Free Military Family Memberships
The Northfield Area Family YMCA Provides Support to Military Families as Part of a new $31-Million Initiative.
Armed Services YMCA and Department of Defense partnership gives military families access to youth development, family strengthening, and health and well-being programs
As part of the new Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) and Department of Defense (DoD) Outreach Initiative, the Northfield Area Family YMCA will provide military families with access to youth development, family strengthening, and health and well-being programs at community YMCAs nationwide.
The Northfield Area Family YMCA is happy to help meet the critical needs facing families of deployed military service members, said Virginia Kaczmarek, Executive Director of the Northfield Area Family YMCA. Families are the most affected when a loved one gets deployed, so we are deeply committed to providing them with the support they need.
The ASYMCA-DoD Outreach Initiative responds to a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008, which requires the Secretary of Defense to develop a plan to support military family readiness and to ensure that military family readiness programs and activities are available to all military families, including those of the National Guard and Military Reservists. Eligible military families participating in the initiative are eligible for YMCA memberships based on participation requirements. Those eligible to participate in the new initiative include:
- All interested families of joint deployed National Guard and Reserves of all military branches;
- Families living in newly established Joint Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) bases;
- Active Duty Independent Duty station personnel and their families; and
- Relocated spouses and family members of deployed Active Duty personnel.
The YMCA has a long history of supporting military service members and their families since the Civil War so it was natural for us to join this initiative, said Kaczmarek. During this time of conflict, it is more important than ever that we continue providing services and support to these families in the absence of a deployed spouse.
YMCA Membership is FREE to eligible families and includes access to the Health & Wellness fitness center, free child care at the center, free youth programs and discounts on programs. Membership fees will be underwritten by the DoD and administered through Military OneSource, an information and referral service for military families. YMCA of the USA, the national resource office for America 2,686 YMCAs, will help launch the initiative at participating YMCAs across the country.
More information about the ASYMCA-DoD Outreach Initiative can be found by visiting www.asymca.org. For local information visit the Northfield Area Family YMCA website at www.northfieldymca.org
The YMCA in Northfield has served over 900 individual children and adults already this year through youth, day camp and child care programs and at our new Health and Wellness fitness center . For more information about programs and memberships, visit our website at www.northfieldymca.org or call 507-645-0088.
