NEWS & UPDATES
the Mansfield Y


All that’s happening at the Mansfield Y.

Posted on: Friday, August 1st, 2025

Double Your Gift with the Spier Family Matching Challenge

JOIN THE SPIER FAMILY MATCHING CHALLENGE

We are excited to share that Greg and Kathy Spier of Foxborough – long-time friends and dedicated supporters of our Y – have once again issued a $25,000 challenge, matching every donation made September 13 – 20 to our YMCA.

100% of every gift goes directly to helping children and families in need experience our YMCA through our Reach Out Campaign, providing confidential scholarships and program subsidies to participate at our YMCA.

All gifts made September 13-20 will be matched by the Spiers and the Spier Family Foundation during our Giving Week.

As a non-profit organization, the Hockomock Area YMCA exists to help people be healthier, more confident and connected to each other and their communities. The Y is guided every day to remain focused on how best to respond to the emerging needs of its communities as individuals and families continue to face financial struggles.

EVERY GIFT MATTERS. GIVE TODAY!

WAYS TO GIVE:

  • Donate today and double your gift! Give online
  • Visit any Hockomock Area YMCA Member Services Desk and make your gift with a member of our team.
  • Mail your gift to: Hockomock Area YMCA 300 Elmwood Street North Attleboro, MA 02760 (payable to: Hockomock Area YMCA)

DID YOU KNOW?

  • $3.9 million was invested last year by the Hockomock Area YMCA to ensure that everyone has the chance to thrive by providing scholarships to people in need in the Y’s 16 town service area to experience YMCA programs and services regardless of ability to pay.
  • 2,071 kids received financial assistance to participate in swim lessons, gymnastics, enrichment & sports programs last year. Your support can help even more kids get the chance to learn and grow at the Y!
  • Our Food Access program has provided over 135,000 bags of food and served over 580,000 meals to our neighbors in need, making a big impact on food security. Join us in the fight against hunger.
  • 779 people joined our chronic disease and prevention programs, including LIVESTRONG at the YMCA, and made positive changes in 2024. Let’s keep working together to fuel life-changing programs.

Join us in making a positive impact in our community, while doubling your donation!

To learn about other ways to support this initiative, please contact Nicole Bartlett at nicoleb@hockymca.org.

Posted on: Friday, July 25th, 2025

Get in the Game This Fall with Youth Leagues

September 11-November 2, 2025

This fall, the Hockomock Area YMCA invites kids of all ages to hit the field, build skills, and have a blast in our Fall Youth Leagues! Whether your child is just starting out or ready for some friendly competition, our leagues offer a fun, supportive environment to grow and play.

REGISTER NOW!

North Attleboro: Hurley Family Branch Offerings

Soccer Leagues – Sundays @ North Attleboro

  • Leagues Prep (Age 3): 8:45 AM
  • Pre-K & Kindergarten: 9:30 – 10:30 AM
  • Grades 1–2: 10:45 – 11:45 AM
  • Grades 3–4: 12:00 – 1:00 PM

NFL Flag Football – Friday Nights @ North Attleboro

  • Leagues Prep (Pre-K & Kindergarten): 4:00 PM
  • Grades 1–2: 5:00 – 6:00 PM
  • Grades 3–4: 6:15 – 7:15 PM

Foxboro: Invensys Foxboro Branch Offerings

Soccer Leagues – Sundays @ Foxboro

  • Leagues Prep (Age 3): 9:00 AM
  • Pre-K: 10:00 – 11:00 AM
  • Grades K–1: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
  • Grades 2–3: 12:00 – 1:00 PM

NFL Flag Football – Thursday Nights @ Foxboro

  • Grades K–2: 5:00 – 6:00 PM
  • Grades 3–5: 6:00 – 7:00 PM

Franklin: Bernon Family Branch Offerings

Soccer Leagues – Saturdays @ Franklin

  • Leagues Prep (Age 3): 45 minutes (time TBD)
  • Pre-K: 1 hour (time TBD)
  • Grades K–1: 1 hour (time TBD)
  • Grades 2–3: 1 hour (time TBD)

Soccer Pricing:
$88 Member / $119 Non-Member / $25 Family Member*

Flag Football Pricing:
$117 Member / $152 Non-Member / $40 Family Member*

Leagues Prep (Age 3 Soccer or Pre-K & K Football):
$80 Member / $160 Non-Member

*Family members: Use your promo code to save!

