The ABC's of the Y

by Sean McCarthy

A 35-year-old learns to swim. A 72-year-old learns a new dance. A mother of three learns to cook healthy meals. The YMCA is more than “a gym and a swim.”

Regardless of age, ability or income, YMCA Southcoast is reaching out to you.

With locations from Swansea to Wareham, YMCA Southcoast is partnering with regional organizations with the understanding that strengthening our communities means investing in individuals and families in a wide array of ways.

From child care to education to exercise, the YMCA’s health initiatives aim to treat the complete person, including how they eat and how they move, how they learn and how they grow. The Y knows that there are many approaches to health and wellness.

“There’s something for everybody at the Y, we have resources for the entire family,” says Robyn Branco, Director of Mission Administration. “We are a place to grow, whether you’re a child, a parent, or a senior.”

You may be surprised to find out that the modern mission of the YMCA goes far beyond a basketball game or a dip in the pool. These regional branches are improving lives in areas such as food insecurity, education in diabetes treatment and prevention, programs for cancer survivors and their families, social activities for seniors, childcare, employment opportunities for teens, and more.

In many cases, the programming is financially supported – a greater benefit for those in need.

In just one year, the Y distributes between $750,000 - $900,000 in financial aid across all program areas including camp, membership and childcare. In 2006, YMCA Southcoast took a significant step towards helping the community with the establishment of Sharing the Harvest Community Farm. A partnership with the United Way of Greater New Bedford’s Hunger Commission, the volunteer-driven project grows produce on a four-anda-half acre site in Dartmouth that is distributed to the underserved through local food pantries and senior development organizations in the South Coast region. This year Sharing the Harvest distributed over 20,000 meals.

The organization was particularly effective during the COVID-19 pandemic, as they teamed with the Greater Boston Food Bank to form an Emergency Mobile Market known as the Full Plate Project. The group was available two to three days a week, staffed entirely by volunteers providing 15,000 pounds of food a week to meet the needs of the community. This year they have distributed over 1.5 million pounds of food.

The Y also provided emergency daycare for frontline workers during the pandemic along with remote learning for students across the region .

All together

Since the region is located so close to the ocean and other waterways, YMCA Southcoast offers free courses in Basic Water Safety and Drowning Prevention for people of all ages.

“Every person in this community should have the opportunity to learn how to swim,” Branco says. “It should be an essential skill, not a privilege.

Branco points out that many people who become affiliated with the YMCA become lifelong participants in the mission of the organization. Many young people who attended programs and classes with the Y eventually enroll in the organization’s Counselors in Training and leadership programs.

“We try to teach young people the value of being part of something more,” Branco says. “We want them to embrace diversity and celebrate the culture of our region. This is a chance for them to grow with the Y – to give back to the organization after they have benefitted from the programming.

“A lot of families work at the Y, and we have multiple generations of families. The Y is a home away from home for so many.”

Children are often introduced to the Y through its youth development programs, including preschool and after-school opportunities, as well as athletic endeavors. For students in public schools we are reintroducing summer learning loss activities at certain Y locations, an extracurricular program that enhances their academic process in a fun and engaging manner, keeping them mentally fresh.

Staying fresh is also possible for seniors, as the Y offers multiple classes for social interaction, including dancing, drumming, and yoga. Dance classes are also offered to children and teens at certain locations.

Certain YMCAs offer the LiveStrong program, which assists cancer survivors and their families. There are also classes in diabetes prevention and treatment.

But the Y doesn’t act alone. They team with a large number of local organizations, including Southcoast Health, the South Coast Food Policy Council, the United Way of Greater New Bedford and Fall River, and many of the local public schools and universities.

The YMCA has branches in Swansea, Fall River, Dartmouth, New Bedford, Mattapoisett and Wareham. For more information visit ymcasouthcoast.org.

YMCA Southcoast has teamed up with the Greater Boston Food Bank to form an emergency mobile market known as the Full Plate Project. In 2022 the Full Plate Project, stuffed entirely of volunteers, distributed over 1.5 million pounds of food throughout the region.