Posted on: Saturday, November 1st, 2025

New Child Care & Social Action Services Center Breaks Ground

GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY FOR OUR NEW CHILD CARE & SOCIAL ACTION SERVICES CENTER

Our YMCA held a groundbreaking ceremony on October 27 for the renovation of our child care services center, located at our Hurley Family Branch in North Attleboro. The renovated facility will be home to our early education and child care programs, allowing an increase in licensing capacity to welcome infant child care and serve youth through Pre-Kindergarten. The Center will also serve as the new home of our Social Action Services Center.

Renovation and construction are set to begin soon, and child care will remain open during this time.

Regis Schratz, chair of the Board of Directors at the Hockomock Area YMCA provided welcoming remarks, sharing, “Today marks an exciting new chapter in our Y’s ongoing story of service, impact and community. We’re here not to just to break ground on bricks and mortar but to build on a vision. A vision that every child deserves a safe, nurturing place to learn and grow. And a vision that families should have access to the resources they need to thrive.”

Community members, leadership volunteers, donors, staff, and local officials attended this special ceremony including lead project donors, Bristol County Savings Charitable Foundation and Dave and Anne Doran.

As lead sponsor of the child care center renovation, the Doran Family of North Attleboro continues their long-standing support of the Hockomock Y. Dave Doran reflected, “I’m a lifelong member of the Y and believe in the YMCA’s values. My children grew up here, and now our grandkids come – it’s come full circle.”

The Bristol County Savings Charitable Foundation is the lead sponsor of the Y’s new Social Action Services Center. Michele Roberts, Chair of the Foundation, shared remarks, saying, “The Bank and our Foundation have a long-standing, deep and enduring relationship with the Hockomock Area YMCA, building the partnership with shared values and common purpose of strengthening families, supporting children and building healthier, more connected communities.” Roberts added, “Our Foundation is especially proud today to be awarding $250,000 for this amazing new center. This project perfectly reflects our focus on education and critical community needs. And we can’t wait to see it come to life.”

The Y’s Social Action Services initiative is a comprehensive, community-based YMCA program dedicated to meeting people where they are and offering referrals, education, and vital community resources. These resources include food access, financial education & literacy, mental health, and scholarship assistance focused on strengthening individuals and families.

Senator Paul Feeney shared, “Every time I’m involved at this YMCA, I leave uplifted. The Y finds solutions and steps up to help our community. When I think about child care, it’s the future inside these buildings. There’s nothing more important than investing in the future of this region—and the YMCA is doing that once again, guided by its values and mission to help people. Through its Social Action Services, the Y is meeting families where they are, addressing food access, financial literacy, and providing transformational services that create a foundation for lifelong success.”

Jim Downs, Hockomock Area YMCA CEO thanked attendees for being at the event, believing in and supporting this project saying, “This day has been a true celebration of what makes our YMCA so special – people coming together with purpose, passion, and heart to strengthen our community. When we invest in children and families, we’re not just building facilities, we’re building a stronger, brighter future for everyone. From our child care renovation to our creation of our new resource center, it’s that belief in action.”

The renovation is slated to be completed by Fall 2026. For more information about this project, please contact Jim Downs at jim@hockymca.org.