Hockomock Young Mens Christian Association Inc

A COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO POSITIVELY INFLUENCING THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE COMMUNITY.

YMCA CHILD CARE - THE HOCKOMOCK AREA YMCA IS THE LARGEST PROVIDER OF LICENSED, QUALITY CHILD CARE - INCLUDING BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL CARE - IN OUR 15 COMMUNITY SERVICE AREA. THE FOCUS OF ALL HOCKOMOCK AREA YMCA EARLY LEARNING CENTER PROGRAMS IS TO SUPPORT VALUES-DRIVEN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES. CHILD CARE OFFERINGS ARE DESIGNED TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE DEVELOP POSITIVE VALUES, SELF-ESTEEM, AND LEADERSHIP AS WELL AS ENHANCING SCHOOL READINESS. OUR EARLY LEARNING CENTERS PROVIDE AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY BY OFFERING AFFORDABLE AND DEPENDABLE CHILD CARE FOR WORKING PARENTS.WHILE PARENTS REMAIN GAINFULLY EMPLOYED, THEY HAVE THE CONFIDENCE THAT THEIR CHILDREN ARE THRIVING IN A SAFE, SUPPORTIVE AND EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT. FOR PARENTS WHO CANNOT AFFORD THE FULL FEE, IN KEEPING WITH THE YMCA'S CHARITABLE MISSION, OUR YMCA WELCOMES ALL INDIVIDUALS REGARDLESS OF THEIR ABILITY TO PAY.IN 2022, AN AVERAGE 691 CHILDREN PER DAY TOOK PART IN THE VARIOUS HOCKOMOCK AREA YMCA LICENSED CHILD CARE PROGRAMS. THESE PROGRAMS INCLUDED CHILD CARE, NURSERY SCHOOL, AND BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, AND WERE OFFERED AT 13 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, INCLUDING ON-SITE LOCATIONS AT OUR NORTH ATTLEBORO, FRANKLIN, MANSFIELD, AND FOXBORO FACILITIES AND IN SCHOOL-BASED LOCATIONS IN NORTH ATTLEBORO, WRENTHAM, BELLINGHAM AND FOXBORO CHARTER SCHOOL. CONFIDENTIAL SCHOLARSHIP ASSISTANCE VALUED AT $436,071 WAS PROVIDED TO PARTICIPATING CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES ENROLLED IN LICENSED CHILD CARE PROGRAMS IN 2022.

YMCA AQUATICS - THE HOCKOMOCK AREA YMCA AQUATICS PROGRAMS ARE A FOUNDATION OF THE YMCA'S OVERALL FOCUS ON YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, HEALTHY LIVING ,AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. WE PROVIDE SPECIFIC SWIMMING AND WATER SAFETY SKILLS, AQUATIC PROGRAMS, IN ADDITION TO PROMOTING GOOD HEALTH THROUGH REGULAR EXERCISE ALONG WITH TEAMWORK, SELF-CONFIDENCE, AND PERSONAL GOAL SETTING FOR ALL AGES. THESE PROGRAMS ARE OFFERED AT AFFORDABLE FEES, WITH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT AFFORD THE FULL FEES. AQUATIC PROGRAMS WERE HELD AT THE NORTH ATTLEBORO, FRANKLIN, AND FOXBORO BRANCHES. DURING 2022, 3,145 PARTICIPANTS TOOK PART IN HOCKOMOCK AREA YMCA AQUATICS PROGRAMS INCLUDING YOUTH LESSONS AND AQUACISE CLASSES, WHICH INCREASE JOINT FLEXIBILITY AND HELP RELIEVE ARTHRITIC PAIN, A WELCOME ALTERNATIVE FOR MANY OLDER ADULTS. TEENAGE PARTICIPANTS LEARNED VALUABLE LIFEGUARDING SKILLS IN YMCA LIFEGUARD CLASSES. CPR CLASSES ARE OFFERED BY OUR Y TO POTENTIAL LIFEGUARDS, STAFF, MEMBERS, AND LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS. IN ADDITION, 243 YOUTH AND TEENS PARTICIPATED IN THE YMCA'S SWIM TEAM PROGRRUN. THE YMCA'S GOAL OF BEING SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE IS EVIDENT THROUGH IMPORTANT COLLABORATIONS WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES INCLUDING ALLOWING THE HIGH SCHOOL SWIM TEAMS IN FOXBORO, FRANKLIN, MANSFIELD, AND NORTH ATTLEBORO TO UTILIZE OUR YMCA POOLS FOR MEETS AND PRACTICES AT NO CHARGE. IN ADDITION, THE YMCA PROVIDED LIFEGUARDING SERVICES AT FALLS POND IN NORTH ATTLEBORO, LAKE PEARL IN WRENTHAM, AND AT SILVER LAKE IN BELLINGHAM.IN 2022, THE GRANT-FUNDED SPIER FAMILY SPLASH PROGRAM PROVIDED FREE SWIM LESSONS FOR KINDERGARTEN AND FIRST GRADE STUDENTS ENROLLED IN FOXBORO PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH AN EMPHASIS ON SAFETY IN AND AROUND THE WATER. DURING THE SUMMER THE SPLASH PROGRAM IS OFFERED TO ALL CHILDREN IN FOXBORO CAMP AND STUDENTS TOOK PART IN THE SPLASH WATER SAFETY AND PROGRESSION PROGRAM. A TOTAL OF NEARLY 648 CHILDREN PARTICIPATED IN THE SPIER FAMILY SPLASH PROGRAM IN 2022.

