GREATER JOLIET AREA YMCA

MORRIS, ILLINOIS– The Morris Community YMCA and Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers announced today the formation of a partnership to enhance the health and wellness of Grundy County residents. Under this multi-year plan, the YMCA and Morris Hospital will work together to develop programs and services at the new temporary Morris Community YMCA location in downtown Morris, which is scheduled to open to the public in January 2015.

Located in the former City Hall building at 320 Wauponsee Street in downtown Morris, the Morris Community YMCA in partnership with Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers will provide Grundy County residents with access to unparalleled health and wellness programs.

The newly renovated 7,500-square-foot facility will serve as a temporary home for the Y and feature state-of-the-art fitness and strength-training equipment, multi-purpose rooms, locker rooms and dedicated community space. The Y and Morris Hospital will collaborate to offer a wide variety of programming in the facility, including group exercise classes, youth enrichment and teen programs, senior wellness programs, child watch services, and a number of medically-based fitness programs and community wellness initiatives.

“We are very grateful to partner with Morris Hospital as we further our mission in Grundy County,” said Greater Joliet Area YMCA President and CEO James Watts. “By working alongside Morris Hospital, a proven leader in the healthcare industry, we will offer
high-quality and impactful community-based fitness and wellness programs to propel individuals, families and children to a new level of healthy living in Morris and Grundy County,” added Watts.

“Today’s focus is all about making our communities healthier to reduce the cost of healthcare,” said Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers President & CEO Mark Steadham. “The YMCA is a proven, respected organization with a strong family focus, making it a great partner for Morris Hospital. Through this unique collaboration, we will be able to extend the continuum of care for our patients after they leave the hospital by connecting them with programs and services that will help them continue to improve their health. These new and innovative programs will have a long-lasting impact on the health of Grundy County residents for generations to come,” said Steadham.

As the chief healthcare provider in Grundy County, Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers is equipped with an array of resources that focus on improving the health of the community, including cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs, nutrition counseling, physical, occupational and speech therapy, senior exercise programs, childbirth and pregnancy education, cancer support services, diabetes management programs, and early detection screenings.

As one of the nation’s leading nonprofit charities, the Y is committed to strengthening local communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Through its financial assistance and scholarship program, the YMCA works to ensure that its programs are available to everyone and no one is turned away due to the inability to pay. A mainstay in the Morris community for nearly a decade, the YMCA has served local families since 2006 through its youth sports programs, summer day camps and sports camps, and before and after school programs. In recent years and with the community’s unwavering support, participation in these programs has nearly tripled. In response to an increasing number of requests from Grundy County residents and under the leadership of its volunteer advisory council, the YMCA has begun to widen its footprint in Grundy County by introducing the types of programs and services that a full-facility YMCA would offer to the community in the future.

Renovations on the new temporary Morris Community YMCA are underway. A grand opening celebration will be held from noon-6 p.m. on Saturday, January 10.