Pawtucket Family YMCA • MacColl YMCA • Woonsocket YMCA

1889 - 2014
Pawtucket Family YMCA • MacColl YMCA • Woonsocket YMCA • Westwood YMCA • Heritage Park YMCA
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
The YMCA of Pawtucket is celebrating its 125th year. That is an incredible accomplishment for a
charitable organization and reflects the importance of its mission and the strength of its leadership over time. While it was founded in the early years to provide character development, religious
values and recreation for young men, today its mission remains largely unchanged. The Y endeavors to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build character and promote a
healthy spirit, mind and body for all.
Today the YMCA of Pawtucket is active in communities from Woonsocket to Lincoln to Pawtucket and Central Falls and
in Coventry. Offerings range from recreation and socializing for seniors to fitness and nutrition for adults and academic
support and active recreation for youth as well as childcare and early education. Programs and services are offered regardless of the financial means of our members, which is a commitment long-held by the Y and of which we are proud.
Our year has been a big success! I am proud of our volunteers and their efforts to raise funds to support the Y’s mission. The All Star Benefit, made possible through our partnership with the Pawtucket Red Sox, and our Golf Tournament were well-attended and supported strongly by our business and corporate partners. Thanks to support from The
Champlin Foundations and other fundraising, we were able to replace most of our bus fleet this year. Also, our membership continues to be at a record high, our camp enrollment this season was at capacity and our current childcare
enrollment is exceptionally strong. These are not only markers of fiscal health, but also indicators of program quality
and satisfaction by our members and users. As we mark 125 years of service,
I am pleased to report so much good news and to share with the community the quality of the Y’s offerings and the
overall good health of the organization as we look forward to another century of service.
Rebecca Book President, Board of Directors
TREASURER’S REPORT
2014 was a very good year for our YMCA financially with operating funds over $11 million for the
first time and a year-end surplus of $ 183,000. Key areas of strength were Public Support with
growth of 31%, membership growth of 14% and program fees of 12%. Our 125th year was also a
record year for youth and family camping with over 11% increase in participation at all branches.
The Y, as it turns 125 old, is in an excellent position financially and we are grateful to our members,
supporters and the communities we serve for their continued support. The high level of member involvement are a
testament to the high quality of programs and services offered by the by the YMCA of Pawtucket.
Last year our YMCA paid $542,000 in debt reduction on debt now totaling $11,760,702. We also added $50,000 to
our Endowment funds to help underwrite future programs and set aside over $1.1 million dollars in cash reserves and
capital improvements.
My appreciation to the staff for a difficult job very well-done and a board of directors who
worked hard in support of the communities we serve.
Kevin Burns, Treasurer
2014 FINANCIAL REPORT
Comparative Statement of Operations
YMCA of Pawtucket
1889
The Young Men’s Christian
Association came to Pawtucket.
It was founded by a small
group of civic leaders. The
first meeting was held at Park
Place Congregational Church
on December 20, 1889. H. W.
Harrub was elected as the
chairman and a constitution
was established. Months later,
the Y.M.C.A. took up occupancy
at the Kinyon Block Building
on North Union and Broad
Streets. Early meetings were
attended by working men
who got together to engage in
positive activities.
1885
1890
1894
The Pawtucket Y.M.C.A. took a
ten-year lease on the second
floor of the new Taylor Building
on Broad St. The building was
erected by Ramson C. Taylor
on the site of the old Pawtucket
Street Railway Depot. This year,
the Evening Times published an
article describing the excitement
that was being generated in the
community about such a move.
The former location in the Kinyon
building was no longer adequate
to accommodate the influx of new
members that were joining the
Y.M.C.A. at a steady rate. Also,
The floors were not equipped to
handle the exercise classes.
125th ANNIVERSARY of THE YMCA OF PAWTUCKET
2011
The YMCA was established in London, England, in 1844 by George Williams to give young working men an alternative to life on the streets.
1903
After the turn of the century,
the trend for expansion and
a need for a more permanent
site prompted the Directors to
search for a new location. In
1903, the site of the present
YMCA on Summer and Maple
Streets was purchased for
$18,000. Construction began
on the new building in 1905.
1900
1916
The Y.M.C.A. continued to grow rapidly. and in April of 1916
purchased a 65-acre farm in Coventry, Rhode Island, now
called Camp Westwood. The price was $1,500 for the farm
and buildings. Board President, John Johnston named the
camp after his niece, Miss Arlene Westwood. After the purchase, the Y.M.C.A. commisioned Henry Vigeant to build the
Mirimichi (Indian name for gathering place); a dining hall for
the campers. Camp Westwood still provides an opportunity
for city youngsters to enjoy the summer months in a country
atmosphere. The camp has RV and tent camping today.
