FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 10, 2018
CONTACT: Evan Brandt
Pam Hacker Joins Community Leaders, Calls for Pottstown YMCA to Stay Open
Pam Hacker, Democratic candidate for the PA House of Representatives in the 26th District issues the following
statement regarding the intended closure of the Pottstown YMCA:
I join the many organizations, including the Borough of Pottstown, the Schools Board, and the Pottstown
Chapter of the NAACP in calling on the Philadelphia Freedom Valley YMCA to keep the Pottstown YMCA open. The
YMCA is a vital part of our community, and Freedom Valley should work with local organizations and elected
officials to find a way to keep the Pottstown YMCA’s doors open. This is an issue on which we can all agree, and I
believe that we can work together to find a solution to this problem.
It was a major blow to our community when the Philadelphia Freedom Valley YMCA announced it would close the
Pottstown YMCA on June 29, 2018. Freedom Valley took over Pottstown in a merger in 2007. They now base
their decision to close the facility on high operating expenses and costs associated with renovation of the building's
plumbing, boilers, HVAC systems, etc.
This YMCA has been a part of our community since 1880 serving the Borough and neighboring townships for 138
years. I grew up in this town and can’t imagine not having it here. It provides crucial services including childcare
and early learning programs, wellness orientations and free babysitting services, summer camp, and a fitness
center. It contains the only all-year aquatics in the Borough. All three of my children learned to swim at the Y. Kids
NEED a safe place to swim.
When a public committee looked into replacing programs that would be lost do to this decision they determined
instead that Philadelphia Freedom Valley YMCA had not kept commitments made at the time of the merger to the
Pottstown YMCA. This committee, along with the Borough of Pottstown, the School Board, and the Pottstown
Chapter of the NAACP have issued resolutions that oppose the closure. Again, I strongly support those resolutions
and call for Freedom Valley to make the needed repairs. I am happy that our elected officials are now involved, and
i feel confident that we can work together on this important issue.
At the very least, hopefully we can get an extension on the deadline that Freedom Valley imposed. I live near and
worked at the former Pennhurst site. There were many good ideas of what to do with that facility at the time, a
community college, a movie studio, etc. But once those doors were locked up and the buildings began to decay it
was game over for those ideas. While part of it is till in use, many of those buildings are not salvageable and gone
forever. We need some time here.
A Philadelphia Freedom Valley official has stated that they accept the fact some facilities lose money while others
are profitable but the deal breaker on the Pottstown Y is cost of repairs and upgrading. While these costs are their
figures, to my knowledge, there are no actual break downs available. So we are asked to accept their lump sum
numbers. They seem to like to use the word “boiler” often. I suppose maybe because it brings high costs to mind.
Freedom Valley, we ask you to at least give a chance to save this community treasure. If you truly are a
nonprofit, as you claim, we deserve that. If you are a business for profit, then so be it. But if that’s the case, then
maybe it’s time to look at the tax-exempt status that you enjoy both here and elsewhere.
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Paid For By Friends of Pam Hacker