YMCA Core Values

All YMCA programs have a strong emphasis on the values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility. Adopted formally by the YMCA of the USA in the early 1990s, the four core YMCA values were developed to help teach kids right from wrong.

Caring: To love others, to be sensitve to the well-being of others, to help others.
"Where there is love, there is life." Gandhi

Honesty: To tell the truth, to act in such a way that you are worthy of trust, to have integrity; making sure your choices match your values.
"Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom." Thomas Jefferson

Respect: To treat others as you would have them treat you; to value the worth of every person, including yourself.
"You don't have to be handicapped to be different. Everyone's different." Kim Peek

Responsibility: To do what is right, what you ought to do; to be accountable for your behavior and obligations.
"The time is always right to do what is right." Martin Luther King, Jr.

Mission Statement and Purpose

The Edwardsville YMCA is dedicated to enriching the lives of all individuals and families in the communities we serve through programs and services based on Christian principles that promote a healthy spirit, mind and body for all.

YMCA Purpose

Your YMCA is proud to offer services to everyone regardless of race, color, religion, national origin or economic ability. A variety of scholarship funds are available to assist those with financial need. The YMCA is irrevocably dedicated to, and operated exclusively for, nonprofit purposes. No part of the income or assets of the Association shall be distributed to, nor inure to the benefit of, any of its members, officers, directors or other private persons.