1910
1915
1907
The Pawtucket/Central Falls YMCA opened its new
building on Summer and Maple Streets to the public. It
had a reading room, parlor, game room, men’s locker
room, gymnasium and bowling alley. The new building allowed for membership growth and to expand
program offerings. During the same period, the YMCA
movement was gaining popularity across the nation.
Early YMCAs created a number of programs to make
vocational and higher education available to more people,
especially working-class Americans. The International
YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts
invented Basketball and other popular sports. The
sports were also enjoyed by local YMCA members. It
remains home of the Pawtucket Family YMCA today.
1925
1930
1940
1955
1998
In 1950, Ray Larsen, YMCA General Director, was seeking land to
establish a day camp for children from Pawtucket and Central Falls.
He came upon an old dairy farm in Lincoln. A local businessman,
Norman MacColl, came forward and offered to give the YMCA the
$55,000 needed to purchase the property. Soon after the purchase
the YMCA built a large pool for a family swim club and to serve as
resource for the day camp program. Route 146 was being built
at the time so the YMCA permitted the State to dump excess soil
on the property and create two new ball fields for the camp. The
original dairy barn was saved and converted to a program center
and still functions today as an early learning center.
In August of 1998, Heritage Park YMCA opened its doors
on Roosevelt Ave. in Pawtucket, RI. The center was created
because of the growing need for safe, affordable and convenient childcare for infants, toddlers and preschoolers in
the area. Before the center, childcare for this age group
was offered at St. Paul’s Church in a program called “Little
Rascals”. Today, Heritage Park YMCA provides childcare to
approximately 300 children on a daily basis. The center is
one of the largest of its type in Rhode Island.
1950
1960
1970
The need for childcare for families continued in Blackstone
Valley. In 2010, the YMCA opened Four Corners Early
Learning Center in Cumberland, RI. It renovated the old
Mossberg Steel Company and developed it into a state-ofthe-art facility. The center operates today providing childcare to approximately 150 children on a daily basis. Both
childcare centers have high ratings with BrightStars, Rhode
Island’s quality rating and improvement system in childcare
and early learning programs.
1980
1990
1940
1942
1966
1979
Campers at Camp Westwood
could now enjoy water rights
on the Quidnick Reservoir.
In the 1940’s a group of land
owners and the Pawtucket
YMCA approached the Quidnick
Reservoir Company and they
purchased the property owned
by the company which included
the dam and water flowage
rights. This property and these
rights were turned over to the
YMCA in 1940. Today, families
continue to enjoy the reservoir.
Shortly after World War II,
YMCA “outposts” such as
the Ten Mile in Pinecrest,
the Darlington Plains and
Fairlawn Post in Pawtucket
were created. The YMCA
outposts were developed
to host youth activities and
camps to area youth. They
were functioning for quite
awhile. They were slowly
dismantled over the years.
The final land for Darlington
was sold in the early 80’s.
The Pawtucket Family YMCA
installs an addition to its
existing building to house
its new pool. Before this was
built, there was a tiny pool
in the men’s locker room. It
was common for the male
members to swim freely in
it. Shortly after the new pool
was built, the YMCA opened
up swimming to male and
females and to expand its
programming to include a
family aquatics program.
The Pawtucket YMCA ended its
residency program for men and
closed its dormitories. The program
began in the 1920s to help young
men find a place to stay while
looking for work in factories. In its
heyday, the YMCA had 44 rooms
filled. Because of revised fire
codes, the program needed to be
shut down. Acting Executive Director, Robert Bendl assisted the
men with relocation. This left the
top floors of the Family YMCA unoccupied for many years.
2000
MacColl YMCA hosted a “Topping Off
Event” to place the last girder in place in
the new building. In 2012, MacColl YMCA
opened its doors of its new two-story
50,000 square foot year-round facility. It
took 15 months to complete. MacColl Field
had provided childcare, swimming, camping and other successful family programs
for over 60 years. At grand opening, MacColl
dropped the Field in its name and became
a full YMCA facility. The state-of-the-art
building includes a 25-yard family pool,
a “kiddy” pool with slide, fitness center
with locker rooms and showers, a high
school sized gymnasium, a 30ft. climbing
wall and program rooms. In addition, the
YMCA also converted two existing yearround buildings on the grounds to expand
its capacity for preschool early learning
and teen programming. Since its opening,
MacColl currently has 8,500 members and
continues to grow. MacColl also revamped
its programming to meet the needs of
family members of any age group.
