Steve Fortier has issued this press release.  The Bingamans continue to have a positive impact on our community and its youth.  Thanks, Chuck and Sue. – Lil

Last month, Meeting Waters YMCA Executive Director Steve Fortier and Walpole Attendance Area Principal Sam Jacobs announced a new partnership between the two organizations. Starting on the first day of the 2013-14 school year, Meeting Waters YMCA’s after-school program, Y-ASPIRE, will serve the youth and families of the three Walpole elementary schools.

Community support was quick to follow. Just before moving to California, Sue and Chuck Bingaman offered their support to MWYMCA Board members Diane Myers-Miller and Antonia Andreoli to help the program get off to a strong start. Together, the four organized a fundraising campaign to secure some seed funding for scholarships and supplies. While that outreach continues, the initial response from the Walpole Foundation, the Bingamans and MWYMCA Board and staff members was so strong, Meeting Waters YMCA’s Board of Directors has decided to use some of the community support to lower program fees.

“New Hampshire’s ‘Child Care Scholarship Program,’ the subsidy program that uses federal dollars to support NH parents in accessing quality child care programs provides significantly less support compared to Vermont’s program,” explains Fortier.  “So, the initiative of Chuck, Sue, Diane and Antonia and the response from the Walpole Foundation and others is essential to us ensuring that all Walpole youth have access to our high-quality after-school program.”

Meeting Waters YMCA has used that support to subsidize a ten-percent discount on the program fees for the Walpole program. “This will leave a very small co-pay for parents on the upper end of the scale of the state Child Care Scholarship Program,” Fortier adds. “It makes the program even more accessible to all parents.”

The Y-ASPIRE program runs from the close of school until 6:15 for each of the 180 school days. It also runs for full days on all school vacations and most holidays, as well as for half-days on teacher in-service and other early release days. In all, the program operates for over 210 days between the first day of school and the last.

Each day of a Y-ASPIRE program includes physical activity and nutritious snack, both of which meet stringent Healthy Eating and Physical Activity national standards; assisted study time and a cooperative group project centered around monthly themes such as Different But the Same; Our Community; and Kindness and Justice. Through various activities, students in Y-ASPIRE develop “life skills” such as cooperation, problem-solving, group decision-making and leadership. They also learn more about themselves, their community and their world. Service learning projects benefit other community agencies as well as the ASPIRE participants. Monthly family events focus on family strengthening and health.

The new program in Walpole will be based in the multi-purpose room at Walpole Primary School. Bussing will be provided from North Walpole School and Y-ASPIRE staff will walk Walpole Elementary students to the Primary School each day.

For more information about Y-ASPIRE, visit http://www.meetingwatersymca.org or call their main office at (802) 463-4769.

Founded in 1895, Meeting Waters YMCA is a charitable (501-c-3), social service organization serving the Brattleboro, Bellows Falls, Springfield and Fall Mountain regions. It strengthens the foundations of community through youth development, healthy living, social responsibility and family strengthening.