The mission of the ymca of greater nashua is to instill values and provide opportunities for lifelong personal growth and development of a healthy spirit, mind, and body for all. We have three areas of focus: 1) youth development - nurturing the potential of every child and teen 2) healthy living - improving the nation's health and well-being 3) social responsibility - giving back and providing support for our neighbors. The ymca is open to every member of the community, regardless of the ability to pay. Financial assistance is available for those who cannot afford to pay the full cost of any program or service.

Human Services , Physical Fitness & Community Recreational Facilities , Sports , Young Mens or Womens Associations

Child care - this year the state of nh recognized our early education center as a licensed plus childcare center. This recognition signifies to families looking for childcare that our y meets the hightest standads set by the state. As one of the largest providers of affordable child care in the greater nashua community, we care for over 475 children on a daily basis during the school year. Our early education center based at the merrimack ymca employs more than 65 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. Approximately 325 children were enrolled in the merrimack ymca's full-time licensed child care, full and part-time preschool and kindergarten programs during the 2016/2017 school year. We are proud to offer subsiized child care to approximately 15% of our families, from 13 communities. Our programs expose children to a variety of asset-building programs as well as enrichment programs. An additional 183 children were enrolled in the school's out afterschool programs at the merrimack and nashua ymcas during the 2016/2017 school year. Daily activities for school's out participants include group games, sports, nutrition education and healthy snacks, music, swimming, free play, arts & crafts, and homework assistance. 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 day camp - the ymca of greater nashua served local families by providing summer camp experiences at camp sargent and overnight camp experiences at camp spaulding to hundreds of local children. This summer, the ymca offered the camp experience to more than 2,000 children who learned teamwork, gained leadership skills, built self-confidence, learned new skills and made friends at camp sargent and our on site camps at the merrimack y and the nashua y. We hosted 400 kids at camp spaulding through our joint partnership with child & family services and the concord family y. 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 and overnight camping 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. ymca aquatics - more than 2,700 children were taught swimming lessons at our facilities this year and anoher 200 adults learned to swim at the y. 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. Fifty children participated in our 'safety around the water' swim program at a free or reduced rate. 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'