2005
2007
The Board of Directors finished a major
renovation of the Pawtucket Family
YMCA on Summer St. This upgrade was
to modernize the building. The goal was
to keep it viable for its members in the
long term. The building was basically
gutted out while keeping the historic
exterior intact. Construction eliminated
the walking track, the defunct bowling
alley, squash courts and many other
rooms that were no longer popular.
The reclaimed space was reallocated to
provide a full-size gymnasium, a 23ft
rock wall, a preschool play room, an
expanded 2-level fitness center with
other fitness purpose rooms and to be
handicapped-accessible. After reopening, the Family Y redesigned its programming to accommodate its offerings
to include all age groups from youth
to older active adults. This project was
recognized by “YMCA of the USA’s Facility
Excellence Award”. Today, the Family Y
operates at full capacity giving families
many resources to live healthier lives.
The YMCA extends a special thanks to the staff of the Pawtucket Public Library and the Pawtucket Times for help with this research. We appreciate all of your help!
2010
2014
2012
Members of the Greater
Woonsocket YMCA held a
special vote to become part
of the YMCA of Pawtucket.
In 1901, the YMCA’s original
brick building was built. The
pool part of the YMCA building was the old Woonsocket
Post Office which served the
community for 65 years.
The meeting was held at the
Woonsocket Senior Center.
Members voted to merge
with the YMCA of Pawtucket
in order to pool together
resources to offer members
and the community a more
stable environment.
2014 LEADERSHIP SOCIETY
Diamond
($5,000 plus)
Bronze
($500 – 999)
Pewter ($250 – 499)
Champlin Foundations
Duquette, Hurley & Associates
Bank RI
City of Pawtucket CDBG
Advanced Network Systems
Douglas Brown
City of Woonsocket CDBG
Bank of America
Ellie Burns
June Rockwell Levy Foundation
Bay Business Machines,Inc.
Sandra Cabral
Esselton and Dorothy McNulty
Sean and Rachel Cassidy
Patrick Carey
Navigant Credit Union
Bintou Chatterton
Robin Coggins
Rhode Island Dept of Education
Robert Cioffi
Jeanne Cola
Rhode Island Foundation
Bradford Dean
Kenneth Douglas, Jr.
Woonsocket Rotary Club
Joshua Duquette
Erin Combs
Antonio Pires
Andrea and William Engle
Coastway Credit Union
Douglas Fund
Debra Gorman
Eric Huard
Karen Guerrier
William and Ellen Hunt
Brenda Hauser
Rebecca Book
JH Communications
Kara Jones
Providence Journal Summertime Fund
Dana and Nancy Newbrook
Michael Laprade
Edna Poulin
Kevin O’Callahan
Guillermo Londono
Senator Edward O’Neil
Louisa McCoy
Orlinski Fund
Susan Reed
Rev. Dr. George Peters
Quintin Prout
Kristin Quinn
Michael Riccardi
Rotary Club of North Providence
RI Trucking Association
RJB Properties. LLC
Janet Swanson
Shove Insurance
Jose Santos
Troy, Pires & Allen Associates
Dave Sousa
Twin River
Maureen Thistle
United Way
(Combined Federal Campaign)
Margaret Tormey
Platinum ($2,500-4,999)
Gold
($1,500 – 2,499)
Dr. Peter and Silvia Baziotis
Levin Foundation
Pawtucket Red Sox
Pepsi Bottling Group LLC
Jim and Lori Stewart
Edward Tucker
Silver
($1,000 – 1,499)
Kevin and Margaret Tracy
Adler, Pollock & Sheehan
United Way SECA
Dupuis Oil
Zeth Tucker
Marc Dupuis
Danny Walsh
Catherine Eastwood
International Packaging
Pawtucket Credit Union
Frederick Reinhardt III
Rotary Club of Cumberland - Lincoln
Robert and Donna Sherman
Bradford Bellows
Donald Thomassen
The YMCA of Pawtucket would like to thank our
Heritage Sponsor, Navigant Credit Union for
helping make this year’s annual meeting possible.
