June 29, 2023
FLEMINGTON - YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties graduated the first class of Hunterdon County Veterans Wellness Pathway participants at a celebration on June 24, 2023. The free YMCA Veterans Pathway program engaged 28 U.S. military veterans, including participating spouses, in a program specifically designed for active military and Veterans seeking health and wellness in mind and body.
The free 12-week Veterans Pathway program provides participants access to health and wellness opportunities, as well as meaningful social connection with those who share the bond of military service. Participants benefit from free access to the Y Wellness 24/7 virtual platform, family membership to the Y during the 12-week session, and an additional six-month individual adult membership following successful completion of the program. Sessions focus on mind, body and spiritual well-being, including mindfulness, meditation and nutrition. The first session of the program began at the Deer Path branch on April 10, with the final session concluding on June 30.
“As a Veteran, the Y has made me feel special, part of something bigger than myself,” stated Carol Darcy, a graduate from the Veterans Pathway program in Hunterdon County. “I am a proud U.S. Air Force Veteran who served during the final years of the Vietnam War. I was one of the first women to go through mechanical/technical training at Chanute Air Force Base in Illinois and work on the flight lines at Dover Air Force Base and Hickam AFB in Hawaii. For someone who needed to lose weight and focus on maneuverability and core strength, this program was relevant. The Y team listened to our concerns and interests, and modified the program to accommodate all of us. It was a wonderful, and very much appreciated program.”
The Veterans Wellness Initiative began in 2015 at the Doylestown branch of the Y as a way to create community and wellness opportunities for Bucks County veterans. Since then, the free, donor-supported Pathway program has expanded to Quakertown, Newtown, Warminster and Fairless Hills branches. This April marked the first time the Veterans Pathway program was offered on the Jersey side of YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties. Through 2022, the Y has served over 650 veterans and their families in the Pathway program.
“We can’t say enough great things about our trainers and the staff in general at the Deer Path location,” wrote Veterans Pathway grads John and Donna DeVico. “Everyone is friendly and the facilities are well-kept and super-clean. Meeting weekly with Omar and Jill has been a lot of fun and has kept us motivated to keep going. We have been given a workout program tailored to our goals and an introduction to the many classes the YMCA offers with information on how they can meet our goals as well.”
YMCA Pathway programs are free, 12-16 week programs for groups who share particular wellness needs. Pathway programs are funded completely by donors within the community, offering health and social connection that cannot be found outside the Y. YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties currently offers a number of Pathway programs, including the 7th Grade Wellness Initiative, which provides free branch membership to teens; THRIVE Cancer Wellness, open to those currently in, or having survived, cancer treatment; Healthy Horizons, a wellness and connection program for qualifying individuals recovering from a mental health diagnosis; Empower U, a wellness and self-esteem building program for adolescent and young women; Healthy Lifestyles, a lifestyle/behavior modification program for adults at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes; We All Wheel, youth wheelchair basketball for children of all abilities; along with the Veterans Wellness Initiative.
"This is some of the most rewarding work I’ve done at the Y,” said Jill Waskiewicz, group fitness instructor and Veterans coach at YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties. “To be able to give back to those that have helped maintain the freedoms we enjoy in this country and to watch them flourish is a gift.”
For more information about the free, donor-supported Pathway programs at YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties, please visit ymcabhc.org/wellness/pathways.
Photo caption: (L-R) Terry Hughes, Louis Lasher, Gordon Sell and Ed Ganley stretch it out one last time before completing the first-ever YMCA Veterans Pathway program at the Deer Path gym in Hunterdon County.
YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties is a charitable, nonprofit organization committed to strengthening communities through membership and programs that foster youth development, healthy living and social responsibility for all. Annually, the Y serves over 49,000 members and participants at its six-member branches, seven child development centers, and nine camp locations across Bucks and Hunterdon Counties. YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties provides over $5 million of community impact annually in the form of financial assistance to individuals and families in need and free programming for veterans, cancer survivors, older adults and more. To learn more visit ymcabhc.org.