YMCA of Metropolitan Atlanta

08/22/2026

08/19/2026

Recently, team members from across the YMCA of Metro Atlanta gathered at Salesforce Tower to explore an important question: How can AI help us better serve our communities while keeping people at the center of everything we do?

At the Y, relationships are at the heart of our mission. Our staff welcome members, coach young athletes, teach swim lessons, support families, and create spaces where people feel connected. Those moments can't be automated.

During the workshop, Salesforce experts helped us explore how AI can reduce repetitive tasks, improve communication, organize information more effectively, and ultimately create more time for what matters most: people.

As we continue exploring AI, we're building the foundation to use it thoughtfully and responsibly, including establishing an internal AI Governance Structure to help guide this work.

Thank you to our teams who organized this experience and to Salesforce for being a partner to us and helping us think about how technology can strengthen our mission, our staff, and the communities we serve.

08/17/2026

What does nonprofit impact look like?

Sometimes it’s a swim lesson. A meal. A first job. A safe place after school. A scholarship that makes camp possible. Or simply having somewhere you know you belong.

In 2025, the YMCA of Metro Atlanta served 239,000 people through 3.7 million experiences across our communities.

On , we’re celebrating the staff, volunteers, donors, partners and neighbors who make that work possible every day.

And we’re proud to congratulate our President & CEO, Lauren Koontz, who will be recognized by AFP Greater Atlanta as its 2026 Philanthropic Leader of the Year this November.

Behind every number is a person. And that’s the part that matters most.

08/15/2026

Recently hundreds of kids from across Metro Atlanta started the school year with a few new tools in their backpacks and for their futures.

Through the annual Back-to-School Event in partnership with Truist and Georgia Aquarium, students from across the YMCA of Metro Atlanta spent the day learning about financial literacy alongside more than 100 Truist volunteers before heading out to explore the Aquarium.

Each student also went home with a bag filled with school supplies to help them start the year ready to learn.

We're grateful for partners like Truist and Georgia Aquarium who continue to invest in Atlanta's youth. When we bring our resources, people, and ideas together, we can give children access to experiences that help them learn, grow, and see what's possible.

Here's to a great school year!

08/14/2026

You know the kid who never wants to get out of the pool? Yeah, this might be their thing.

YMCA Swim Team gives young swimmers ages 4–18 a place to keep developing their skills while building confidence, lifelong friendships, discipline, and a sense of belonging along the way.

And they don’t have to have every stroke mastered to get started. Our coaches meet swimmers where they are and help them grow from there.

Learn more about YMCA Swim Team at
ymcaofmetroatlanta.swimtopia.com

08/12/2026

This summer, girls across Metro Atlanta stepped onto our courts to build skills, confidence, and community through the Atlanta Dream’s Power Her Dreams Clinics. 🏀

Through basketball, these clinics helped grow the game while empowering girls with the confidence and leadership skills they can carry beyond the court.

On International Youth Day, we’re proud to celebrate these young athletes and all the young people finding their voice, building their confidence, and shaping what comes next.

A sincere thank you to the Atlanta Dream, Coach E, and everyone who helped bring these clinics to our Wade Walker Park, J.M. Tull-Gwinnett, McCleskey-East Cobb, and Robert D. Fowler Family YMCAs.

Here’s to the next generation of leaders, on and off the court. 💙

08/04/2026

Forty kids. One life-changing skill.

Last week, our aquatics team traveled to Macon-Bibb County to provide Safety Around Water instruction to 40 children, helping build confidence and skills that can save lives.

We're grateful to Tangie Herring and Macon Bibb County Recreation for inviting us to share this important work, and to Amazon.com for sponsoring the program and helping expand access to water safety education.

A special thank you to Mayor Lester Miller for recognizing World Drowning Prevention Day and helping shine a light on the importance of teaching every child to be safer around water.

Together, we're helping more children gain the skills and confidence to enjoy the water safely.

07/31/2026

This summer, we welcomed our friends from Los Bravos Un Equipo for a baseball and softball clinic through our partnership with the Atlanta Braves Foundation.

These young athletes stepped up to the plate to practice hitting, catching, and running the bases at the Villages at Carver Family YMCA baseball fields.

Thank you to our partners for helping create a day filled with learning, teamwork, and fun while introducing the next generation to the game of baseball.

07/31/2026

Yeah, nothing normal about our waterbenders. 🌊
Happy International Lifeguard Appreciation Day!