In 1923, the Junius Ward Johnson Memorial YMCA and the Jackson Street YMCA opened in Vicksburg, Mississippi. For the next 79 years, these facilities served the community providing a variety of programs including youth sports, swimming, fitness, camping, teen and family programs, job training, childcare and more. 

In the late 1990s, YMCA leaders determined that a new facility was needed. The community responded with a successful campaign and opened the new Dr. William Kendrick Purks YMCA (Purks YMCA) in 2002. Purks YMCA has grown to serve 20,979 people annually through programs that focus on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.

Due to growth in the Vicksburg area, the leaders once again had a need to expand and meet the growing needs of their community. This renovation and expansion of approximately 27,320 square feet has allowed Purks YMCA to continue to meet the childcare, youth sports, family programming, and health and fitness needs of the community. 

Project Impact

• 150 Additional licensed childcare slots
• 200 Additional youth served daily through increased indoor space for youth sports
• Expanded health and fitness space to accommodate several hundred additional users each day, as membership regularly exceeded capacity
• Increased employment opportunities to operate the facilities and various programs