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Out of School Time Program with the Hockomock Area YMCA
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In collaboration with the Milford Public Schools and the Milford Youth Center, the Hockomock Area YMCA is helping to respond to community needs with the "Out of School Time" Program. As an organization dedicated to youth development, the YMCA knows how important it is for a child to have an enriching place for learning and growth, both in and out of school.
The YMCA is excited to provide full-day remote learning assistance and enrichment programming Monday through Friday at the Milford Youth Center. YMCA staff will assist students in their school programs using their own laptop or device, assist with questions during remote learning, and help to keep them on track as they connect with their teachers online. During class breaks, and after schoolwork is completed, the Y team will engage students with enrichment and physical activities. During the pandemic this Spring and summer, the Hockomock Y supported and safely ran emergency child care programs and camps for over 700 children per day at our branches, which is why they were the perfect organization to collaborate with to make this happen!
Please see below for some common questions and answers:
- What is the age range?
- Children from Kindergarten-7th grade are eligible.
- When will the program begin?
- We program will begin the first day of school as set by your district.
- What will the program look like?
- This program will operate Monday through Friday. Our YMCA will provide full-day remote learning assistance and enrichment programming on their out-of-school days offsite. Locations will be determined as state approves licenses.
- Milford Public Schools:
- Milford Public schools will be offering a Hybrid model in two Cohorts A & B. Our YMCA will provide full-day remote programming at the Milford Youth Center to support the children on remote learning days. Cohort A M-W Cohort B W-F.
- How do I register?
- What is the cost?
- Location: Milford Youth Center (24 Pearl St.)
- Time: 7:30am-5:00pm
- Cost: $50 per day
- Are we required to sign up for all 3 days that our child is not in school, or is it possible to sign up for 1 or 2 days a week?
- Unfortunately, due to the pandemic and the necessity to keep children in consistent cohorts we will only be allowing the strict schedules available online that are based on the hybrid schedules for each school district.
- If you have any other questions:
There will also be a Zoom call for those who would like to learn more about the program, on Tuesday, September 8, 2020 at 4:30 PM. There will be a short presentation and a chat function to allow parents/guardians to ask any additional questions! To join the Zoom meeting, see below for info:
- Join Meeting, click here.
- Meeting ID: 827 7794 3402
- Passcode: 888958
- Dial in: 1-646-558-8656
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The YMCA is also hiring for multiple locations! Click here for more info!
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MYC Programs Update: September 2020
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 Happy September everyone! With Milford Public Schools operating hybrid or remote, the Milford Youth Center will be offering afternoon extended day programming from 2:15-5:00 PM. The program will align with the school cohort system to ensure a safe experience for participants. Safety is our top priority, and all guidelines will be followed.
In addition to daily programming, the Center also offers a free snack and dinner program, thanks to the collaboration of CACFP, Hockomock Area YMCA and the Milford School Food & Nutrition Services department.
The schedule is as follows: (review daily schedule for any changes):
- COHORT B: Mondays & Tuesdays
- Wednesday: 2 PM Virtual Program and Grab & Go Food Program (10 AM to 5 PM)
- COHORT A: Thursdays & Fridays
- For PDF of calendar, click here.
To sign up for this program, the student must attend Milford Public Schools and complete the registration and payment of:
- $15/day if you are transitioning from the morning YMCA program. Click here to register
- $20/day if attending at 2:15 PM. Click here to register!
- There is limited availability for the MYC Extended Day Program: 30 youth/day.
Thanks to the outreach of support from our volunteers, staff, Milford TV, and our other community members we have been able to continue to offer virtual programs on our Facebook page, the Milford TV app for your phone and/or on the Milford TV local access channel (Comcast (channel 8) or Verizon (channel 38) if you live in Milford)! You now can participate in some of our short virtual tutorials, crafts, activity ideas and other programs right from home. Programs/times may be subject to change based on volunteer availability. You can also check out any previous programming here!
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We are Thinking of You Seniors!
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Over the last 4 months, the Youth Center has been collecting "Make a Senior Smile" messages from our youth members and families who we delivered gifts to and several from Miss Fahey's and Team 8 - Grade 5 class at Woodland Elementary School!
