After years of financial problems that nearly closed it down, the YWCA of Central Maine is thriving

LEWISTON – Five years ago, the YWCA of Central Maine was in trouble.

The old nonprofit had spent its endowment and was running a deficit of more than $200,000, with some bills six months behind. Leadership was sporadic. The Y wasn’t organized enough to track membership or even collect fees.

“Then things come to a peak and you’re having trouble making payroll on a week-to-week basis,” said Barbara Trafton, a longtime supporter.

But while the YWCA of Greater Portland sets to close after years of its own financial problems, central Maine’s YWCA is beginning to thrive.

Membership is up. Money is flowing. Leadership is steady for the first time in years.

The Y, supporters say, is ready for the future.

“It’s sad that Portland won’t have that anymore,” said Executive Director Anne Craigs. “I thank God that (closure) didn’t happen here.”

From high to low

Founded in 1878 by the Women’s Benevolent Association, the Young Women’s Christian Association was established to improve the lives of girls, women and their families. At a time when women were told to stay home and raise families, the YWCA offered classes on car care and shorthand. It provided a residence for young women who needed a safe, inexpensive place to stay and it offered dozens of clubs for women who wanted to be part of a community.

At its peak, the Y had about 3,000 members.

But over the years, as other nonprofit groups moved into the Twin Cities, many of the YWCA’s social service programs vanished. The adult education classes, the reading room and the residence for young women all shut down. So did dozens of the clubs for young mothers and senior citizens.

Then, slowly, leadership fell off. Organization started to lag. No one seemed to be paying enough attention to endowments, budgets, maintenance, membership or planning. The United Way, a prime contributor, grew concerned about the tens of thousands of dollars it was sending to the Y every year.

“To have the United Way lose faith in you would be a major step backward,” Trafton said.

She and others realized that something had to change – and soon – or the local YWCA would close.

A small group of women formed a committee about five years ago to look at the situation and make recommendations. Trafton, the Y’s first pool director, was a member. So was then-Auburn mayor Lee Young, and several former members of the Y’s board of directors. They thought they could handle everything in six meetings.

Instead, it took four years.

“You don’t get into this kind of trouble quickly, and you don’t get out of it quickly,” Trafton said.

In order to remain viable, the Y laid off staffers and consolidated positions. It worked on maintaining core services, like child care, while slashing counseling and trimming other programs to help save the $1 million budget.

For a while, leadership continued to disintegrate. The Y ran through five executive directors in six years. The board of directors deteriorated as members left and no one stepped forward to fill their spots.

Trafton and her fellow committee members worked 10 to 20 hours a week, struggling to deal with everything from debt to the employee handbook. Eventually, some joined the board of directors.

By 2003, Trafton said the nonprofit was moving in the right direction, even if it was “moving microscopically.”

Growth

In 2004, the United Way honored committee-turned-board members with the Geneva Kirk award for ensuring the Y’s survival. And in 2005, the Y found a new executive director: Anne Craigs.

Things were looking up.

Child care and summer camp programs were more and more popular. One social program for older members doubled in size.

Patrons began to notice something, too.

“I’ve seen a lot more people swimming,” said Guy Gagnon, who started using the Y’s pool four years ago.

During his lunch hour laps four years ago, there always seemed to be an empty lane or two. Now, he said, all the lanes are taken, usually with two people each.

The YWCA has about 2,000 members. That’s less than its 3,000-member peak, but an increase from its low-point. (Precise membership figures weren’t available for the early part of the decade because the YWCA was so unorganized then, Craigs said. In 2003, however, it had 1,400 members.)

After years of setbacks and cuts, the Y is looking at growth.

Earlier this year, the Y got rid of its little-used fitness room and added infant and toddler care. It now has a waiting list, and is hoping to expand the program.

The YWCA is also planning to add an after-school program for teenage girls this fall and offer more community outreach programs soon.

The Y, supporters say, is not going anywhere anytime soon.

“There’s more need than we can fill,” Craigs said. “We’d love to grow into that need.”