Y.M.C.A.
Pre-dawn, water in the kettle halfway to steam. It’s New Years Day. I’m waiting to pour 195˚ water over somewhat fresh coffee grounds. Standing before the hob in a quiet kitchen, the flame, the gathering water, my cat happily crunching through breakfast. When a ghostly voice rises from the folds of my robe …
Message from 692- … It is my credit card company, telling me there has been activity in excess of $0.01 … The first CC charge & text of 2017 is from an institution overlooked, ignored, forgotten, and rediscovered. Part of the daily schedule three-four times a week. Our local chapter of the Young Men’s Christian Association.
Their short story? Industrialized London was a bleak mess in 1844. A farming lad went to the big city to work. This 22-year old and eleven friends organized a refuge of bible study and prayer, an escape from the streets.
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. ∆
Todays schedule includes 30 minutes in the pool. The YMCA pool. YMCA staff will receive special thanks for providing a reduced 9am-3pm schedule as the rest of the country rests.
Youth Development Healthy Living Social Responsibility
American Toolbox 
January 1, 2017 at 11:24 am