YMCA
To Distance Itself From
"Christian" Origins
The widely known nonprofit
organization announced a major
brand
transformation Monday,
adopting a more
"forward-looking" logo
called "The Y." "We are
changing how we talk about
ourselves
so that people better
understand the
benefits of engaging with the
Y,"
said Kate Coleman, senior vice
president and chief marketing
officer
of the YMCA of the USA, in a
press
release for the brand change.
"We
are simplifying how we
describe the
programs we offer so that it
is
immediately apparent that
everything
we do is designed to nurture
that
potential of children and
teens,
improve health and well-being
and
support our neighbors and the
large
community," she said. The YMCA
was founded in 1844 in London.
It was
named the "Young Men's
Christian
Association" and sought to
create
healthy social conditions for
young
men during the Industrial
Revolution.
The parallel YWCA for women
also dates
back to the 19th century, and
the YMCA
began admitting women in its
programs
at the end of World War II.