Capital District YMCA

One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned during my internship at the Capital District YMCA so far is how community-focused marketing plays a role in brand success. Recently, I've been working on email campaigns promoting upcoming YMCA programs, focusing on engaging both current and prospective members. Seeing the impact of personalized messaging and storytelling has reinforced the importance of relationship-building in marketing—it’s not just about promoting services, but connecting with people—which is what the Y is all about! I’d love to hear from others in marketing (and beyond!): What have been the most effective ways you’ve engaged with your audience? ?? #Marketing #Internship #CommunityEngagement #SienaMarketingPracticum

In 2015, Kevin Washington became the first African American - and the first person of color - to serve as CEO of the YMCA of the USA. Besides reimagining a new service delivery system across the Y movement, Washington was a leading national voice for relief from federal government for nonprofits devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. He spearheaded the highly successful #Relief4Charities effort, put Y-USA on a path to become an anti-racist, multicultural organization and engaged young people as changemakers in their communities. #BlackHistoryMonth #YForAll

Join us in congratulating our Saint of the Month Awardee, Gregory Owens! A dedicated leader and advocate, Greg is a licensed master social worker with over 34 years of service to New York State. He is a sought-after keynote speaker, trainer, and consultant in leadership, mentoring, and racial equity. He currently serves as Executive Director of Higher Horizons Community Development Corporation, working to uplift the Albany community. He is also recognized nationally and internationally for his work in social justice and leadership development, and has earned numerous awards, including the Harriet Tubman Titan Award and the Champion for Justice Award. Beyond his professional impact, Greg is a devoted husband, father, coach, and a talented soloist. Today we celebrate his unwavering commitment to making a difference!

In 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier and became the first Black major league baseball player. This same year he also became a volunteer boys coach at the Harlem YMCA with fellow coach and teammate Roy Campanella. #BlackHistoryMonth #YForAll

An entrepreneur, philanthropist and social activist, Madam C.J. Walker was one of the first self-made female American millionaires. She escaped poverty and built a company selling hair care products, which also gave her sales agents an income of their own. Walker was a philanthropic supporter of the YMCA and participated in and financially supported the NAACP's anti-lynching movement. #BlackHistoryMonth #YForAll

In 1915, at the Wabash Avenue YMCA in Chicago, Carter Woodson organized the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, which researched and celebrated the achievements of Black Americans. This led to his starting Negro History Week, the precursor to Black History Month. #BlackHistoryMonth #YForAll

The son of a freed enslaved family from Canada, William Hunton began his Y work in 1888 as the first employed YMCA secretary at a "Colored YMCA" in Norfolk, VA. Hunton worked among the soldiers in the Army camps during the Spanish-American War and in developing Student YMCAs on Black campuses throughout the South. He helped communities meet philanthropist Julius Rosenwald's challenge grant to build YMCAs for Black communities, and then helped recruit and train the staff and volunteers to lead those associations. #BlackHistoryMonth #YForAll

Please join to make a difference!!! A place for our neighbors to learn the language skills and build community together.

A former enslaved man and the first Black American to become a clerk in the U.S. Patent Office, Anthony Bowen founded the first YMCA for the Black community in Washington, D.C., in 1853, eight years before the Civil War. Additional Black Ys and college chapters were established in the following decades, with membership reaching 28,000 nationwide by the mid-1920s. #BlackHistoryMonth #YForAll

The history of the YMCA – like the history of the United States – is a story of incremental progress toward greater inclusion and equity for all. As we celebrate #BlackHistoryMonth, we are honoring the stories of Black leaders who helped move the Y – and America – forward, as well as recognizing that history continues to be created each and every day.