The YMCA organization can traces its origins back to the year 1844, when George Williams decided to help out young men on the streets.

The Founding of the YMCA

In 1844, industrialized London was a place of great turmoil and despair. For the young men who migrated to the city from rural areas to find jobs, London offered a bleak landscape of tenement housing and dangerous influences.

Twenty-two year old George Williams, a farmer-turned-department store worker, was troubled by what he saw. He joined 11 friends to organize the first Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), a refuge of Bible study and prayer for young men seeking escape from the hazards of life on the streets.

Although an association of young men meeting around a common purpose was nothing new, the Y offered something unique for its time. The organization’s drive to meet social need in the community was compelling, and its openness to members crossed the rigid lines separating English social classes.

Years later, retired Boston sea captain Thomas Valentine Sullivan, working as a marine missionary, noticed a similar need to create a safe “home away from home” for sailors and merchants. Inspired by the stories of the Y in England, he led the formation of the first U.S. YMCA at the Old South Church in Boston on December 29, 1851.

The Albany Area YMCA - Strengthening Lives for 100 Years!

The Albany Area YMCA has been serving the Southwest Georgia area since 1910. Since its beginning at the corner of Pine and Jefferson in 1910, the Albany Area YMCA has been a vibrant, integral part of life in the community. We are continuing to grow and expand our facilities. Each year, over 12,000 people are involved in YMCA programs.

We have grown to the point where we are now comprised of three facilities (Central, Lee Branch, and the Sports Park).

Join us today and become a part of history.