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 Chambersburg Memorial YMCA is providing military families with access to youth development, family strengthening, and health and well-being programs.  Membership fees for these families are underwritten by the DoD and administered through Military OneSource, an information and referral service for military families.

“The Chambersburg Memorial YMCA is happy to help meet the critical needs facing families of deployed military service members,” said Jen Gossert, Director of Family Services, Chambersburg Memorial 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 deployed National Guard and Reserve families, and some active duty families in certain special categories. 

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;
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 Gossert. “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.” These services are beneficial to military families, as evidenced by the responses of members of the program.

 “Having the benefits of the YMCA at the military families’ disposal is a God-send.” said Sasha Coleman Arnett, whose husband Jeremy is currently serving in Iraq. Arnett is caring for their young daughter, London, while her husband is deployed.  “Since we do not have any family even remotely close to Chambersburg, I was a bit concerned as to how I would be able to get some “me time” and also have London get used to different atmospheres and people.  Using the Y’s child care during my workouts has been wonderful. The staff is always so nice, and I never worry about leaving her there.  She enjoys her time with the staff and children, and I enjoy my time to better me as a person, and in turn, as a mom.”

For more information about the ASYMCA-DoD Outreach Initiative, please visit www.asymca.org. or www.ymca.net.

In these tough economic times, when everyone has to work to make ends meet, how do you balance time at work and quality time with your family? Here are some tips to help you balance work time and family time:

♦Make Your Boss Your Ally: Talk with your boss honestly about your family. Let him/her know your family comes first, but demonstrate your serious commitment to work by showing progress.
♦Stay Busy and Focused: Get your job done during work hours so you do not have to work overtime and sacrifice your family time.
♦Show Your Family Commitment: Schedule family commitments like you do work ones, that way you will be less likely to sacrifice that time. Display family photos and your children’s artwork in your office so everyone can see how proud you are of your family.
♦Use Work Benefits that Help You Balance Work and Family: Inquire as to any benefits your employer might offer such as flextime, shift swapping, etc.
♦Make Career Decisions as a Family: If you are looking for a job, try to find one that limits stress in your life. Compare the benefits of the job to how it will affect your family time.
♦Limit Work on Weekends, Vacations, and Holidays: Do not get into the habit of working on your days off. Have a co-worker cover your shift while you are on vacation, that way you do not worry about work during your family time.
♦Be With Your Family Every Day: It is wonderful if you can occasionally plan special events just for your family. It is even better if you can turn off your phone, laptop, or pager during this time. If this is a busy time and such events are not possible, fine little ways to spend time with your family every day. Have dinner together, read a story before bedtime, or take a walk together. These moments bring you together as a family and although they are “little” things, they add up!

This article was adapted from “12 Ways to Balance Work and Family,” a resource published by the National Fatherhood Initiative.

With spring just around the corner the YMCA is accepting registrations for their Scramble Golf League slated to start on April 6th at the Majestic Ridge Golf Club. Two person teams will play nine hole handi-capped matches against other two person teams through August 17th.  An 18 hole league championship will be held on August 23rd or August 30th.  Weekly prizes for men and women play.  All playing levels welcome.  Men’s, Women’s and Co-Ed teams accepted.  $25.00 per person registration fee.  League capacity twenty teams.  Registration forms can be found on the YMCA’s web page under league play.

Whether it is swimming laps, running miles on the treadmill or shooting hoops; the YMCA has these and many other ways to spend quality time together with your children, spouse or special friend.  Weekends at the Y are a great time to re-connect with yourself and your family.  Upcoming weekend events for families include the Nov. 16th Ornament Making Class, the Dec. 6th Breakfast with Santa and the January Snow Tubing trip.  For teens and adults, the Y is offering a Stuffed Turkey Spin class on Black Friday, Nov. 28th and several tournaments for all skill levels.

 But beyond special trips and classes, the Y is open every Saturday and Sunday with great ways to keep healthy and connected with your loved ones.  So the next time you are looking for someplace to go, remember your YMCA membership offers you and your family lots of fun.

Back to school time is often a great opportunity for families to get a handle on their morning routines by minimizing the morning rush.  Use these tips to help you get started.

Make breakfast simpler and quicker by scheduling daily themes.  For example, make Monday’s egg day, Tuesday’s waffle day, Wednesday’s yogurt and fruit day, etc.  Breakfast schedules make grocery shopping easier, prep time quicker, and are a great way of teaching and introducing routines to kids.

Set out all breakfast non-perishables and utensils the night before.  Things like cereal, vitamins, bowls, spoons, cups, etc can easily be set out on the counter and table the night before and make the morning breakfast prep calmer and easier.

For parents who can’t start their day without a cup of coffee, go ahead and make the coffee the night before and set the timer so it is ready when you wake up.  If your coffee pot doesn’t have a timer, go ahead and just add the water and coffee so that all you have to do is hit the brew button when you get up.

Teach kids to rinse their own dishes and place them in the dishwasher.  If they are too young to rinse their own dishes, try having them at least place them in the sink or have an older sibling help.

Try and pack as much of the kids’ and your lunches the night before.  Sandwiches can be made the night before and placed in the refrigerator and all non-perishable snacks and fruits can easily be placed in the lunch bag the night before as well as napkins and milk money.

Last but not least, use a chore chart to get the kids involved as much as possible, and to seal the deal add all of these tips to your daily routines.
Excerpt from “Our Busy Family Life” by Polly