As a community, great things happen when we work together.

As our community has grown, so have its needs. For the past twelve years, our Y has been undergoing a capital expansion project to enhance the services we provide and create new, improved opportunities so that we can have an even greater impact on our community. Due to many generous gifts from members of our Y community, the Y is now in a position to fast track the completion of its expansion project by the fall of 2017.

As wellness-based organizations whose missions closely align, the Sanford-Springvale YMCA and Southern Maine Health Care (SMHC) are very excited to announce a new, strategic partnership in which SMHC will lease 4,700 square feet of the Y's existing facility to expand its Sports Performance Program at that site. As a "final push" to get to the finish line after years of support from our Y family, revenue generated by the lease contract will be used to assist with completion of the Y's expansion project.

"Working together strengthens our community," stated Andy Orazio, CEO of the Sanford-Springvale YMCA. "We would like to thank all of our generous Y donors for their contributions over the last twelve years. Regarding our new strategic relationship with SMHC, we believe the resources, expertise, and specialized skills of both organizations will create separate opportunities that support our shared commitment to fostering a culture of health and well-being."

With our newly expanded facility, the Y will be able to significantly enhance its focus of being a community gathering place for all ages. We will be able to provide new means for families to strengthen important bonds, connect seniors to health and community, and further enrich the development of our youth by augmenting the Y's services for teens and children and increasing preschool enrollment. The expansion space will also include a new community center to foster the potential of all, and additional wellness spaces to empower people to be healthier in body, mind, and spirit.

The adjacent SMHC Sports Performance Center specializes in providing athletes with supervised and customized programs designed to prevent injuries, optimize physical performance and maximize recovery from injury. SMHC's Sports Performance Center staff is already providing athletic training at Sanford High School and their new location will give local athletes of all ages the opportunity to receive training and treatment closer to home.

Working together with a collaborative spirit we look forward to taking the lead in creating new and improved opportunities and a bright future for Sanford and the surrounding communities.

Read the full story in the  SANFORD NEWS or  JOURNAL TRIBUNE.

This April over 100 kids and families charged into summer at the Y's annual Healthy Kids Day event.

The YMCA's Healthy Kids Day, celebrated at over 1,600 Ys across the country by over 1.2 million participants, works to get more kids moving and learning, creating habits that they continue all summer long.  When kids are out of school, they can face hurdles that prevent them from reaching their full potential. Research shows that without access to out-of-school learning activities, kids fall behind academically - this summer learning loss is more pronounced among students from low-income families. Kids also gain weight twice as fast during summer than the school year. 

As spring turns to summer, Healthy Kids Day is a powerful reminder not to let children idle away their summer days. Instead, the Y wants families to focus on "charging" kids up with enthusiasm for themselves and their potential.

Looking for more family fun? Like us on FACEBOOK or visit our EVENTS PAGE..

PROTECTING OUR YOUTH

Pictured above, Y Owls preschoolers plant pinwheels for prevention during April, the month of National Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention. 

While the statistics about child abuse may be frightening, the good news is that child abuse and neglect is preventable, and at our Y we have taken this to heart. We are proud to take the lead in the battle to reduce child abuse and neglect in our community.

Our Y is fully committed to doing our part to keep youth protected from abuse, and we are asking you to join us. As a community, we have an obligation to nurture our children and protect their only childhood. We must prevent child abuse and neglect to live up to this obligation.

The Sanford-Springvale YMCA pledges to the community to be a leader in this work and a place where children of all ages can go to be safe from child abuse and neglect. 

Will you join the fight with us?  LEARN MORE about how you can help within your own community. Read additional coverage of our efforts in the   Journal Tribune.

 COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER FOR UNITED WAY DAY OF CARING

A big thank you to volunteers from  Unum ,  SIS Bank , and  Pratt And Whitney  who spent the day hard at work making the Y look great for United Way Day of Caring.

Another big thanks to Unum and  Bangor Savings Bank  volunteers who spent the   day  at Bunganut Lake. The park is owned by the Town of Lyman and operated by the Sanford-Springvale YMCA. Volunteers spent the day cleaning up the park for our community and making sure Camp Marland is ready to give more kids the best summer ever.

LEARN MORE about United Way Day of Caring.