As the Northfield Area Family YMCA becomes established in our town, more people are asking “Where’s the Y?”  It’s a fair question, no doubt, because the answer changes frequently as the YMCA grows it’s programs and it’s progress.

The YMCA has recently opened a Health and Wellness Fitness Center on the campus of the Northfield Retirement Community. And we moved our business office to the second level of the National Guard Armory, a location where many of it’s programs are based today.    These two locations will be utilized until a full YMCA facility is built in the future.

In addition to the business office and health and wellness center site, the YMCA can be found all around town.  Maybe you’ve noticed YMCA signs displayed at parks, schools, churches, ball fields, or even local farmsteads.   That’s because the YMCA collaborates with all sorts of entities to run programs.  For example, this past summer the Y collaborated with the Northfield Soccer Association, providing soccer instruction for 3-5 year olds at Sibley fields.  Another collaboration was between the Y and Northfield Community Services in the Youth Plus program held at Emmaus Church.  Perhaps the most unique was the summer wee camp program for kids held at the Estenson Farm.

Back in 2006, the YMCA set up shop in a tiny office in the Nutting Block building downtown Northfield.   From here the YMCA launched it’s first family-focused programs, utilizing parks and other facilities around town.  Some of the early programs included a nature class for kids at the Sibley marsh, youth tennis lessons at the middle school outdoor courts, youth golf lessons at the Northfield Golf Club, and Kids/Teen Nights at the National Guard Armory. 

So there you have it, a long answer to “where’s the Y?” question. To put it simply, it’s a little bit of here, there and everywhere.  For more information and a video tour of our new Health & Wellness Fitness Center, visit our website at www.northfieldymca.org.