Mission Moments

Jill Kolesar, President and CEO of the Akron Area YMCA, has announced her plans to retire in June 2026, bringing to a close an inspiring 38-year journey with the Y that began with her service as a volunteer at the Riverfront YMCA in Cuyahoga Falls.

"When I first moved here, I had feelings of excitement and anxiety - well, the anxiety may have been greater," said Yuriko Takase, who came to the United States from Japan earlier this year.The family of five made the 6,500-mile journey for Yuriko's husband, Dr. Koki Takase, who started a new job in Macedonia, Ohio.

For several years, Marty Bidlingmyer had been the unofficial planter / weeder / waterer of the garden owned by the Lake Anna YMCA. “I just did it, because that’s what I do,” she said, in her matter-of- fact way. But tending the garden is more than a one-person job. 

For Black History Month, students from Akron, OH were invited to go on the annual Rosa Parks Tour through the Akron Area YMCA. The Rosa Parks tour aims to educate our youth while also allowing them to see different aspects of their community.