New Hope YMCA closing due to COVID-19 and budget hardships

NEW HOPE, MISS. (WCBI) – Three years after people who live in New Hope led a community push to save the YMCA, the doors will close for good.

The New Hope YMCA appears to be a victim of Covid19.

The branch has struggled in the past with new member recruitment, and that has meant budget hardships.

In August of 2017, last-minute financial donations allowed the leadership of the Y to keep the New Hope branch up and running.

At the time, it was viewed as a grace period.

COVID may have been the final straw.

“A decision was made to close New Hope and obviously it was because of the economic environment that we’re living in during the COVID time,” said Jimmy Woodruff, YMCA Executive Director. “We have worked hard as an association for months. We just got to be able to continue our mission of serving kids, serving elderly, serving all ages, the many things that we do, that we’ve been doing for a very long time we had to close New Hope.”

Woodruff says “Y” members can still use the Caledonia location or come to downtown Columbus.