In April, Miss Fahey and her Team 8 colleagues collaborated with the Youth Center to achieve this goal and they gave their students an assignment to write a personal note to a senior in Milford and tell them about themselves and their interests. They also asked them to include one silly or random fact about themselves to make them smile! Check out some of these adorable messages with this slideshow we created and  shared with the Milford Senior Center to share as well!
Especially during this time where the Senior population is at high risk due to COVID-19, we wanted to bring a smile to their faces to brighten their day! We are very fortunate to have a Senior Volunteer opportunity here at the Milford Youth Center, helping run programs, hand out snacks and dinners and help with other various projects throughout a normal school year. We miss seeing their smiles and seeing the joy they get from being around the kids, so we are bringing the joy to them during this difficult time!
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Thank You United Way of Tri-County: 230 Backpacks Donated!
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We would like to thank the United Way of Tri-County for donating 230 new backpacks, full of grade-specific school supplies from crayons to calculators and everything in between, to some of our MYC After School members for this school year!
The United Way of Tri-County runs this annual back-to-school backpack program to help children and youth succeed and learn. The program is a combined effort between area businesses and employees to provide backpacks and school supplies for the school year! Due to the United Way of Tri-County's generosity, this is the most backpacks that we have ever been able to distribute!
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$7,500 Grant Awarded to MYC!
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The Milford Youth Center is very excited to announce that we received funding from the Greater Milford Community Health Network: CHNA 6 as part of their COVID-19 Emergency Grant Program!
The $7,500 grant will be used to support the hiring of a full-time AmeriCorps member that will serve at the Youth Center for the next 10 months! This individual, with the assistance of Social Capital Inc., will be profe ssionally trained, to help serve the Milford Community and more specifically help Milford Youth Center staff with continuing to provide resources and programs for the community during this difficult time. We would like to thank CHNA 6 for this award and their support!
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We Need You(th) Pale Ale Available at CraftRoots Brewery!
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Don't miss out! There are only a couple kegs left of the "We Need You(th)" pale ale at CraftRoots Brewing! This special beer was brewed in May to raise funds for the MYC! For every purchase of a 32 oz squealer, $1 will be donated to the Center! Now that they are open they will also donate $0.50 from every pint ordered too! Finally, CraftRoots will be matching the proceeds made from this three month fundraiser!
We are so appreciative of our amazing community partner, CraftRoots, who reached out to help the Center back in May to find a way to support the Center during his difficult time. With no rental programs for months and the postponed 10th Annual St. Pat's Fundraiser, our largest event of the year, Maureen and Robin, came up with this awesome idea to help support our program! Stop by CraftRoots for beer to-go or enjoy it in the taproom or at their outside beer garden!
Send us photos of you picking up your squealer so we can make sure we can thank you! Send them to our email here or post them on social media and tag CraftRoots and the Center! Thank you to everyone who went already during the last few months!
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MYC Thanks Community for Donations:
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 The Youth Center would like to extend a very appreciative thank you to the following list who donated items and/or their time this month to the Center:
- Ariea Bryan & Amazon for multiple deliveries of misc. pet food, non-perishables, toys, games, clothing and goods, which allowed us to distribute to families, individuals and organizations in need;
- Sharron Elizabeth, Dawn Craig & Brookside Food Pantry, Melanie Figueroa, Reagan Brooks, Paula Nedder and Michelle Glennon for donating clothes for a local family in need;
- Marjorie Weiner for donating an exercise bike, bike helmets, a love seat and a couch;
- Erica Goncalves for donating books for our reading nook;
 - Chris & Julie Ward for donating kids play supplies;
- Jan Fornaciari for donating craft supplies and baskets;
- Catie Gibson for donating a mini-fridge for a college student in need;
- John Fernandes & Jen Dimola for donating various pieces of furniture, bikes, and craft supplies;
- Nick Zacchilli for donating misc. craft supplies and sewing materials;
- Hockomock Area YMCA for donating additional backpacks;
- Imperial Cars & Mike Walsh Sr for donating the use of a van to pick up 230 backpacks and school supplies for kids;
- Courtney Walsh for donating a pop-up tent for kids play;
- Milford TV for sharing our virtual programming;
- Jen from Infinite Pawz-Ibilities for working with Cora and the grant process to get her trained;
 - "We Need You(th)" Supporters for not only supporting the Milford Youth Center but for also supporting CraftRoots Brewing;
- Loriann Braza, Milford Community Media Ctr, Joan Ward, Tina Kelly, Nelly Marques and Sue Covell for making a Monetary donations for Telethon baskets
- United Way Employee Giving Campaigns: Jeff Niro & Carolyn Grider;
- Liz Siber and Anthony Miele for volunteering over the last 5 weeks to offer small group ultimate frisbee and martial arts programming!
