Recap: Sankofa Village Wellness Center Groundbreaking
At the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, we strive to promote holistic wellbeing for all through the transformative Power of Play — whether it’s through sports and fitness, childcare and youth programming, or any of our other core community services.
We’re thrilled to share that the Y and our community partners have officially broken ground on the Sankofa Village Wellness Center, which serves as the site of the new West Garfield Park YMCA. We commemorated this occasion last month with local faith-based and health care institutions and nonprofits at the Sankofa Village Wellness Center Groundbreaking Ceremony.
This event was a true celebration of community. Thank you to the hundreds of people who came out to celebrate this important milestone! Together, we enjoyed a day of celebration, music, delicious food, and community while hearing from local faith and nonprofit leaders on the importance of partnership and collaboration as we work to bring new opportunities to the West Garfield Park neighborhood. The YMCA of Metro Chicago tabled at the event, handing our swag bags in collaboration with other project partners. Plus, we led a raffle for the chance to win one free year of YMCA membership!
“The day marked an incredible milestone in a journey that started nearly five years ago,” said Swathi Staley, Chief Community Investment Officer and General Counsel, YMCA of Metro Chicago. “Everything about the groundbreaking represented that we are on the cusp of catalytic transformation. It was so awe-inspiring to be standing at the site with supporters from public, private, and institutional partners knowing that we are a little over a year away from welcoming West Garfield Park residents through our doors. The groundbreaking showed how much can happen when we work together, and everyone who came contributed something to get us to that point. It was truly a special day.”
In addition to providing comprehensive health care to community members, the Sankofa Village Wellness Center will provide spaces for people to learn, grow, and thrive. The building will offer a cafe, fitness facilities, a gymnasium, and childcare for patrons — plus, programming focused on workforce development, financial education, and more.
Discover opportunities at the Sankofa Village Wellness Center and West Garfield Park YMCA via our website page. And be sure to check out our recent press release to learn more about the Groundbreaking Ceremony!
Stay tuned because we have lots of exciting events coming down the pipeline! Keep your finger on the pulse by signing up for our marketing emails.