Youth Development

Nurturing the potential of every child and teen. All kids deserve the opportunity to discover who they are and what they can achieve. That’s why, through the Y, thousands of youth in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties are cultivating the values, skills, and relationships that lead to positive behaviors, better health, and lifelong achievement.

Healthy Living

Improving the nation’s health and well-being. The Y is a leading voice on health and well-being. With a mission centered on balance of the spirit, mind, and body, the Y encourages good health and fosters connections through fitness, sports, and shared interests, to achieve greater health and well-being for the whole person.

Social Responsibility

Giving back and providing support to our neighbors. The Channel Islands YMCA has been listening and responding to our communities’ most critical social needs since 1887. Through the Y, thousands of volunteers, donors, leaders and partners across Santa Barbara and Ventura counties are empowering others to be healthy, confident, connected and secure.

Our Mission 


In 1989, the YMCA in Santa Ynez Valley was formed and based out of the Santa Ynez Valley Presbyterian Church. 1998, a 5-million dollar capital campaign afforded us the ability to build our current 27,000 square foot facility, renamed the Stuart C. Gildred Family YMCA, where we quickly grew to over 6000 members, spanning seven communities and offering a multitude of programs with a focus on youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. In 2011, the facility expanded to increase the capacity to involve and engage more youth, adults, and seniors.

The YMCA movement in America is one of the largest not-for-profit community-based organizations in the nation, serving 20 million Americans. The nation’s more than 2,700 YMCAs unite men, women, and children of all ages, faiths, backgrounds, abilities and income levels. YMCAs are also at work abroad, serving more than 45 million people in countries across the world.

 

Our Staff


At the Stuart C. Gildred Family YMCA, you’ll discover a gathering place where families bond and stay connected, youth and teens build character values and leadership skills, seniors find companionship and improve their health, and adults find community, well-being, and support. For many, the Y is like a second home.

Staff & Board