History
of the YMCA of the East Bay
YMCA of the USA History
The Young Men's Christian Association was founded in London, England, on June 6, 1844, in response to unhealthy social conditions arising in the big cities at the end of the Industrial Revolution (roughly 1750 to 1850). Growth of the railroads and centralization of commerce and industry brought many rural young men who needed jobs into cities like London. They worked long hours and were far from home and family.
George Williams arrived in London in 1841 as a sales assistant in a draper's shop. He and a group of fellow drapers organized the first YMCA to substitute Bible study and prayer for life on the streets. By
The idea proved popular everywhere. In 1853, the first YMCA for African Americans was founded in Washington, D.C., by Anthony Bowen, a freed slave. The next year the first international convention was held in Paris. At the time, there were 397 separate Ys in seven nations, with 30,369 members total.
Since then, the YMCA has made contributions to many aspects of life in the United States. YMCAs invented basketball,
YMCA of the East Bay History
The YMCA of the East Bay was started in 1879 as the Young Men’s Christian Association of Oakland. In a few short years the Oakland YMCA membership grew, with new branches opening in East Oakland, now known as the Eastlake YMCA, and on Telegraph Avenue, the original YMCA in Oakland, with housing for men. These facilities offered housing, sports, recreation, language instruction and character development for thousands of young men. In West Contra Costa County, community members organized the Richmond Coronado Community YMCA in 1918.
During the next