Armed Services Ymca of the USA

Programs and support for military members, spouses & families:asymca strives to increase military family resilience and mission readiness through a variety of programs and Services for active duty service members, spouses and their children, with a particular focus on junior enlisted families. These programs and Services combat stress and isolation by bringing families closer together while at home and during deployment or other separations.in 2023, the asymca served more than 337,000 military families and provided more than 1.2 million points of service through no cost and low cost programs and Services relevant to the unique challenges of military life. the following are core programs, core Services, and health, wellness and recreational programs that serve and support active duty military families in communities across the country.

Educational assistance programs:one of asymca's hallmark programs is operation hero, an after-school enrichment program that aids children from six to 12 years of age who are experiencing either social and/or academic challenges in school, which are often the result of frequent moves and family separations. With participants referred by teachers, parents, or other caring adults, the 10-week program provides after-school tutoring and mentoring in a small group with trained facilitators. Operation hero facilitates a safe and positive environment, instills self esteem, encourages responsible behaviors, and helps children thrive in school and at home. In 2023, more than 1,600 students participated in operation hero. Overall, in 2023, the asymca provided more than 800,000 child care, child development and early learning points of Services to military families.asymca's core programs offered at branches and affiliates include:- full day, half day and hourly child care - before and after school age care- children's waiting room drop off child watch Services- preschool/pre-k- operation little learners parent participation early learning program- operation hero after school enrichement program- summer day camps and enrichment camps, including robotics, stem, creative arts topics- resident/overnight camps that build friendships, community and healthy habits through outdoor activities- children's playgroups

Child care programs:asymca offers a variety of affordable, accessible and quality child care, child development and early learning educational programs that help to achieve two primary goals for both military children and parents, which are to instill academic achievement and social emotional skills to set them up for future success and to provide essential child care Services needed to support military spouse employment and/or continuing education opportunities. Child care, development and early learning are offered on-site through asymca branches and affiliates at child development centers, programs sites, school sites and medical treatment facilities located on or off installations.the asymca operates nationally accredited child care programs, state- licensed child care programs in the community and on military bases, which are subject to department of defense inspections. A unique child care program the asymca offers inside or near military treatment facilities in 14 different locations is children's waiting room. This drop off child watch service enables service members and their spouses to attend to their own or one of their children's physical or mental health care needs without the stress or cost of finding child care for all or some of their children ages 0-12.

Other programs:research shows that one in four active duty military families report being food insecure. In response, the asymca is proud to provide a welcoming, judgement-free environment for military families to access food assistance across all 12 branches. Military families can shop at a client-choice food market where they can select from shelf stable foods, fresh and frozen items, dairy, meat and healthy options. In addition, many branches offer other items including baby formula, food, diapers and wipes, personal care items and household cleaning supplies. In 2023, the asymca served more than 100,000 families and delivered more than 2.5 million pounds of food.asymca's core Services offered at branches and affiliates include:- food assistance and baby care items - temporary emergency financial assistance- operation ride home holiday travel assistance - operation holiday joy food and toy distributions and holiday events- military spouse employment programs- operation kid comfort deployment Services- financial literacy education- nutrition literacy education- volunteer opportunitiesasymca's health, wellness and recreational programs:the asymca supports the whole person and the whole family for junior-enlisted military personnel, their spouses and children. Asymca keeps children and adults active and connected to their community while building and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Local programs range from safety around water education to youth sports leagues and parent/child dances that encourage bonding and provide fun socialization activities. In addition, asymca is considered the "home away from home" for many military families who rely on resources, referals and information to support a variety of needs. In several locations, the asymca operates "warrior care" programs and Services for wounded, ill and injured service members and their caregiving family members to enjoy recreational activities, complimentary tickets to local events, therapy dog visits, woodworking sessions, and pool therapy.asymca's health, wellness and recreational programs offered at branches and affiliates include:- aquatics and water therapy- safety around water swim lessons- breast cancer awareness group - cpr /first aid training- healthy kids days- parent/child dances- wellness programs- warrior support programs for wounded, ill and injured service members and their caregiver spouses and children- spouse social craft and conversation groups - support of enlisted spouses club- support groups for parents with children of special needs- group exercise classes- pilates and yoga classes- walking groups- healthy living and disease preventions programs- youth sports, camps, and leagues- resources and referrals- military and volunteer appreciation events- ticket giveaways