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PICKENS COUNTY — The Pickens County YMCA has purchased property on the corner of Wyatt Rd. and Hwy 81 in Powdersville.

“Our intent is to serve the community in whatever way the community needs. We are continuing to evaluate what we can do for that community and what the future would look like with new programming and with current programming,” said Sid Collins, CEO of the Pickens County YMCA.

The YMCA currently has two locations, one in Easley and the other in Pickens, but has served Powdersville and the northern Anderson County area for more than a decade.

“The reason we want to serve any community is to impact it in a positive way. Some communities are better suited than others for the YMCA, and over the years, Powdersville has grown and it is a thriving community,” Collins said. “Through conversation with community leaders and general community support, we feel it is now time to move forward with some type of dedicated service.”

According to YMCA officials, the growth of Powdersville was a key factor in the decision making process.

“The YMCA’s mission is to serve people and we go where the people are, so when there is population clusters, we serve people based on their needs for youth development, healthy living and social responsibility,” Collins said. “When we look at any community needing relating services, the YMCA is a good candidate to be a service provider for everyone in that community regardless of their age, race, or religion. We are there to serve the people.”

The YMCA specializes in a variety of programs designed to assist the community.

“The programs that we are great at are the “after school”, “summer camp”, and “healthy living” programs. We have a proven track record of having a positive impact and we are driven by our mission,” Collins said. “Looking at Powdersville specifically, it is a community that could use and needs a YMCA, and we know that because we have been there for a decade providing services already. Now it is time to have a permanent service home.”

Although property in Powdersville has been secured, no definite plans have been outlined.

“We don’t yet know exactly what we are going to be building or the timeframe, we just knew that it was time to go ahead and secure property for whatever future options we come up with,” Collins said. “Everything is still up in the air at this point, but we do know we will have something down the road.”