The Youth Center relies on donations to help sustain our programs! Please contact the Center if you would like to donate or click here.
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2020 MYC "Paul F. Seaver" Scholarship Awarded!
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 The MYC sends a huge congratulations to Jason Luchini and Kaitlyn Mobilia for being awarded the 2020 MYC "Paul F. Seaver Scholarship"! This award has been given to deserving recipients for the last eight years and we hope to continue this great tradition for years to come! Both Jason and Kaitlyn joined us outside the Center to accept their award from Paul and Debbie Seaver! This scholarship was created, in honor and in memory of, our former Chairman Paul F. Seaver. Thank you to the Seaver Family & HOOP CREW LLC. for continuing to provide this award each year!
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MYC Selected for Month of October: Shaw's Give Back Where it Counts Program!
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 We are so excited to share that the Milford Youth Center has been selected to be a part of the Shaw's GIVE BACK WHERE IT COUNTS Reusable Bag Program, which is designed to make it easy for customers to contribute to their local community while supporting the environment.
For the month of October, each time a $2.50 reusable GIVE BACK WHERE IT COUNTS Bag is purchased at the Shaw's located at 93 Prospect Street, Milford MA, $1 will be donated to the Youth Center, unless otherwise directed by the customer through the Giving Tag. This is a great way to raise awareness, support the environment and fundraise for our cause.
Let's get started! We can begin by spreading the news to our friends and family. Call, send emails, and post on social media. The more people who learn about the program and purchase the GIVE BACK WHERE IT COUNTS Bag during the month of October, the more money we will raise.
To learn more about this program, please visit shaws.bags4mycause.com. Thank you Shaws for selecting us!
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 The Milford Youth Center is currently open, by appointment only, for small group rentals. Please note, guidelines are subject to change with State and Town decisions):
As we are continuing to adjust during this unprecedented time, here is some information on rental space:
- Renters must abide by all CDC, state & local compliance guidelines;
- Weekends available but must pay additional custodial fee for proper sanitation;
- (2) Half Gym space available;
- Adult over the age of 21 must be the renter;
- Social distancing must be kept and proper PPE in use;
- Own equipment must be used;
- Groups must have phone meeting, emailed or scanned paperwork back and payment completed before requested rental date (payments can be made by credit card or cash/check mailed or dropped off);
- All scheduling is by appointment only!!!
For more information and to set up a meeting, please call Katie at 508-473-1756 or email if you have any questions at [email protected].
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Teachers Driving Academy (TDA) Update!
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 The Teacher's Driving Academy (TDA) would like to share the following update: The RMV has allowed for web-based classroom instruction up until the end of December, during this time of the COVID-19 crisis. Many schools throughout the state may not be ready to support the web-based option at this time but here at TDA, we are ready to GO! We are offering the classroom instruction via web-cam for 5 weeks in a row. The only thing at this point that the RMV will not allow online is the FINAL EXAM. They are stating that this has to be done in person. We are CONFIDENT that this will change as this policy was just instituted a few days ago. The fee is only $119 and includes fee to RMV for your driver's education certificate. Click here to register for web-based virtual classroom. If you were already enrolled in for the standard classroom session, you can now switch to a virtual web-based format by clicking here.
Important Info:
- Virtual Web Based classes are Monday thru Friday, 10am-4pm
- On Tuesday of each week at 5pm, there will be a web-based parent class
- For all information visit the website here or email here.
