The Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA was founded based on the core character values of: Faith, Caring, Honesty, Respect, and Responsibility. The YMCA continues to flourish today because those values are as relevant to today’s world as they were in 1844, when a young drapery clerk named George Williams sought to develop a wholesome place for young people to escape the immorality of the London Streets during the Industrial Revolution.
 

By 1851 there were 24 Ys in Great Britain, with a combined membership of 2,700. That same year the Y arrived in North America: It was established in Montreal on November 25, and in Boston on December 29. From there, the YMCA grew quickly across the United States and Canada.
 

In 1908 the first YMCA facility was built in Tampa--a 50,000 square foot building on the corner of N. Florida Ave. and Zack Street. The cost of the building was $100,000 and was funded entirely through contributions from individuals. This YMCA brought Tampa its first gymnasium, indoor swimming pool and had residential headquarters to provide housing for young men when they came to the city.
 

Over the decades, that first branch located on Zack Street in downtown Tampa has grown to 18 facilities across Hillsborough and eastern Pasco counties, each one providing the wholesome, life-enriching activities young George Williams envisioned so long ago. YMCAs all across America became an integral part of our culture's fabric, sparking a spirit of creativity that has given us basketball and volleyball, both invented at the YMCA; the idea of night school which has enabled so many to further their education; and the concepts for healthy organizations including the Boy Scouts and Campfire Girls.
 

Today, the YMCA, the largest and oldest service organization in America,  serves 17 million members in 120 countries. In Tampa alone, we reach more than 140,000 individuals each year through membership, programs, and outreach activities in our community. Through Our Vision 2020, we have laid the foundation that will take our YMCA into the future so that we can continue to serve the Tampa community for years to come.