Champaign, IL, Feb 10th, 2025 - YMCAs are widely known for benefitting communities by offering low-cost wellness centers, kids’ programs, community engagement, and more. Rural areas especially suffer from a lack of these services. 

Through USDA Rural Development’s Community Facilities program and the help of Congressman Darin LaHood, the Greater Joliet Area (Morris) YMCA was able to secure a $3.5 million grant investment for their new 60,000 sq ft facility in Morris IL that opened in late 2024. The YMCA partnered with Morris Hospital to provide rehabilitative services, making this a unique service in the community. 

Facility amenities include: An aquatics center featuring an eight-lane lap pool, an aquatic viewing area, state-of-the-art wellness center, gymnasium, group exercise studios, cycling room, functional training area, multi-purpose rooms, engaging youth play spaces, a healthy eating kitchen, gathering and meeting spaces, pickleball courts, indoor and outdoor walking tracks, outdoor fields, and an outdoor playground. 

Located within the facility, the Morris Hospital provides the following services:  Cardiac Rehabilitation, Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Wellness Programs (including Senior Exercise, Pedaling for Parkinson's, and more), office visits with Morris Hospital Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, and office visits with Morris Hospital Cardiovascular Specialists. 

“Ensuring our rural residents have access to health and rehabilitative services is essential to overall community health and wellness”, says IL State Director Jesus Ortega. “We are pleased to work with Congressional offices and organizations to provide essential services to rural communities across IL. It’s exciting to see projects like these come to fruition, benefitting so many people in a tangible way, and it’s all because several organizations were able to work together. I was thrilled to see the results and know they are going to do great things with this facility.” 

About the Community Facilities Grant Program: 

This program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertaking. Funds can be used to purchase, construct, and/or improve essential community facilities, purchase equipment and pay related project expenses. 

If your community needs assistance with establishing an essential community facility or securing funds, contact USDA Rural Development to explore available support options.