Ventura, CA. – As part of its ongoing commitment to family strengthening, the Ventura Family YMCA celebrates military families during the nation’s first National Military Family Month.

“The Ventura Family YMCA recognizes the sacrifices that members of the military and their families make on a daily basis,” said Kate Bucey, Administrative Services Director of the Ventura Family YMCA. “We celebrate National Military Family Month, and we are honored to provide support to families of deployed military service members.”

In 2008, in an effort to expand access to health and well-being resources to military families, the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) and the Department of Defense teamed up with the nation’s YMCAs to provide eligible military families and active duty personnel with access to youth development, family strengthening, and health and well-being programs through memberships and respite child care services at community YMCAs nationwide.
In its first year, the YMCA Military Outreach Initiative has seen more than 22,000 YMCA family and individual memberships. The program has also served more than 36,000 military children. In Ventura County the Ventura Family YMCA is serving dozens of families with full facility memberships which are subsidized through the ASYMCA-DoD Outreach Initiative. During November, the Ventura Family YMCA will celebrate Military Family Month with additional special activities, such as the YMCA Thanksgiving potluck on November 18th starting at 6pm. The potluck is a special way for the Ventura Family YMCA staff, facility members and members of the community to come together for a celebration of thanks.

First established by ASYMCA and recognized by First Lady Nancy Reagan in 1993, ASYMCA’s Military Family Month recognizes and pays tribute to military personnel and their families for their dedication and service. On October 30, 2009, President Barack Obama continued this important initiative by proclaiming November 2009 as Military Family Month, and calling on “all Americans to honor military families through private actions and public service for the tremendous contributions they make in the support of our service members and our Nation.”

For more information on the YMCA Military Outreach Initiative and to find a participating YMCA, visit www.ymca.net. Eligibility forms for military personnel can be found at www.militaryonesource.com.

About the Ventura Family YMCA
The Ventura Family YMCA serves over 20,000 individuals annually through facility memberships, before & after school childcare, day & resident camps, youth sports, swim lessons, teen programs, and many more healthy lifestyles and community enriching programs throughout Ventura, Oxnard, Ojai, Santa Paula, and Saticoy. Membership without contracts or join fees makes the Ventura Family YMCA accessible to everyone. The Ventura Family YMCA is located at 3760 Telegraph Rd., Ventura, CA 93003. For more information contact (805) 642-2131 or visit www.ciymca.org/ventura.