The Armed Services YMCA and Department of Defense Outreach Initiative offers YMCA memberships to eligible military families and personnel who may not have access to a nearby military facility. Eligible military families and personnel include:
- Family members of deployed National Guard and Reservists
- Active Duty families who live in one of the selected Joint Bases created by the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process (contact Military OneSource at www.militaryonesource.com or 800-342-9647 for a list of eligible Joint Bases)
- Active Duty Independent Duty personnel and their families as approved by their Military Service Headquarters
- Relocated spouses and family members of deployed Active Duty personnel
Note: Eligibility is for Title 10 personnel only.
Getting Started Eligible military families and personnel should follow these steps to benefit from the YMCA Military Outreach Initiative:
- Contact Military OneSource at www.militaryonesource.comor 800-342-9647 to confirm eligibility and receive an eligibility form.
- Find a participating YMCA in your area using the search tool below.
- Fill out and bring your eligibility form, Military ID and any other required documentation (generally your Deployment Orders or Military Service Headquarters approval letter) to a participating YMCA for verification (please do not leave copies of these documents at the YMCA).
Guidelines The Department of Defense will underwrite memberships at participating YMCAs for an initial six-month period for each eligible family and service member. Membership renewals in subsequent six-month intervals (up to 12 or 18 months depending on eligibility) will be funded based on a military family’s or service member’s ability to meet the participation requirement of eight visits to a YMCA each month.
About the YMCA Outreach Initiative YMCA of the USA, the Armed Services YMCA and the Department of Defense have launched the YMCA Military Outreach Initiative to address the needs of families of deployed military personnel who live far from a military installation and require access to child development, family strengthening, and health and well-being programming. The YMCA Military Outreach Initiative leverages the YMCA movement’s national scale and mission to engage families facing the hardship and uncertainty of military deployment. The nation’s 2,686 YMCAs have the unique capacity to respond to the needs of this widely dispersed population through supportive, community-based programs that foster a healthy spirit, mind and body.
