OUR HISTORY

The Portage Township YMCA was founded in 1969 as part of the YMCA of Porter County. In 1977, the "Y" became a separate agency under the name of Young Men's Christian Association of Portage Township, Inc.  The YMCA is a non-for-profit organization governed by a group of twenty-four volunteer board members.

The purpose of the Portage Township YMCA is to serve the family in ways that assist in the spiritual, mental, and physical development of the individual: encourage better family communications and offer classes and programs in areas of physical health, values education, skill improvement, family communications and community improvement. The YMCA serves families living in Portage Township, parts of Union Township and the eastern section of Lake County.

The Portage Township YMCA offers a wide variety of programs for adults and children. Within the facility, adult members (over age 14) have the opportunity to exercise on cardiovascular equipment , an indoor track, 12 Cybex machines and a wide variety of free weight machines and applications. The YMCA offers fitness and wellness classes for all ages and levels of ability. Members also have the opportunity to participate in classes that help to develop the mind and specific skills like Tai Chi and computer classes.

The Y building also houses the middle school students' teen center with a lounge area including a big screen TV, an activity center with pool. bumper pool, ping pong and fooze ball tables, and a ten station computer lab.

Outside the building a child's playground, pavilion, and access to Rails to Trails widen the possibilities for fun family activities.  As impressive as this sounds, approximately seventy percent of our programming takes place off grounds. Most of these programs are for children and include Y-Care (before and after school care), some preschool classes, a full aquatics program (including swim lessons, family open swims, water exercises and lap swim for adults), open basketball, summer day camp, and a gymnastics program (preschool through competitive team). Other than preschool which meets at a local church, all of the above youth/adult programs meet at various schools throughout Portage Township.

In April 20, 2004 we celebrated the opening of the Portage Township YMCA Child Care and Development Center.  This state-of-the-art center provides all day (6 a.m. - 7 p.m.) curriculum based child care for two through five year olds who are not yet in Kindergarten.

On May 18, 2006 the community gathered for the ground breaking ceremony for the Portage Township YMCA’s expansion project.  This project will add approximately 35,000 square feet to the "Y's" existing 26,000 square feet and will include extensive remodeling of the existing footage so the YMCA will have sufficient new and updated space to:

• expand its programs and services
• serve a much larger membership
• add a full size gymnasium (the Portage Township YMCA has never had its own gymnasium) which will allow the YMCA a space large enough to accommodate basketball, volleyball, and other athletic activities and programs which require a large space (e.g., family activities or youth programs featuring large motor activities).
• double the size of its cardiovascular area and add new equipment (treadmills, elliptical machines, exercise bikes, etc.)
• provide locker facilities on the first floor
• dedicate two rooms for the YMCA’s rapidly growing preschool program
• provide additional parking, a new covered entrance, and new access road making its facility more accessible to all especially to persons with disabilities.

We hope you will be able to join us during this exciting time in the Portage Township YMCA's history.