Butler Street YMCA, Atlanta Life:
Community Partners for 80 Years

The Butler Street YMCA is a 110-year-old African American not-for-profit institution that along with its membership, implements programs embodied in Christian ethics and civic principles that build a healthy spirit, mind and body for all.

The Butler Street YMCA provides quality programs that not only help strengthen families, but also encourage the healthy development of children as well as safer neighborhoods. The success of these programs is largely due to the staff, corporate and individual volunteer base in partnership with the Butler Street YMCA.

Atlanta Life Financial Group is one such corporate partner. For nearly 80 years, Atlanta Life has supported the Butler Street YMCA through employee volunteer programs, the After-School Program and many scholarship endeavors. While president of Atlanta Life, Norris Herndon, son of founder and President Alonzo Herndon, continued his father's commitment to the Atlanta community, and established the partnership with the Butler Street YMCA.

Herndon's commitment served as encouragement for Atlanta Life employees to get involved. Several members of senior management have since served as board chairs, including former Atlanta Life President Jesse Hill. Henrietta Antoinin, vice president, Public Relations, Atlanta Life Financial Group, has volunteered with the Butler Street YMCA for 25 years and is currently the Chair of the Board.

Through its doors have passed some of the city's most-renowned African-American leaders, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Vernon Jordan and the late Maynard Jackson, former mayor of Atlanta, who all grew up at the Butler Street YMCA.

In 1945, the Butler Street YMCA established The Hungry Club Forum. "The Hungry Club Forum is a weekly event that reaches out to the Atlanta community to provide a platform to discuss civic and community issues," Antoinin said. "The Hungry Club Forum has provided an open line of communication to address the day's current issues. Many elected officials, including mayors, governors and others have addressed our community. Without a doubt, the Hungry Club has become one of America's outstanding public affairs programs."

"The growth has been phenomenal," said Dr. Jacob A. Rhodes, president and chief executive officer of the Butler Street YMCA. "The Butler Street YMCA has remained true to our calling. We currently provide a wide range of human development programs and services geared toward improving the quality of life for those it serves."
 
Today, the Butler Street YMCA is one of five African-American Ys in the country.

A Quest for Economic, Human and Cultural Dignity