Invest in a Kid, Raise a Leader: The Atchison Story

In this episode of The Movement, the podcast from the YMCA of Greater Kansas City, host Mark Hulet visits the Atchison Family YMCA/Cray Community Center in downtown Atchison, Kansas, to explore a YMCA story that stretches back more than 150 years.

Mark is joined by Atchison natives India Webb Bolton, an attorney and member of the YMCA of Greater Kansas City Board of Directors, and Atchison Mayor La Rochelle Young. Both grew up with the Y as part of their lives – India through preschool and swim lessons made possible in part by the generosity of others, and La Rochelle through swimming before landing her first job at the YMCA as a swim instructor and lifeguard.

India and La Rochelle also reflect on the history of Division Street and the community-led effort – driven by local high school students – that resulted in its renaming as Unity Street in 2020. For both guests, the change represented something they had experienced at the YMCA for years: a place where differences did not have to become divisions.

Learn how an investment in one child can create an impact that lasts for decades – and how the YMCA continues to provide a place where people can find belonging, develop their potential and eventually become the people who invest in the next generation.

To learn more about YMCA of Greater Kansas City visit https://kansascityymca.org/

👉 Stay connected with us!
🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kansascityymca
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ymcakansascity/
🐦 X (Twitter): https://x.com/kansascityymca
🧵 Threads: https://www.threads.com/@ymcakansascity

00:00 Welcome to The Movement Podcast
00:40 More Than 150 Years of the Atchison YMCA
03:58 How One Person's Generosity Changed India's Life
05:54 Neighbors Helping Neighbors in Atchison
06:34 How the YMCA Became La Rochelle's First Job
07:57 Why Swim Lessons Teach More Than Swimming
11:28 From Division Street to a Place of Unity
14:20 How Atchison Mentors Invest in Young People
16:06 India's Journey from Atchison to Law and Leadership
18:30 La Rochelle's Path to Public Service
21:01 Coming Back to the YMCA Through Service
22:50 The Importance of Paying It Forward
24:35 What It Means When Someone Invests in a Child
26:46 Why India Joined the YMCA Board
29:01 Why La Rochelle Became Mayor of Atchison
30:51 How Division Street Became Unity Street
34:44 What the YMCA Means to Atchison
35:37 How Investing in One Child Creates a Legacy
37:31 Closing: More Than 150 Years of Community Impact