Young Men's Christian Association of Greater Nashua

Child care - our early education center at the merrimack y is the largest single-site ymca early learning center in the united states. The state of nh has recognized our early education center as a licensed plus childcare center. This recognition signifies to families looking for childcare that our y meets the highest standards set by the state. As one of the largest providers of affordable child care in the Greater Nashua community. We care for over 300 children on a daily basis. Our early education center based at the merrimack ymca employs more than 70 full time teachers who care for and educate children as Young as 6-weeks for full-day child care. The central focus of all ymca child care programs is to foster growth and development, not only in children but also in their parents and families. We also had approximately 270 children participating in our before and after school programs. These programs are located within our Nashua and merrimack branches as well as three community based programs located in schools. We are proud to offer subsidized child care to approximately 25% of our families, from 13 communities. Our programs expose children to a variety of asset-building programs as well as enrichment programs. Our educational programs help kids develop moral and ethical behavior, self-esteem, and leadership skills. Parents play an important role in policy and program decisions. In many instances, ymca child care allows parents of the children in our programs to remain gainfully employed, knowing that their children are thriving in a safe, educational and supportive environment.

Ymca aquatics - this year, approximately 1,900 individuals were enrolled in swim lessons. Ymca aquatic programs are part of the ymca's overall goal of building healthy spirit, mind, and body. The aquatic department continues to be a leader in aquatic programming and in offering a full range of programs for all ages. Along with the regular preschool and grade school swimming programs, the ymca also offers aquatic exercise (including classes specifically for seniors and those with arthritis), life guarding and time for recreational lap swimming. In addition to providing specific swimming and water safety skills, ymca aquatics promotes good health through regular exercise. The ymca's aquatic professionals are recognized as leaders in the aquatic field and serve as trainers for the ymca of the usa in this region for national aquatic certifications. The ymca's aquatic programs are offered at fees affordable to the community at large, with financial assistance for those who qualify. Additionally, the ymca offers pool usage, lifeguards and instructors at no charge to groups such as special olympics, area agency and others who use aqua therapy with their disabled clients. Additionally, more than 160 children had the opportunity to learn endurance, sportsmanship and how to reach their personal goals through our ymca storm swim team.

Youth development, healthy living, social responsibility - youth development: active, engaged children are the backbone of a healthy community. The ymca is one of the largest providers of youth programming in the region. We are committed to increasing opportunities for youth to deepen values and positive attitudes. Whether a child engages with us through our youth basketball program, storm swim team, gymnastics programs, arts & humanities classes, or one of the many sports programs, our goal is to help them engage in lifelong healthy activities with positive role models to help guide their decision making and life choices. All of our youth programs incorporate our values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. Healthy living: the ymca of Greater Nashua continues to be a leader in the Greater Nashua community in response to the city of Nashua's focus on childhood obesity, which has been named one of the three major health issues that the city is focusing on in its health improvement plan. Our prescribe the y (youth anti-obesity initiative) program aims to stop this rapid increase in obesity by starting with our children, for studies show that if a child is overweight at age 12, they are most likely to be overweight adults. This program is the only one of its kind in the Nashua area. In 2023 the well-being center was opened to provide members with a place to connect their mental health with their physical health. A variety of mindfulness and meditation programs are offered to help provid members with the opportunity to focus on their mental health. In partnership with community health and wellness agencies, programs that are rooted in evidence-based practices and mental health modalities are provided. More than 150 adults have reclaimed their health in our livestrong at the ymca, a research-based physical activity and well-being initiative that helps people affected by cancer reach their holistic health goals.the livestrong at the ymca program is available to cancer survivors and their families in the Greater Nashua community at no charge to the participant. On a broad level, making ymca healthy living programs and classes available is an important cornerstone of our long range strategic plan. In 2022/2023 the ymca of Greater Nashua provided 1,387,000 in community benefits and services to those in need in our community. This includes $746,000 awarded in y cares financial assistance scholarships to enable children, adults and seniors with limited financial means to participate in any y program or service. Significant aid is for childcare, afterschool care and summer camp, allowing qualifying parents to work or return to school and afford quality childcare. Also included is an investment by our y and our funding partners of $641,000 toward community-based initiatives. We provide several evidence based programs at no cost including: the new ymca educational academy, power scholars academy, livestrong at the ymca cancer survivor program, prescribe the y youth anti-obesity initiative, ymca achievement center at hudson memorial school, and superhero training academy. Social responsibility -within the Greater Nashua area, the ymca is seen as a collaborator, convening with the cities and towns, as well as other social service agencies, to address community needs. This has been an important resource for both working parents and parents who needed assistance in their new role in helping students learn at home. We again partnered with the Nashua public school system to offer the 'power scholars academy,' a summer program that expands learning time to improve the academic achievements, self-confidence and life trajectories of elementary school students in Nashua who were performing at below grade level. Our y has partnered with bellxcel (building educated leaders for life) and the ymca of the usa to bring this program to our community. Research shows that children from lower income households generally fall behind their peers by three months in math and reading over the summer. In 2023, students in power scholars academy saw an average gain of two and a half months in reading and in math. This year we engaged more than 250 community members (donating nearly $235 thousand in value to the organization) to make a difference in people's lives, offering the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends, all while developing skills and gaining invaluable experience. The y provides people the opportunity to put into practice what they believe about life and give back to their community through volunteer participation in y programs and services. We have the presence and partnerships to not just promise, but deliver positive, personal and social change. With a focus on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, y volunteers give men, women and youth of all ages and from all walks of life the resources and support they need to be healthy, confident, connected and secure. Our togetherhood program, a ymca signature program where we invite y members to lead and participate in volunteer service outside of our ymca facilities has partnered with the united way to put together care packages for seniors in our community.

Ymca day camp - the ymca of Greater Nashua serves local families by providing summer camp experiences at camp sargent, the merrimack ymca, and the westwood park ymca. This summer, the ymca offered the camp experience to more than 1,300 children who learned teamwork, gained leadership skills, built self-confidence, learned new skills and made friends at our camps. This represents more than 5,500 weeks of camp at camp sargent, camp create at the merrimack y and sports camps at the westwood park ymca. O through our camp program, we are able to provide opportunities for youth development for Young people ages 5 through grade 9. Some children enjoyed the camp experience for one week, while others were enrolled for the entire 11 week summer program. Ymca day camp experiences seek to help children achieve their fullest potential in spirit, mind and body. Special emphasis is placed on ensuring access to programs, child care, and membership for families in low income areas by providing financial assistance through our y-cares financial assistance program.

Educational programs - the ymca partners with local school districts to offer a variety of educational programs. A summer program is offered for grades 1-8 to help them start the next school year ahead academically. An in-school program is offered to aid children in kindergarten and grades 1 and 5 to develop a sense of personal enrichment and achievement by meeting academic and social needs, creating a caring atmosphere, and providing a challenging psychology-infused curriculum that targets strengths and positive attributes of the students.