The Family YMCA
1450 Iris St. Los Alamos, NM 87544
505-662-3100
1450 Iris St. Los Alamos, NM 87544
505-662-3100
These stories reflect the real impact of YMCA programs and scholarships for local children, families, and community members.
These stories highlight the many ways YMCA scholarships, programs, and memberships helped individuals and families build health, confidence, stability, and connection.
Each story represents a family, individual, or caregiver whose life was made a little stronger through YMCA programs, scholarships, and support.
As a single mother and a teacher, this scholarship makes a meaningful difference for my family. I am not originally from this area and do not have family nearby to help with childcare, so balancing work and after-school care has been a constant concern for me.
Before hearing about the scholarship, I was honestly worried that I might not be able to afford to keep my children in the Y after-school program and was afraid I would have to tell them they could no longer attend. They absolutely love the program and look forward to going each day.
This scholarship has eased a great deal of financial stress and has also given me peace of mind knowing my children have a safe, supportive place to be after school while I am working. It helps me continue to make ends meet while ensuring my kids can stay in a program they enjoy so much.
Please know how much I appreciate this opportunity and the support it provides to my family. Thank you again for your generosity.
I am truly grateful to be a member of the YMCA. It has helped me so much. It has helped me become more aware of my body, manage stress, and stay on a healthier path.
The Y has also supported me in my sobriety and in making better choices for my health and well-being. I am deeply thankful for the difference it has made in my life.
The Y has had a meaningful impact on our family by providing a welcoming and safe place to work out. The scholarship made it affordable for us to continue, and because of that, we have been able to build a more consistent routine throughout the week.
That stability has made a real difference in our health and daily life.
Last summer our son received a scholarship to attend YMCA tennis camps at Urban Park for three weeks. We knew he would enjoy it, but because camp was three hours a day, five days a week, we thought he might get burned out by the end.
That didn’t happen at all. In fact, he was so excited to go each morning that he wanted to arrive early. In stark contrast to typical school mornings, he woke up on his own, got ready, ate breakfast, and pushed us to leave early so he could practice or help set up for camp.
He loved it, learned a lot, and the impact lasted beyond the camp itself. He, his sister, and neighborhood kids ended up playing tennis for fun off and on for the rest of the summer, even though none of them had played before.
Thank you so much for the scholarship. Without it, he would not have been able to attend a sports camp at all, and we truly appreciate the opportunity.
This year has been incredibly challenging for our family, with multiple hospitalizations bringing stress and uncertainty into our lives. During this difficult time, financial assistance for child care at the YMCA was truly a lifeline.
It eased the financial burden and relieved the constant worry of making sure our daughter was in a safe and stable environment. The staff has been amazing with the children, and we have never once had a complaint about going to the Y.
Because of this assistance, we were able to focus on our family’s health without the added stress of child care costs. We are deeply grateful for the help and the peace of mind it provided.
We cannot thank you enough for the support our family has received through these scholarships. Over the past couple of years, they have made an incredible impact on our lives. Without this assistance, we would not have been able to afford camp for our first grader.
Because of this support, she was able to spend the summer with her friends, building strong friendships and connections through YMCA camp. This was especially meaningful because she had been struggling to make friends, and these opportunities helped her feel included, build confidence, and form lasting friendships.
As parents, the scholarship also allowed us to continue working during a period when significant medical expenses had wiped out our savings and pushed us into debt. It gave us the ability to make sure our children could still participate in summer programs and activities with their peers.
Beyond helping our children, this support also made a difference in our own well-being. As parents of two young children, it has been difficult to make time for exercise and self-care while balancing work and family life. With this help, we are now able to have a YMCA membership and use child watch services so we can focus on our health too.
We are beyond grateful for this assistance and for the generosity that makes it possible.
Thank you for supporting the YMCA financial scholarship program. Without it, my children would not have been able to take rock climbing classes. We are a large single-income family and cannot afford many sports opportunities.
My kids are so excited to go to class each week and have truly excelled. My daughter came away from class one week beaming with confidence because she conquered her fear of falling and swinging off the rock climbing wall. Her instructors helped her feel safe and boosted her self-esteem.
There are not many opportunities for children to experience such strong positive adult influences, but this was one of those moments for her. Thank you for supporting programs that help kids like mine gain confidence, face challenges, and learn to trust in the goodness of others.
The Los Alamos YMCA has been tremendously helpful to my family over the past year. Our children love the programming, and my husband and I have been able to improve and maintain our health through the gym and climbing wall activities.
We are grateful for a loving YMCA community that has supported our family during a season of transition and uncertainty. Thank you.
The impact of The Family YMCA has been tremendous for us. My daughter and son-in-law both have memberships, my six-year-old grandson attended summer camp and basketball, and he currently attends soccer at Urban Park.
