By Necoia Shavers
Military Outreach Coordinator, First Coast YMCA
As we enter National Military Family Month, the First Coast YMCA is recognizing the families who carry the weight of service at home. As an affiliate of the Armed Services YMCA, the First Coast YMCA builds programs around the needs of service members, veterans and their families. Here are a few ways veterans can get involved this month and throughout the year.
Get moving with others who serve
Operation Strong & Ready is an eight-week program at select branches for active-duty service members and veterans that focuses on both physical and mental wellness.
Certified personal trainers lead one-hour group sessions twice a week, allowing service members to improve both their physical and mental strength. Some participants use the program to prepare for branch-specific fitness tests, while others come for the camaraderie of training alongside people with similar experiences.
Veterans can also find connection through the 20th annual Josh Watkins Tennis Tournament, taking place Nov. 12-15. The annual tennis tournament brings together athletes, veterans, families and community supporters. Proceeds will benefit the Marine Corporal Joshua Watkins Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund at the University of North Florida, supporting military veterans pursuing higher education.
Get outside and find your adventure
Getting outdoors gives service members and their families a chance to recharge, and the Sierra Club offers a way to do just that. The First Coast YMCA works with the Sierra Club’s Military Outdoors program to offer guided hikes, nature-focused activities and environmental education for service members and veterans. The Sierra Club also sponsors the annual Veterans Retreat, a free weekend at Camp Immokalee where veterans can unwind, enjoy nature and connect with others who have served.
Military Family Camp Day, held each year at Camp Immokalee, gives parents and kids a full day of zip-lining, waterfront activities and other camp fun.
Find others in your community
Thanks to the support of the Armed Services YMCA, Operation Hero at the First Coast YMCA gives active-duty military children in first through sixth grades a place to talk through changes like relocations and a parent’s deployment. The program is free, and kids leave with stronger coping skills, more confidence and friends who live similar lives.
Each summer, the Military Back-to-School Bash welcomes military children for a day of celebration before the new school year. With support from VyStar Credit Union, the First Coast YMCA’s military outreach partner, this event provides military kids with free backpacks stocked with school supplies so they can start the year off right.
Make it work for your family
Military families who join their local First Coast YMCA branch in November can sign up and receive the month completely free, an offer that also extends to first responder families.
Beyond November, military scholarships for youth programs and YMCA memberships make it easier to stay involved if families are not ready to make a commitment. Our YMCA Military Membership rates are based on status and rank. There are no long-term contracts, which provides room to adjust when orders or circumstances change. Additionally, when service members travel anywhere in the U.S., they are able to visit other YMCA branches at no cost for up to 28 days.
Donor support also helps sustain the First Coast YMCA’s Military Wellness program, which keeps offerings like Operation Strong & Ready and Military Back-to-School Bash available to those who serve.
The First Coast YMCA is proud to support military families at every stage of service and beyond. To find programs at your local branch, learn which resources your family may qualify for or to donate to military programming, visit fcymca.org or contact Military Outreach Coordinator Necoia Shavers at nshavers@fcymca.org.
