seem to be responding well.

“When I get complaints there aren’t enough parking spots, we’re successful,” said former city council member and current YMCA member Robert Stevenson.

He says there are many things that keep him coming back to the Maplewood YMCA.

“The swimming pool," Stevenson said. "And the phenomenal history. The things we had to go through to maintain this building, and then after maintaining it, expanding it.”

The expansion is part of the Greater Rochester YMCA’s $75 million “Strengthening Communities” campaign. The money raised so far has helped improve Maplewood.

“In the early days, Maplewood was the branch that didn’t have enough, and it wasn’t ever up to the standards," said George Romell, YMCA Greater Rochester president, CEO. "After a long, long struggle and the kickoff of this campaign we were able to invest a significant number of dollars to make this facility as welcoming, as nurturing, and as nice as many of our other facilities in the community.”

Some of those other facilities are part of this new campaign as well. Further funds raised would go toward building making the Pittsford one of the largest YMCAs in America.