Nonprofit organization in Buda continues its mission

Before ground was broken for the Hays Communities branch of the YMCA, Executive Director Bret Kiester said, programs and services were already in place to establish a presence in the community.

Once those services began to bloom, plans were made for construction of a facility in Buda.

Youth sports were a big presence for the YMCA of Austin in Hays County, Kiester said, with football, baseball and soccer topping the list. Since the completion of the building that houses a natatorium, the facility's aquatics programs have grown.

"Our membership normally runs between eight and 8,500," Kiester said. "When summer rolls around, we usually increase by 1,000 members. Last year, we had 9,523."

He said the aquatics program has grown in popularity mostly because of the Y's collaborative efforts with Hays CISD.

"The Y," as it being referred to after recent rebranding, celebrated its fifth anniversary in Hays County on May 7 and is continuing the organization's 168-year-old mission to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind and body.

In line with that mission, Kiester said the facility has made its natatorium available to the school district to help students fulfill physical education requirements and to reach out to those who may not have an opportunity to swim in a pool because of economic hardships.

In addition to teaching youngsters how to swim, instructors also teach safety. It is important to keep in mind, Kiester said, that Hays County is an area surrounded by different water sources.

"Drowning is the No. 2 leading cause of death in children ages 14 and younger," he said. "Car accidents are the No. 1 [cause of death]."

Kiester said programs are available through membership fees and fundraising, but it is not unusual for the center to spend more in services than it raises.

Parent organization YMCA of Austin, for example, provided $2.5 million in services to is seven branch locations in 2011, but took in only about half of that.

The same applies in Hays County, he said, with the local organization raising about $80,000 annually and providing more than $140,000 in services and programs.

People are familiar with YMCA, Kiester said, but what they may not be aware of is that it is a product of good deeds by members within the community.

The Buda branch of the Y is staffed with community members.

"These four walls is not the YMCA," Kiester said. "The YMCA is all of the programs and community services we offer. If the building crumbled to the ground today, the YMCA would still be around."

Hays Communities YMCA, 465 Buda Sportsplex Drive, Buda, 523-0099, www.austinymca.org, Twitter: @ymcaaustinhays