​In February 2015, in a partnership with the Office of Economic and Community Development (OECD), the local YMCA developed a business plan to make much needed capital improvements to the Bradford Family YMCA — improvements that resulted in a $500,000 state grant.

“This grant is a very exciting development, which will provide substantial support for the Bradford YMCA,” stated Sen. Joe Scarnati, R-Brockway. “Our local YMCA is an outstanding place for people of all ages. I am confident that the funding will help the YMCA to further their mission of building strong kids, strong families and strong communities.”

Scarnati explained that the $500,000 grant, awarded to the YMCA in October 2016, is a result of the State Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through the Governor’s Office of the budget.

According to Brent Raabe, Bradford Family YMCA branch manager, the YMCA’s board of directors and staff are still working on allocating funds received through the RACP program to the list of capital improvements discovered in the 2015 partnership.

The list includes upgrading the roof, electrical upgrades, facility expansion to the wellness center/group exercise, remodeling and relocating the current child watch room and other much needed upgrades/repairs to the aging facility, Raabe noted specifically.

“With the direction of the YMCA’s board of directors, we took a look at the major needs and opportunities of the facility,” Raabe explained. “The roof, electrical system and ceiling area over the pool are urgent needs due to the age and condition. The wellness center expansion will allow us to accommodate more members and add equipment while improving safety and function. The addition of a second group exercise studio will allow us to increase the amount of programs and classes for members to enhance their overall experience. And the remodeling and relocation of the child watch room will provide additional space for the YMCA’s youth activities, as well as improve the function of the child watch area that we felt was needed in order to expand the space for our youth and families while maximizing the usage of our building space.”

Raabe added that he believes the services the YMCA provides, both inside and out of the physical building, allow for opportunities that enrich “everyone’s lives” from birth to older adults. And these upgrades to the physical building will “greatly enhance” those services.

“Our local YMCA has a rich history in the Bradford community due to our tradition of changing with the needs of the population to become a better us,” Raabe commented. “We are unique in what is offered with the main focus revolving around our core values — caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.”

With the allocation of the funding underway, Raabe added that another decision was made to expand the YMCA’s offerings to better serve the community.

“Gathering input from our corporate partners and current membership, we discovered a desire for extended hours at the Bradford location, which the board of directors approved. Starting in January, we will be open from 4 a.m. to midnight, Monday through Friday,” Raabe stated.

The Bradford Family YMCA and the YMCA of the Twin Tiers will continue to look at the needs of the community, Raabe also expressed.

“At the Y, we strongly believe that we cannot make positive change alone and that the only way we can continue to stay relevant is through strong partnerships, of which we are proud to have with many individuals, local agencies, school districts and other not-for-profits, as well as state representatives,” he said.

Scarnati, who was instrumental in securing the state grant, explained that funding for this project will include repairs and physical improvements to enhance the overall programs and services the YMCA provides to the community. These include program areas used to conduct health and wellness programs which address the obesity and diabetes epidemic prevalent among both young and older people in our society.

It will also help provide services to school aged youth such as in-house before and after school programming, which focuses on teaching children the core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility — the motto of the Bradford YMCA.

“In rural Pennsylvania, just as in larger Pennsylvania cities, we deserve to have updated facilities for all of our residents to be able to utilize,” Scarnati stated. “I am confident that this state grant will be a great investment in our region and will help the facility to better serve the needs of our local community for many years to come.”