Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry Community Foundation of Warren County personnel present a check to the Warren County YMCA in support of the Sheffield YMCA Facility project. Pictured (from left) are: Community Foundation Board Chairman John Hanna, Warren County YMCA Executive Director Thad Turner, Sheffield YMCA Facility Supervisor Jennifer Goerlich, Ruth Smith Center Executive Director Kim Adams, and Community Foundation Executive Director John Lasher.

The Ruth Smith Center has a new tenant.

And the Warren County YMCA has reached out in a new direction.

The Sheffield YMCA Facility at the Ruth Smith Center is open to YMCA members.

The whole Ruth Smith gym space has been renovated.

The improvements include a new heating system, air-conditioning system, LED lighting, and sound system, and updates to the floors and bathrooms.

“Everything in here has been completely redone,” YMCA Executive Director Thad Turner said.

Half the gym is loaded with fitness equipment. According to Turner, the Y got a heavy discount on about $250,000 worth of equipment for the facility.

The other half has been improved, but left as space for basketball, pickleball, fitness classes, and whatever.

On Monday, the Community Foundation of Warren County showed its support of the project.

“Between the acquisition of state-of-the-art exercise equipment, the cooperation of the staff and directors of the Ruth M. Smith Center, and the support of several local funders, this idea became a reality,” Turner said. “With all the pieces in place, our next step was funding the operation through a start-up period, while we develop local resources to support the ongoing costs of having a remote location.”

The Community Foundation stepped forward to help with those costs, approving an $18,000 grant, payable over three years. “This project touches two of the Foundation’s primary strategic purposes; health and community,” Board of Directors Chair John Hanna said. “It takes time to develop local funding for a project such as this and the Foundation Board was willing to help with the start-up costs while the YMCA cultivates the resources to provide that ongoing support.”

“We are excited to celebrate this new YMCA facility and to publicly thank our partners in the Sheffield community who made it possible,” YMCA Board of Directors Chairman Lincoln Sokolski said. “We are off to a great start in Sheffield. Now we will continue the work to ensure the long-term success of the facility, and our service to the people of Sheffield.”

The expansion into Sheffield helps the YMCA live up to its full name – Warren County YMCA.

“With Youngsville, here, and our main Y, I think we’re truly a Warren County YMCA,” Turner said. “If you’re a member at one, you’re a member at all.”

The YMCA and the Ruth Smith Center have a mutually beneficial agreement.

“Their residents and employees get a free membership,” Turner said. “That’s been a real benefit for them.”

“We still have kids who come here and play basketball,” he said. “We’ve made it safer and better for them.”

There have been days when 50 people showed up to use the new facility, Turner said.

“Hopefully, it will be a real benefit to Sheffield,” he said. “We’ve had a great relationship with the township. We worked first with the Ruth Smith Center, then formed a committee. It’s a nice collaboration.”

There have been many of those collaborations and many contributions throughout the project – which continues. Cochran & Zandi Lumber were clearing space for a new parking lot on Monday.

That is the company’s most recent effort on the project, but not the only one, Turner said. Other major sponsors include Bob Sokolski, Arthur Stewart, Dan Mead, and others.

“We have had a lot of support from the whole community of Sheffield,” Ruth Smith Center Executive Director Kim Adams said.

“It’s been great,” Sheffield YMCA Facility Supervisor Jennifer Goerlich said. “So many people have been really helpful with everything.”

The facility will celebrate with a ribbon cutting and grand opening from 2 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 8.