The new OrthoIndy Foundation YMCA will be a wonderful asset for the whole community to enjoy and a source of pride for Pike Township. It will also be the first YMCA of its kind in the nation, to offer traditional YMCA community programming as well as clinical services for veterans and special programming for military service members and their families.
To be located at 5315 Lafayette Rd. on 12 acres of land provided by Pike Township Schools, the new YMCA will replace the existing YMCA in Pike Township upon its anticipated completion in 2018.
“The opening of the new OrthoIndy Foundation YMCA at Pike is a major step forward for Indianapolis and further efforts to underscore the tremendous importance of providing the key health services our servicemen, women and their families need,” said former Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, a 23-year veteran of the Marine Corps. “The Indianapolis metro area is home to tens of thousands of military veterans and this new facility will provide that important space to better serve these members of our community.”
Special services for veterans citywide
The OrthoIndy Foundation YMCA will partner with the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis. Roudebush healthcare staff will provide specialized medical services in 5,000 square feet of space dedicated to veterans. Services planned include:
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Pain management
- Counseling
This dedicated space for veterans has been made possible by a $3.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment. In addition to the medical services offered by the VA, the YMCA already offers reduced membership rates for veterans and provides special programs for veterans, military service members and their families, including:
- Financial health training
- Job support
- Wellness Advising
- Diabetes prevention
- Adaptive sports
- Nutrition and healthy cooking classes
For Pike and the entire community
The new YMCA will have these amenities, among many others to serve the whole community:
- Indoor pool with zero-depth entry, water features for play, and four lap lanes
- Group exercise/dance studio
- Gymnasium
- Wellness center to house state-of-the-art fitness equipment and weights
- Elevated indoor track
- Full-sized basketball and volleyball courts
- Child Watch, Kid Zone, community room, and family and teen centers
- Demonstration kitchen
Like most of our other townships, Pike has been growing over the last decade. As the population has increased, so too have social, economic, and health challenges and the demand for Y services. The percentage of students qualifying for free lunch has increased by 90 percent, and 24 percent of the population receives food stamps. Pike Schools have reported that over 26 percent of students are overweight and an additional 20 percent are at risk of becoming overweight.
This area is also a true melting pot. Over 80 languages are spoken in the township school system, with nearly 14 percent of residents speaking Spanish at home.
Make a pledge!
The YMCA is well prepared to create a bright future for the diverse population of Pike and offers memberships on a sliding-fee scale so everyone can afford to participate. We have built many special partnerships to ensure the OrthoIndy Foundation YMCA is the best possible facility to serve our heroes and our community. However, additional community support is needed. Please visit YLovesVets.org to make a pledge or contact YMCA chief development officer Jim Wood.