Imagine the impact we could make by activating our members to strengthen community alongside us?
Togetherhood, the Y’s member-led volunteer service program, connects people from all backgrounds to plan and implement volunteer projects that respond to their communities’ most pressing needs. In the process, volunteers form lasting connections with one another, reducing social isolation and creating more cohesive communities. Together we can make a difference.

YMCA TOGETHERHOOD, ACTIVATING PEOPLE FOR GOOD

Togetherhood is the Y’s signature program for our commitment to Social Responsibility. At the Y, we’re dedicated to strengthening community by giving back and supporting our neighbors. We know that our members have lots of ideas and the desire to reach out and to make positive changes in our community.  Pre-pandemic, we had a group of robust Togetherhood volunteers who were supported by three YMCA members who led the effort:  Martha Bottino, Sue Green, and June Leung. The group planned service projects throughout the year that help local organizations, individuals, and the community. Here are some of the projects they worked on:

• Work on-site at the Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter
• A clean-up day a Mine Falls park in Nashua
• Beautifying Merrimack Public Library’s outdoor space by raking and planting
• A clean-up day at Benson Park in Hudson
• Painting classrooms at Microsociety Charter School
• Helped set up at the Humane Society for Greater Nashua’s giant yard sale
• And several collection drives – diapers for Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter, Nashua Senior Center collection of playing cards, and socks, tea for boxes sent to at-home seniors. They also volunteered at the boxing up of items.

This program gives Y members a way to get to know people and strengthen our community through volunteerism. The program is led by a committee of Y members that decides on projects and carries out four service projects per year.

We’re looking for people who:
• Are passionate about building relationships among people of diverse backgrounds
• Represent all dimensions of diversity in our membership and community
• Appreciate the benefits of volunteering for individuals and the community
• Advocate for working together and with community partners to create a more cohesive community

This Spring Togetherhood will be back in full swing!
Have an idea for a project or want to learn about upcoming projects? If you would like to volunteer on the committee or connect as a project volunteer, please reach out to our new Volunteer Coordinator, Kaleigh Mulligan. She can be reached at kmulligan@nmymca.org. All volunteers must register through the Y’s website and agree to a criminal background check to be accepted as volunteers.