Launching Our Shared 150th Milestone
Last updated: January 1, 2026, at 6:34 p.m. PT
Originally published: January 1, 2026, at 6:13 p.m. PT
A New Year message from President and CEO Loria Yeadon, celebrating 150 years for All
Dear YGS Members, Program Participants, Partners, and Friends,
As we welcome a new year, we also step into a milestone moment for the YMCA of Greater Seattle. For 150 years, our non-profit has been on a mission to support our neighbors — to build a community where all people, especially the young, are encouraged to develop their fullest potential in spirit, mind, and body. This anniversary year invites us to pause, reflect on our mission, and renew our collective commitment together for the years ahead. From the very beginning, our life-changing work has never been done alone. We strengthen our impact through deep, enduring collaboration across our region for all. Throughout 2026, we’ll highlight and uplift how the Y has shown up for 150 Years for All. Our history includes dates and milestones, but the story of our impact is best told through the people, experiences, and moments of connection that have built community for a century and a half. Our 150-year story is shaped by our shared mission and deep collaborations with members, volunteers, donors, staff, schools, cities, nonprofits, healthcare providers, and businesses, who have walked alongside the Y to meet evolving community needs.
There are 150+ Reasons Y we do the work we do, from youth day and overnight camps to diabetes prevention and behavioral health counseling, shelter for youth and young adults experiencing homelessness, water safety, youth sports and employment, and early education. Each reason reflects the Y’s commitment to community and the shared belief that lasting impact happens when community cares for community aligned in purpose and promise for all. Our 150+ Reasons Y series will connect where we began, who we are today, and how we are working together to build the future we want for our children.
Just one of 150+ Reasons Y —
and a foundation for all our work:
150 Years for Equity and Justice for All
Advancing Equity and Justice for All so everyone can thrive, today and for generations.
As contributors to a social safety net for our neighbors, we work For All by partnering with those who live and work in the communities where you live. These trusted individuals and organizations understand the diverse cultures, needs, and realities of their neighbors, helping to remove barriers and extend opportunities more widely.
When Equity and Justice for All guides our collective actions, community becomes a place where everyone can be, belong, and become.
As the year unfolds, we have our gaze set on continuing to build the infrastructure to sustain our impact for the next 150 years.
Some of our key objectives in 2026 include:
Deepening the impact of the Y Social Impact Center (YSIC) in transitional housing, behavioral health, crisis response, and violence prevention as part of the Y’s role in the social safety net For All in our community — centering connection, belonging, and opportunities to thrive.
Increasing enrollment at our Early Education Centers in Eastgate (Bellevue), Auburn, Woodinville, Redmond, West Seattle, and Seattle so that more children can learn, grow, and thrive in safe, nurturing spaces.
Completing our fundraising and beginning construction on our new Early Education Center in Tukwila, in collaboration with HealthPoint — expanding early education opportunities in that community.
Increasing the number of Active Older Adults who can access the Y through insurance memberships paid by their Medicare supplemental plan — supporting community connection, physical movement, and many dimensions of well-being later in life.
Launching NFL Flag for boys and girls in spring 2026 — creating more ways for young people to build skills, confidence, and friendships through play.
Welcoming families from across our region to Healthy Kids Day on April 18, 2026 — for a day of movement, learning, and fun that celebrates healthy habits for life.
Growing The Neighborhood — our community of monthly recurring donors who support the Y all year long — so that more youth, families, and neighbors can count on us when they need us most.
Implementing our new Human Resources Information System to better support the staff who live our mission in Y locations every day.
Hosting our 150th Anniversary Gala on October 10, 2026 — inviting our community of supporters to come together in celebration of 150 Years for All and to invest in the road ahead.
Join Us
We invite you to reflect and celebrate all the Reasons Y the YMCA of Greater Seattle does the work we do For All, enriching lives in our community for a better us.
Across Youth Development, Whole Person Health, Social Impact, Equity and Justice for All, Operational Excellence, and more, we want to hear about all of your experiences and the Y’s impact on your family and community. Community partnerships are woven through each of these focus areas — helping us reach further and respond more effectively than we ever could on our own. Please stay tuned for the launch of a collection where you can share your experiences and perspectives, past and present. We look forward to lifting up your stories that highlight what it means to be a vital part of a social safety net for all in our community in real and practical ways. We know your Y journey highlights mission-based values, meaningful outcomes, and moments in our shared history that continue to guide us forward.
At the heart of this celebration is a simple truth: our communities are stronger when everyone feels welcomed, valued and affirmed, and has the opportunity to realize their full potential and thrive.
For generations, neighbors have come to the Y to find belonging, support their children, care for their own well-being, and walk alongside others in service to community. They have also come together across organizations and sectors, forming partnerships rooted in trust, shared purpose, and a commitment to the greater good. Our legacy of community belongs to you, and every member, program participant, alumni, donor, volunteer, board member, partner, staff member, and neighbor who has walked with us for 150 years.
Looking ahead, we see this special anniversary as a celebration of what has been and an invitation to help inspire what comes next. We invite you to stay connected, share your Y story, and consider how you might lend your time, your talent, your voice, and your resources so that the Y can be even more accessible to all youth, families, and communities — especially those who need us most. We need your partnership so everyone has the opportunity to experience the Y as a place to be, belong, and become. Together — with our community collaborators standing in the gap with us—we will continue building solutions that reflect the strength, diversity, and possibility of our region. When community cares for community, we strengthen our foundation for the next 150 years and beyond.
In gratitude and community,
Loria Yeadon, President
YMCA of Greater Seattle