2014 DIRECTORS AND STAFF
2014 EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
2014 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Rebecca Book, President
Marc Dupuis, Vice President
Frederick Reinhardt, Vice President
Frederick Hall, Vice President/Secretary
Kevin Bruns, Treasurer
Bintou Chatterton, Asstistant Treasurer
Antonio Pires, Past President
Peter Baziotis, MD
Douglas Brown
Jeanne Cola
Deborah Foley
Joshua Giraldo
Mark House
William Hunt
Marilyn Shannon McConaghy
Dana Newbrook
Eliseo Nogueras
2014 HONORARY DIRECTORS
Lawrence Kortick
Francis Chicoine
William Hunt
Lewis Miller
Dana Newbrook *
James Hennessey
Edna S. Poulin *
Leo Fox
Robert Sherman *
Charles White
Rev. Dr. George Peters *
Kevin Tracy *
Susan Reed *
CORPORATE OFFICE
Esselton McNulty - General Director
Jim Stewart - Branch Operations Director
Ann Ervey - Director of Finance
Maureen Thistle - Human Resource Manager/
Administrative Assistant
Donna Marie King - Graphic Designer/
Communications Coordinator
Patricia Chavier - Bookkeeper ✝
Ingrid Gustafson - Bookkeeper
PAWTUCKET FAMILY YMCA/
HERITAGE PARK YMCA
Patrick Nugent, MD
Robert Oster
Rev. Dr. George Peters
Edna Poulin
Susan Reed
Robert Sherman * *
Kevin Tracy
Mary Varr
John Ward
* Also serving on Board of Directors
* * Resigned
✝ Deceased
MACCOLL YMCA
Robert Cioffi – Executive Director
Andrea Engle – Senior Program Director
Shana McElroy – Health & Wellness Director * *
Maureen Wilcox – Health & Wellness Director
Eric Huard – Youth & Aquatic Director
Karen Guerrier – Childcare & Camp Director
Janet Swanson – Membership Director
Louisa McCoy – Early Learning Center Director
Michael Laprade – Property Manager
Margaret Tormey – Administrative Assistant
Nickolas Rogers – Assistant Aquatics Director
Anthony Simmons – Childcare /Teen Director
Jim Stewart – Executive Director
Katelyn DiSano – Childcare Site Director
Sean Cassidy – Senior Program Director
Sean Guzeika – Childcare Site Director
Kristin Quinn – Fitness & Wellness Director
Alan Moreau – Childcare Site Director
Erin Combs – Director of Early Childhood Education
Jose Santos – Childcare Site Director
Christy Carrion – Childcare Director
Brittany St. Pierre – Childcare Site Director
Danny A. Walsh – Facilities Director
Alyson Johnson – Childcare Site Director
Amanda Choiniere – Childcare Director * *
Sheniqua Rogers – Childcare Site Director
Dave Sousa – Membership Manager
Brooke Coderre – Childcare Site Director
Joshua Duquette – Fitness & Wellness Associate
WESTWOOD YMCA
WOONSOCKET YMCA
Donna Viveiros – Office Manager
Diane Martin – Center Director
Donald Thomassen – Executive Director
Howard Thomas – Maintenance Director
Hillary Switzer – Aquatic Director * *
Brian Dunn – Childcare Site Director
Edward Rotella – Aquatic Director
David Rondeau – Maintenance Director
Melodie Curran – Membership Coordinator
Diane Oberg – Childcare Site Director * *
Patricia Falvey – Childcare & Camp Director
Celeste Spencer – Childcare Site Director
Promoting Healthy Living
Locally and nationally, the YMCA has a strong commitment to promoting healthful living at
all ages in all communities.
The YMCA of Pawtucket has added a number of programs that support and promote being
active, exercising, eating well, encouraging work/life balance, combating lifestyle diseases
such as hypertension and diabetes, and recovering after cancer treatment or finding support
after the death of a spouse. Not only does the Y offer programs, services and education that
create an environment for engaging in these pursuits, but it has a highly trained staff who
are supportive, offer encouragement and have empathy for people seeking to make changes
to better their health and their lives. The Y works closely with its members involved in these
programs.
Because the YMCA knows that healthy lifestyles are achieved through nurturing mind, body
and spirit, fitness and well-being and is promoted throughout the Y. We believe sports,
fun and exploring new interests aren’t just for the young. Along with improving health,
whenever teamwork is involved, there’s the added benefit of being connected to others.
That’s why there is a range of recreational activities at the Y.
Beyond fitness facilities, the Y provides educational programs to promote healthier
decisions, and offer a variety of programs that support physical, intellectual and spiritual
strength. Also, healthy eating and nutritional information are part of all that we do for all
age groups. For adults, the YMCA offers instruction in risk management and prevention for
chronic diseases.
All of our YMCA branches now offer preventative resources to the community. The Pawtucket
Family YMCA members have access to exercise and nutrition programs and the “Fight for
Fitness”. This is an effort which motivates participants to shed pounds. At MacColl YMCA
“Prescribe the Y” is a twelve-week engaging exercise program for adults
who are at high risk for developing heart and/or metabolic disease.
Westwood YMCA offers “Yoga on the Beach” and “Aqua Fit”. These
programs help to manage the risk of developing a chronic disease and
help our members, of all ages, to develop healthy habits and improved
physical conditions.