This is my second year with a membership, and as the symptoms of arthritis increase, my medical team has recommended the sauna and more exercise. I also live with anxiety and depression, both of which improve with regular physical activity and the friendly social interaction that the YMCA staff and instructors consistently provide.
The Y stands out because of the variety of equipment, classes, climbing and court sports, and activities available for all ages and abilities in our family. As a newer resident of Los Alamos, every Family Y event reminds me how important this organization is not only to me and my family, but to the wider community as well.
Thank you for your dedication and hard work.
I would like to share my overwhelming gratitude to the YMCA and its partners for providing a scholarship that allowed my children to attend afterschool care.
As a teacher in this community, and as someone who has faced real personal and medical struggles recently, this support was a godsend. My first job was actually at a YMCA, first as a counselor and later as an instructor, so I know the value of these programs and the lifelong skills they provide.
I am grateful that my own children can now experience Y programming through soccer, care, and camps. They beg me all the time to pick them up “late” so they can stay longer. They adore their Y teachers, and I am thankful that my finances did not keep them from something they truly love.
I can do my job knowing they are safe, cared for, and having a great time. Thank you again for extending this opportunity to our family.
Thank you so much for my scholarship. This support means I can continue my recovery after breaking my back last year.
As an 83-year-old woman living on Social Security, this assistance is a tremendous help to my physical, emotional, and financial health. I am deeply grateful.
Summer Camp at the Y made a deeply positive impact for our three grandchildren. We have permanent kinship guardianship of our two younger grandchildren and were recently appointed temporary guardians of our older granddaughter as well. She came to stay with us just weeks before the end of the school year and had just started as the “new girl” at Mountain Elementary.
The Y Camp was a safe, consistent, and welcoming place for her, providing a seamless transition between school, summer school, and camp. She bonded strongly with a couple of counselors who became wonderful role models, and she strengthened new friendships with peers she had only recently met at school.
Having our oldest granddaughter together with her younger siblings, whom she had not lived with for more than four years, helped all three children reconnect and bond. In the fun and supportive social atmosphere of Y Camp, they experienced a renewed sense of belonging together as a family.
Because we live in an isolated part of the Santa Clara Indian Reservation, some distance from Los Alamos and White Rock where the children attend school, the camp has also been important for socialization. The kids love going, look forward to seeing their friends and counselors, and benefit from the younger adult energy that Y Camp brings into their lives. As older caregivers, we also appreciate the opportunity to connect with other parents and families.
We feel very fortunate to have this resource for our grandchildren and to be part of a community strengthened by the Y’s inclusive and supportive programs.
As an 81-year-old living on Social Security, this scholarship makes it possible for me to use a gym within walking distance of my home. That access helps me stay fit, active, and engaged in my daily life.
I am very grateful for this opportunity and the support it provides.
This scholarship will help immensely. Without this assistance, securing care for my son while I participate in an internship opportunity with Los Alamos National Laboratory would be challenging to say the least.
Because of this support, I am able to rest easier knowing my son will have a safe environment to stay in while I continue pursuing my academic goals in hopes of building a better future for our family.
Thank you so much for making that possible.
The Family YMCA is truly a blessing. My daughter and granddaughter live in Los Alamos, and because of my daughter’s disability, there are times when daily responsibilities become especially difficult while she is caring for her child.
Summer can make that challenge even greater with no school in session. YMCA Summer Camp will help make that season less hectic for both of them. Because of funding provided through the YMCA, my daughter will be less stressed, and my granddaughter will have a fuller and more enriching life experience this summer.
Thank you for sponsoring me on a scholarship for the Los Alamos YMCA. I am excited to be a member and re-establish a regular gym routine here in Los Alamos. I’m a visiting student from California, and it means a great deal to be welcomed into the Y community through this support.
The front desk staff are friendly, the instructors are inclusive, and other members helped me get oriented on my first day back in the gym. I’m grateful to be part of a community that has already made such a positive impact on my daily life and outlook here.
As a student living in town for a short period of time, I initially struggled with affordable housing, transportation, and adjusting to a new lifestyle around Los Alamos and the lab. Now that I live within walking distance of the Y, I can attend classes, improve my physical health, and strengthen my sense of belonging in the community.
Thank you for the scholarship and for helping me feel more at home.
I recently received the great news that I was approved for a scholarship to attend the YMCA gym. Because of financial challenges, I had not been able to go, and this assistance is a major help in my life.
I am prediabetic and have been trying to lose weight at home, but it has not been going well. Being able to attend the gym now gives me a real opportunity to improve my health for myself and for my children.
I plan to use my membership as much as I can. Being able to bring my kids to play ball or work out is a wonderful opportunity for them as well. We are very thankful for this support and for the chance to build a healthier future together.
I look forward to becoming healthier by taking full advantage of the YMCA’s state-of-the-art facility and wonderful programs. Thank you so much for the financial assistance that makes that possible.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
LOG IN
REGISTER ONLINE
SUGGESTIONS
PROGRAM BROCHURE
.png)