The Milford Youth Center is pleased to partner with Teachers Driving Academy, who offers students a great program, at a reasonable price! We are very grateful for this partnership and the very appreciative of the estimated annual donation of over $25,000 each year! The TDA is also looking for more drivers! Click here for more information.
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The Milford Board of Health: Mental Health Survey
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Quite understandably, the fear of COVID-19 during this pandemic can cause a lot of stress and anxiety for people. Public health measures, such as social distancing, implemented to curb the spread of the virus can make anyone feel lonely, and further exacerbate any underlying mental health conditions. Other layers of stress exist for people, related to economic concerns, employment, school, and childcare uncertainty, racial tensions, and more.
Therefore, the need for mental health surveillance and planning is critical, especially during this pandemic. Surveying helps officials understand how the residents of Milford are feeling in these conditions (i.e., happiness, stress, loneliness), sources of these feelings, and the mechanisms or activities used to overcome or cope with their thoughts. This valuable information improves understanding of the mental health of our community.
The Milford Board of Health plans to use the analyzed data to inform and plan community resources and programs that best meet the needs of the residents. For your convenience, the survey has been developed in multiple languages and you may access using the below links. Every resident is encouraged to share their stories and thoughts in the survey, available online at the links above. Perspectives from residents with different backgrounds and across the community will help yield better data to help understand the health of the population, thereby improving services, helping build community, and keep Milford healthier.
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US Census Update:
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 The U.S Census takers are now visiting households across the nation that have not yet responded. Understandably, some households that have already responded have expressed confusion over why they too are being visited. These visits are part of our efforts to be absolutely sure that we count everyone. If you get a visit and you've already responded, please be patient and kind and answer the census taker's questions.
So if you've already responded to the 2020 Census, why might a census taker visit?
- The most common reason is that we're clarifying information about your address. You may have responded using your address instead of the Census ID printed on your census invitation. This ID links your response to your address so that we count you in the right place. We've received millions of responses that used an address instead of a Census ID. Some of these addresses don't match one already on our list, so we're following up with those to be sure we count them in the right location.If you're in that situation, you may in fact get two visits-one to verify the address you responded with and another to get a response from your address the way it appears on our list. We want to be sure we count everyone.
- In rarer cases, we may have two addresses on our list that refer to the same housing unit. This occasionally happens if an address update we receive from the U.S. Postal Service or state and local governments is different enough in spelling or formatting that it's not clear the address is the same as one already on our list. Out of an abundance of caution, we would include both addresses in the census. If we get a response from one of those address
 es, we still need to follow up on and resolve the other one. - Finally, for a small number of addresses, we conduct a second interview as part of our quality assurance measures. I know that being visited when you've already responded may be annoying, and even a bit confusing, but please be patient with our census takers-their work is critical to the mission of the Census Bureau and to your community receiving its fair share of funding for critical services. We are making sure that we count everyone in the right place and not leave anyone out. And please don't worry about being counted twice. By cooperating with the census taker, you're helping us count you in the right place, and we have established methods and processes to remove duplicates. We would much rather have to remove some duplicates than miss you entirely or risk your community being underrepresented and underfunded. Thanks for your participation in the 2020 Census.
The results of the 2020 Census will help determine how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding flow into communities every year for the next decade. That funding shapes many different aspects of every community, no matter the size, no matter the location.
Think of your morning commute: Census results influence highway planning and construction, as well as grants for buses, subways, and other public transit systems. Or think of your local schools: Census results help determine how money is allocated for the Head Start program and for grants that support teachers and special education.
The list goes on, including programs to support rural areas, to restore wildlife, to prevent child abuse, to prepare for wildfires, and to provide housing assistance for older adults. Curious about what other programs are impacted by census data? Download this report to see a full list.
As of September 3rd, the self-response rate percentage for the town of Milford is at 71.8%, compared to Massachusetts at 67.7% and Worcester County at 69.2%. The non-response follow up phase" sending census takers to visit addresses of those who didn't respond on their own" will start August 1- October 31! You can check the percentage changes on a daily basis on this link here. For more information on the Census, click here. For a PowerPoint on info on the Census, click here.
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Milford Youth Center
Newsletter
September 2020
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Milford Youth Center on Facebook and Twitter
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