City of Toledo and YMCA of Greater Toledo Honored with 2025 NCDA Audrey Nelson Community Development

The Wayman D. Palmer YMCA, a joint project between The City of Toledo and the YMCA of Greater Toledo, has been selected as a recipient of the 2025 Audrey Nelson Community Development Achievement Award by the National Community Development Association (NCDA), a prestigious honor recognizing leadership in advancing community development.

"We are deeply honored to receive this national recognition," Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said. "The Wayman D. Palmer YMCA is more than a building. It stands as a center of opportunity, a gathering place for residents, and a catalyst for the well-being of our community. Its impact will be felt for generations of Toledo residents."

"I am thrilled to see the new Wayman D. Palmer YMCA awarded the 2025 Audrey Nelson Community Development Achievement Award from the National Community Development Association," Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) said. "This national recognition elevates the Wayman D. Palmer YMCA as a world-class institution and reflects its extraordinary impact on the health, opportunity, and well-being of our Northwest Ohio community. I am proud to have delivered $25.7 million in federal funds to help build this new YMCA, which is more than a building. It is a hub of our community and a promise to children, families, and neighbors. May the Wayman D. Palmer YMCA and its dedicated staff continue to shine and bring well-deserved acclaim to this transformative community asset for years to come."

Since reopening in March 2025, the Wayman D. Palmer YMCA has quickly become a center of neighborhood vitality and access. Membership has grown from 427 to over 2,000 in less than nine months, reflecting renewed community engagement and trust. More than 600 seniors now participate in fitness, socialization, and supportive programming, while families access a community food pantry that serves approximately 300 households each month. The facility also provides youth swim instruction, early childhood education through on-site pre-K classrooms, and space for digital learning, mental health services, and partner-led health screenings. Together, these programs position the YMCA as a place where health, learning, and connection intersect in everyday community life.

"We are honored to see the Wayman D. Palmer YMCA recognized at the national level," Brad Toft, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Toledo, said. "This award affirms the YMCA's role in strengthening neighborhoods through programs that support our youth and seniors, promote healthy living, and create meaningful connections among residents. The Wayman D. Palmer YMCA anchors this community by bringing people together and ensuring families of all ages have access to the resources and opportunities they need."

"We are pleased to be a recipient of the prestigious 2025 Audrey Nelson Community Achievement Award," Rosalyn Clemens, Toledo Chief of Housing and Neighborhood Sustainability said. "This award reflects our success in strategically investing community development dollars in historically underserved neighborhoods, to develop catalytic and transformative projects. We are thrilled that the new Wayman D. Palmer YMCA has been a game changer for the residents of Warren Sherman neighborhood, creating access to exceptional amenities and services."

National Recognition at NCDA Conference
A delegation from the City of Toledo and YMCA of Greater Toledo, along with our Congressional Representative, will accept the award at the NCDA's Winter/Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., where community development leaders from across the country gather to share best practices and celebrate achievements.

About the National Community Development Association
Named in honor of Audrey Nelson, NCDA's first Deputy Executive Secretary, the award celebrates communities that demonstrate innovative, effective, and collaborative use of CDBG and HOME program funds to address critical local needs.

The NCDA is a national nonprofit representing more than 500 local governments that administer federally supported community development and economic development programs, including the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships programs. The Audrey Nelson Award has recognized outstanding community development projects since 1987.

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