Every weekday afternoon, dozens of students walk from Galesburg Junior-Senior High School to the Knox County YMCA, looking for a place to spend a few hours after school.
A nearly $2 million expansion now underway aims to meet that daily demand.
The project will add indoor space for younger children and create a dedicated youth center for older students who already rely on the facility after school.
Work at the YMCA, 1324 W. Carl Sandburg Drive, is expected to be completed by July.
According to YMCA CEO Adam Sampson, the project will include an indoor playground for younger children, along with a reconfiguration of existing space that will create a youth center for junior high and high school students.
“We’re building an indoor playground for kids from about 6 months to 10 or 11, where they have a place to go when it’s cold outside,” Sampson said. “We think it’ll be a destination for families — not only in this county, but from surrounding counties.”
The new space will also allow the YMCA to expand its child watch services. Staff will supervise children in the indoor playground, giving parents the option to drop them off while they work out or remain nearby as children or grandchildren play.
The expansion will add about 2,800 square feet of new space. The YMCA’s current child watch area will be repurposed into a youth center focused on older students.
The project is estimated at about $2 million, with the city of Galesburg contributing $900,000 through a grant agreement. Sampson said the remaining funds have been raised through donations and other sources.
Construction is expected to cause minimal disruptions, although the swimming pool closed April 27 for about two weeks, and one of two men’s locker rooms will close May 11 for several weeks.
The new youth center is expected to play a central role in serving junior high and high school students, many of whom already walk there each afternoon.
Sampson said the hours between 3 and 5 p.m. bring a steady stream of students, with numbers climbing even higher in colder months.
“At this time of year, we’re getting 50 to 65 kids a day, but it’s hundreds when it’s cold outside,” he said.
Students often stay into the evening, using public transportation to get home.
The space will offer mentoring, homework help, meals and activities designed to keep students engaged in a structured environment.
The youth center also will support the YMCA’s growing meal program, which the organization took over from United Way in August.
Meals are prepared at the YMCA and distributed to local schools and at the facility. Children receive a daily meal at participating schools around 3:30 p.m.
The YMCA also serves junior high and high school students on site, where meals are currently distributed from the lobby — a setup Sampson said the new youth center will improve.
In total, the YMCA provides about 3,000 meals per month.
“We’re feeding roughly 40 to 50 kids a day with a five-component meal — not just a snack,” Sampson said.
During the summer, the program expands to additional locations, including two housing authority sites and the Skate Palace, with the YMCA responsible for preparing and delivering meals.
Sampson said the expansion reflects broader needs among local families, including high poverty rates and limited after-school options.
“We have roughly 300 families on scholarships right now,” he said. “No one is turned away due to inability to pay.”
Sampson said his commitment to access is shaped in part by his own experience growing up in Knox County.
He recalled a time when his family struggled financially after his father lost his job, and a YMCA staff member reached out to make sure he could still participate.
“My dad was too proud to ask,” Sampson said. “But they called and said, ‘Put Adam in basketball.’”
“The overarching question is: what do youth have to do, and how do we draw them in so we can have an impact on them?” he said. “There’s value in being around good people — mentors, coaches and others who come through these doors.”
About 700 people use YMCA facilities and programs each day.
Approximately 8,700 Knox County residents are members, accounting for about 17 percent of the county population.
The YMCA’s main facility includes a fitness center, weight room, two gyms, walking/running track, indoor pool and soccer complex.
The Knox County YMCA also operates a downtown Galesburg fitness center that opened in 2016 as the first YMCA fitness facility in the country open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Sampson said about 350 to 400 people use that location daily.
Founded in 1866, the Knox County YMCA generates about $3.2 million per year in revenue and expenses, with memberships and fundraising serving as its main sources of income.
Sampson said the YMCA is governed locally by a volunteer board of about 14 members, along with support from volunteer coaches and community members.
“We rely on people who give time, talent and treasure — that’s what makes something like this possible,” he said.
He said the organization is in a strong financial position after years of work by staff, volunteers and community supporters.
For Sampson, the expansion is about more than adding space — it’s about creating a consistent place for children and families to spend time, connect and feel supported.
“Sometimes it’s as simple as a kid learning to look you in the eye,” he said. “That’s the kind of impact we’re trying to have.”
