Welcome to the Meredith Mathews East Madison YMCA

Meredith Mathews East Madison YMCA is at the cultural and geographic heart of Seattle’s vibrant Central District. Since our founding in 1936, this branch has been a place where all people were welcome and where neighbors came together to build community and inspire one another to set and achieve lofty goals. One of only two Seattle area YMCAs to have a historic designation, our branch has deep roots in this uniquely diverse community. Our facility, originally designed by acclaimed architect Leon Bridges in 1965, was remodeled in 1991 and more recently in 2016. Its name pays homage to Mr. Meredith Mathews’ distinguished service as its director from 1957–1965. 

Coffee and community among members

Serving Our Community

The Meredith Mathews East Madison Branch of the YMCA of Greater Seattle serves southeast Seattle, including the Madison Valley, Madison Park, Madrona, North Capitol Hill, Capitol Hill, First Hill, Judkins Park, Central District, Rainier Valley, Columbia City, Beacon Hill, Hillman City, Rainier Beach, and Skyway neighborhoods.

Basketball coach and players

Empowering Youth Through Education

Meredith Mathews is the largest provider of youth education and development programs among all of the YMCA of greater Seattle branches. We partner directly with over 22 area schools to provide in and out of school time support such as tutoring, mentoring, integrated arts, academically aligned enrichment, and family engagement.

We are the only branch to engage directly in Youth Violence Prevention, with a goal of reducing juvenile court referrals and schools suspensions/expulsions by 50%. Additionally, we have pioneered the Black Achievers and Y Scholars programs, which has resulted in a 100% college acceptance rate for participants.