The YMCA released a statement today inviting the public to attend the first community meeting at the Tioga County Branch YMCA on Thursday, September 9th at 6:00pm at the Mansfield Armory (the new Tioga County Branch YMCA building).
“This is an opportunity for anyone to ask questions about the new Y, find out exactly what the Y is (see article), give feedback to us on programs you’d like us to offer, and to get involved,” said Dave Fagerstrom, River Valley Regional YMCA CEO. “We’re looking forward to hearing what community needs the Y might be able to satisfy. This is a really great opportunity for everyone to come together to ensure the new Tioga County Branch YMCA starts off right. We are really hoping for a strong showing.”
"Depending on the turnout, and the volunteer support received, the new Y should be opening mid to late September. We will have many opportunities for people to help us out. We already know we’d like to do some initial fundraising for basic office supplies such as a desk, phone, and computer. Of course, we also will need supplies for the kids/teens such basketballs and the like,” said Fagerstrom.
“We’ve already lined up Elisabeth ‘Lis’ Miranda as a part-time consultant for the new branch,” said Fagerstrom. “Lis is a Mansfield resident and is currently employed at the Jersey Shore Branch YMCA as Executive Director. She has almost 15 years of Y experience, which will make the opening of the branch run smoothly. She’ll be here twice a week to lead the charge. Of course, a high priority will be for Lis to hire a local person to run the branch on a daily basis (a full time job). The Y already has a few local applicants for the position, but anyone interested can send her questions and/or resume to her via
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There has been a grass roots effort to bring the Y to the county from the beginning. “Early on, Rich Wilber, who grew up in Mansfield, but now lives and works in State College, has taken the lead on mustering support from the community. We owe him a large amount of thanks,” said Fagerstrom. “Rich formed a group called Southern Tioga Regional Youth Development Effort ‘STRYDE’ that has helped us tremendously. These young volunteers have moved donated equipment into the building and organized a 5K run/walk to raise awareness. The group has a lot of high school youth that are optimistic about what a Y will bring to the area. They’ve even created a STRYDE page on Facebook (it has 163 members) so that they can all keep track of the Y’s progress. They certainly deserve the recognition and our gratitude.”
This is the culmination of two years of effort to bring the Y to the county. “We started out a few years ago wanting to establish some sort of community center,” said Ed Grala, Mansfield Borough Manager. “As we looked closer at it, it became apparent an organization as well known and established as the Y could really bring a lot to the table. It’s also happening now due to the willingness of the municipalities collaborating. This new Y will make a lasting, positive change for the residents, perhaps more for the children and seniors, here in the county.”
The collaboration Mr. Grala is referring to is one in which the Borough of Mansfield, Covington Township, and Richmond Township have agreed to pool some limited funding to support the fledgling Y for the first five years. “By the end of the fifth year, the Tioga County Branch YMCA will be self-sufficient and won’t need the support anymore”, said Fagerstrom. “It is only through the support of the local municipalities we could afford to establish a Y here in Tioga County. Without their support and DCNR’s capital monies, we simply couldn’t afford to make the attempt. We want to thank all of the municipalities for their support.” “Yes, DCNR was a pivotal player in all of this. We are very thankful that they partnered with us on this project,” said Grala. “DCNR granted hundreds of thousands of dollars for needed renovations to the Armory which has made all of this possible.”
Renovations to the Armory include new windows, a new heating system, new flooring, renovations to the basic floor plan (taking out some walls), and removing all asbestos from the building. Of course, the outside of the Armory looks the same, except for the sign erected to give credit to the State for funding the project. “Yes, that’s true.” said Fagerstrom, “The Armory is built like a tank, so there really wasn’t much that needed to be done to the outside. It’ll be standing long after I’m gone (laughter). It is as solid as a rock. It is a neat building that is perfect for a start up Y.”
“We still have some work to be done on the inside”, said Lis Miranda. “We don’t yet have the funding for the fitness room or an office, so we’ll have to start some fundraising to get that done. Once the rooms are done, then we’ll need to purchase some treadmills, exercise equipment, etc. to make it a place where people can come in to get/stay healthy. So we’re still a ways away from being able to offer YMCA fitness memberships to the general public."
“The future Y-memberships and program fees will be available based on a sliding scale for those who can’t afford the full fee,” said Miranda. The Y is very adamant about no one being turned away due to inability to pay for services. In 2009, the four existing branches of the River Valley Regional YMCA awarded over $600,000 in direct Y-scholarship subsidies for those that needed help paying for memberships and services. “We hope once the Tioga County Branch YMCA is up and running, it’ll be a real force for good here in the county,” she said.
If you would like to keep up with the new Y’s progress, the Tioga County Branch YMCA has a page on Facebook, has its own webpage via www.rvrymca.org, and/or via the STRYDE facebook page previously mentioned. “We are excited about starting the process to talk to the residents, nonprofits, school districts, parents, etc. to see what they want this new Y to do here in the county,” said Fagerstrom. “It just doesn’t get any better than that. We’re hoping for a huge turn-out on the 9th of September up at the new Tioga County Branch YMCA location (the ex-Mansfield Armory).”
