Video: New Hope Branch Of YMCA Closing

NEW HOPE (WCBI) – The New Hope branch of the YMCA is shutting down.

Area residents in New Hope say they’re not happy about the news.

“I mean it’s the only place we have to exercise without having to drive into town,” said member Becky Hayes.

Many regulars are seen coming and going out of New Hope Y. Veteran Billy Dobbs says he’s not ready to see the doors close for good.

“A lot of those guys I see everyday. They’re regulars. When I’d go in there and I started going two or three days a week and they were there,” said Dobbs.

What started out as a rumor Dobbs says turned out to be real for their community

“It shocked me. It really did it being the YMCA,” said Dobbs.

The Frank P Phillips Memorial YMCA board says the difficult decision comes as the group tries to make the most of its resources.   Executive Director Andy Boyd says the end goal is “to give the community a stronger, healthier Y and restructuring our organization gives us that opportunity.”

Meanwhile a petition is circling social media in an effort to keep the doors open.

“I do. Everyone go sign it New Hopians,” said Hayes.

Current members of the New Hope branch can use the Downtown Columbus location as well as the services of the Caledonia branch.  Boyd points out that Y memberships are also honored at locations across Mississippi and Alabama.

The New Hope location will close August 31st.