YMCA HEALTH AND WELLNESS -YMCA HEALTH AND WELLNESS - YMCA HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR FOCUS ON HEALTHY LIVING AND ARE AVAILABLE TO ALL AGES. OUR YMCA'S ENRICHEMENT OFFERINGS INCLUDE GROUP EXERCISE PROGRAMS THAT STRESS THE VALUE OF PREVENTION THROUGH GOOD EXERCISE HABITS AND HEALTH, INCLUDING NUTRITION, STRESS MANAGEMENT, AND HEALTH EDUCATION. MANY OF THESE PROGRAMS ARE OFFERED AT NO COST TO YMCA MEMBERS WHILE OTHERS ARE MADE AVAILABLE AT A FEE THAT IS AFFORDABLE TO THE COMMUNITY, WITH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT AFFORD THE FULL FEE. SINCE 2007, OUR YMCA HAS CONVENED COMMUNITY LEADERS AND KEY LOCAL AND REGIONAL PARTNERS IN THE 15 COMMUNITIES WE SERVE, IMPLEMENTING A COLLECTIVE COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO THE EPIDEMIC OF CHILDHOOD OBESITY. OUR HOCKOMOCK HEALTHY FUTURES INITIATIVE FOCUSES ON INCREASING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND IMPROVING NUTRITION IN CHILDREN AGES 6 - 10 AND THEIR FAMILIES THROUGH STRATEGIES FOCUSED ON INTERVENTION, PREVENTION, AND SUSTAINABLE CHANGE. OUR YMCA HAS ALSO DEVELOPED AND IMPLEMENTED EFFECTIVE AND INNOVATIVE CHRONIC DISEASE PROGRAMMING THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIONS WITH LOCAL HOSPITALS. THESE PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON CHRONIC DISEASE PREVENTION AND POST-DIAGNOSTIC REHABILITATION, INCLUDING DIABETES PREVENTION (41 PARTICIPANTS), MS WELLNESS (12 PARTICIPANTS) AND ENHANCE FITNESS (88 PARTICIPANTS). SINCE 2010, OUR YMCA HAS OFFERED LIVESTRONG AT THE YMCA, AN INNOVATIVE PROGRAM DESIGNED FOR CANCER SURVIVORS AND THEIR FAMILIES. DURING 2022, 86 CANCER SURVIVORS AND THEIR FAMILIES TOOK PART IN THIS PROGRAM WHICH IS OFFERED AT NO CHARGE. IN 2015, OUR YMCA CREATED A NEW LIVING STRONGER PROGRAM, DESIGNED FOR ALUMNI OF THE LIVESTRONG PROGRAM. DURING 2022, 162 PARTICIPANTS TOOK PART IN THIS FREE GRANT-FUNDED PROGRAM.OUR YMCA CREATED AN INNOVATIVE WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM CALLED WEIGH-TO-CHANGE IN 2016. IN 2022, 75 PARTICIPANTS TOOK PART IN THIS WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM FOCUSED ON NUTRITION, EXERCISE AND PEER SUPPORT.WHEN OUR BRANCHES WERE CLOSED IN MARCH 2020 DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, WE IMMEDIATELY PIVOTED TO MEET A NEW AND EMERGING NEED IN THE 15 COMMUNITIES WE SERVE - ACCESS TO FOOD AND THOSE EFFORTS HAVE BECOME A PERMANENT PART OF OUR YMCA'S CRITICAL MISSION WORK. IN 2022, WE PROVIDED 453,346 GRAB AND GO MEALS AND DISTRIBUTED 20,103 FAMILY FOOD BAGS, VALUED AT $50 EACH, TO THOSE IN NEED. ADDITIONALLY, WE OPERATED 3 SUMMER MEAL SITES (2 IN MILFORD, AND 1 IN NORTH ATTLEBORO), ORGANIZED 37 NEIGHBORHOOD FOOD DRIVES AND PROVIDED MORE THAN 550 THANKSGIVING MEALS. DUE TO THE IMPACT THIS ENHANCED PROGRAM HAS HAD ON THE COMMUNITY, WE HAVE ALSO FORMED THE NORTH ATTLEBORO FOOD COLLABORATIVE WITH TWO OTHER LOCAL NONPROFITS WHO WORK TO PROVIDE FOOD FOR THOSE CHALLENGED WITH FOOD INSECURITY IN NORTH ATTLEBORO.