OUR HISTORY

The YMCA was established in the Olean and Bradford communities in 1886 as separate chartered non-profit organizations. Nearly 120 years later, the two community YMCAs merged into one. In 2007, the Olean-Bradford Area YMCA was born and grew into an organization that has a vast array of resources to meet the growing needs of the people in our communities. In 2012, we collaborated with Upper Allegheny Health System and opened our Gymnastics Center in Limestone, NY. With this stand-alone gym for our Flames Team and progressive program, we are able to serve over 250 youth and change their lives with YMCA sports. That same year, we entered into an agreement with the Town of Wellsville and the Wellsville Central School to provide programming in Wellsville. We started by staffing a fitness center at the high school and an aquatic center at the elementary school as well as managing all of the recreation programs that were previously run by the Town. Everything fell into place and by January of 2013, the YMCA was officially in Wellsville. We opened a storefront facility on December 9, 2013 and changed our name to the YMCA of the Twin Tiers.

Today, the YMCA of the Twin Tiers serves more than 11,000 members and an additional 3,000 program participants through three branches in Allegany, Cattaraugus and McKean Counties. We also provide Afterschool Child Care at 9 licensed sites in 7 school districts as well as at 2 YMCA Child Care & Early Learning Centers.

In Olean, Bradford, Wellsville, across the nation and around the world, the accomplishments of the Y over the years reveal a mission to constantly search for innovative ways to meet community needs. An understanding of our history contributes to every decision we make, every program we offer and every value we practice. We celebrate our character daily, for years of conviction to do the right thing.