NORTH WEBSTER - For over 20 years, the YMCA has had a presence in the North Webster Community Center (NWCC).
Tuesday, the North Webster YMCA, 301 N. Main St., celebrated renovations to its space and new equipment with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the NWCC, K21 Health Foundation, Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce, the North Webster-Tippecanoe Township Chamber of Commerce and other community members.

    Emily Shipley (L), North Webster Community Center executive director, speaks about the center’s offerings and partnerships Tuesday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the renovations and new equipment at the North Webster YMCA in the NWCC. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union
  

“It’s a ribbon-cutting for our North Webster branch. We’re trying to reimagine the space and update it for the community, trying to have a more focused, intentional reach in this community,” said Kosciusko Community YMCA CEO Dr. Jim Swanson in an interview before the ceremony.
The YMCA has had a branch in the NWCC since 2004, just a couple years after the NWCC developed in the former North Webster Elementary School. Dave Hewitt has been the director of the North Webster YMCA since its beginning.
“We hadn’t updated it, and the way machines, technology, fitness (evolve), we’re happy, with the help of K21, to bring a more modern facility to North Webster. So that was the vision,” Swanson said.

    K21 Health Foundation CEO and President Rich Haddad (R) speaks at the ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday for the renovations and new equipment at the North Webster YMCA in the North Webster Community Center. To his right are Jennifer Stewart, K21, and Mike Murphy, Bowen Health. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union

They also purchased equipment for the Culver Family Wellness Center at the NWCC. “So that’s specific programming for the community and the community center. So you have Y programming, but you also have what the community center does and we wanted to come together to show partnership for the community,” he stated.
They’re on the same page, he said, and want to offer opportunities to the community for health and wellness.
As part of the focus on more programming for the community, Swanson said they have Rock Steady Boxing, which is a Parkinson’s program that the YMCA has offered since they renovated at the NWCC. They offer a lot of group fitness classes, yoga and Zumba. The NWCC offers cardio drumming, among other programming.
“We’re working with the center to partner on new, innovative programming that they think the community could benefit from,” he continued. “In the past, Y’s may just replicate what they do. We’re trying to be more North Webster-focused, Syracuse maybe as it’s not too far away.”
As far as new equipment, he said they have, “Everything, top to bottom. Plate machines. Cardio machines. Bikes. Elliptical machines. All the fitness equipment in there, even TVs. But, again, all the free weights and all plate machines in there. So a huge, huge upgrade for this community.”

    Pictured is just one of the new pieces of equipment available at the North Webster YMCA. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union
  

Just like the other two YMCA locations in Warsaw, the North Webster YMCA is open to anyone in the county who has a YMCA membership.
“It’s been important for us to be out here, so we wanted to communicate the importance that we remain up here,” Swanson said. “And for a small town, North Webster, it’s pretty nice. And then when you tie in with what they’re doing at the center, there’s a lot here for this community. There’s a whole lot for this community and we just wanted to be a part of it and say we care.”
He said the YMCA is trying to become more intentional to try to immerse itself and staff members where appropriate in the community and community events to have a bigger presence.
There currently are about four to five part-time staff members at the North Webster YMCA and the director.
“At the end of the day, we want to be a part of healthy living, and so how do we partner with the community center to reach this population better? K21 supported our vision to renovate this place to show the community they’re important. That a small town like this can have this much opportunity and impact,” Swanson said.
Before Covid hit in 2020, peak membership at the North Webster YMCA was about 840. It’s at about 770 now.
“It’s actually been maintaining well, which is another argument for investing in it,” Swanson stated.
The North Webster YMCA is not open 24/7. Hours are 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. It’s closed Sundays, according to the website.
To get a membership, a person can apply online at https://www.kcymca.org. Eventually, they have to stop in to the North Webster or Parkview YMCA to finalize the paperwork, sign waivers and get an ID tag.
“We’re just excited. It’s been something long overdue. We’ve talked about it a long time, so it’s just great to finally be able to do it,” Swanson stated.
During the ceremony, Rich Haddad, president and CEO of K21, said, “We’re glad to be here and we’re glad to be a part of this. When I think about the North Webster Community Center, I think about community, that word stands out to me. We’ve done a variety of different grants to help support this community center because I think it’s a shining beacon to what a community is all about. And to have a place that kind of brings the community together in a variety of ways in a variety of benefits in a variety of purposes - we have a common leader, Jon Sroufe, who I know was instrumental in a lot of the passion behind making sure this community center not only was a reality, but all the challenges of taking an old, wonderful, historic building and making it functionally effective for this community. Jon was hugely instrumental in that.”
Sroufe also was a board member for K21 for a number of years, too, Haddad mentioned.
“But you guys are the envy of a lot of communities in Kosciusko County because of this place that brings people together, that provides services, that is a home to a lot of organizations that are making a difference in our community, but certainly, from our standpoint, a real epicenter of health and wellness opportunities,” he said.
Emily Shipley, executive director of the NWCC, stated, “If you have not been to the community center before, I invite you to take a lap around and see everything that is here, all that we have to offer. It’s a fantastic place. And how can we be so lucky that the YMCA has a branch here in North Webster?”
She said the NWCC can’t wait to continue to grow its programs and work with the YMCA.
“Our vision is big and our future is very bright here,” Shipley concluded.
Rob Parker, president and CEO of the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce, thanked everyone who invested their time and sweat and tears to make it all happen.
“This is a shining example of what can happen when a community comes together, finds deep and rich partnerships that make this work,” he said. “Because without the partnerships, this probably wouldn’t have been successful and sustainable, but this is amazing. To be able to link history and move it forward, this represents so much history here.”
Matt Reinholt, Kosciusko Community YMCA Board of Directors treasurer, reiterated, “This is again a shining example, like Rich said, of just partnerships and groups coming together.”