Uniforms will be distributed after the first practice. Leagues Prep classes are 45 minutes and do not include uniforms. Ineligible for promo code savings.

Location: Hockomock Area YMCA, 300 Elmwood Street, North Attleboro, MA Questions? Contact joshuap@hockymca.org

Location: Hockomock Area YMCA, 67 Mechanic Street, Foxboro, MA

Questions? Contact rossg@hockymca.org

Location: Hockomock Area YMCA, 45 Forge Hill Rd, Franklin, MA

Questions? Contact leannee@hockymca.org

We can’t wait to see you at the Y!

Posted on: Monday, July 7th, 2025

Operation Backpack

For the last 10 years, our YMCA Backpack Drive has provided school supplies and backpacks for children in communities across the Hockomock area, filling them with hope for a brighter future as they start the school year. The children in our community need us now more than ever.

Having access to proper supplies is an integral part of a student’s success. Together we work to make sure that kids have the tools they need to start the upcoming school year off right. If you are in a position to help, we will be so grateful. Please donate to our 10th annual Hockomock Area YMCA Backpack Drive.

New supplies and backpacks are requested now through August 8th.

Supplies that are needed include:

  • backpacks for Pre-K, elementary, middle school and high school age students
  • lunch boxes for all age students
  • pencil cases for all age students
  • binders
  • notebooks
  • folders
  • pencils & pens
  • coloring tools

WAYS TO HELP:

Sponsor our Backpack Drive

Our goal is to provide 3,000 fully stocked backpacks to students residing in each of the 15 towns served by the Hockomock Y. Community members who would like to sponsor the Backpack Drive are asked to contact Patrick Murphy at 508-643-5262 or patrickm@hockymca.org. Sponsorship levels are varied: click here.

SPONSOR THE DRIVE

Order items from our Amazon wish list

Your items will be sent directly to our YMCA.

AMAZON WISH LIST

Donation bin locations

Items not shipped to us directly from the above Amazon link may be dropped off at collection sites at our Hockomock Area YMCA lobbies during normal business hours. We also encourage donations at our North Attleboro Y during our Food Access Pantry Hours which are Wednesdays 12:30pm-2:30pm & 5:30pm-6:30pm and Thursdays 7:30am-8:30am. If donating at our Mansfield Arts & Education Center, please do so when dropping off or picking up your camper.

Host a Neighborhood Drive

If you have a high traffic business location and would like to host a bin or are willing to collect supplies from your neighborhood, please contact backpacks@hockymca.org.

Make an online donation

A donation of $50 will cover the cost of one fully stocked backpack. Please visit our donation page to complete a secure monetary donation of any size. The Hockomock Area YMCA is a 501(c)3 charitable organization and all donations are tax deductible.

Volunteer to Assemble Backpacks

We are eagerly recruiting volunteers to help sort and stuff backpacks. Click on the link below to reserve your volunteer spot! Many hands make light work and we are grateful for your interest in helping. Adults are welcome to bring their supervised children. Students, you may also plan to bring community service forms for signing.

SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER

The Backpack Drive is a collaborative effort made possible by the YMCA staff, program participants, partners and neighbors to provide kids the confidence that comes when boys and girls are able to go to school prepared. Thank you in advance for your participation!

Posted on: Thursday, June 12th, 2025

Time for the Best Summer Ever

Our summer camps are in full swing and we’re so excited to give your child their Best Summer Ever here at our Y!

Y summer camps provide a safe place for kids to get away from technology and the stresses of the outside world, allowing them to simply just be kids. We are proud and respectful of the trust parents place in our YMCA. A safe environment for children combined with quality programming is vital in our focus on youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.

All camp counselors are trained in first aid, CPR, and child abuse prevention. All staff must sign and comply with our Y’s Code of Conduct and Abuse Prevention Policies. Our Y’s founding core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility are part of everything we do. Our camps give parents peace of mind knowing that their children are participating in safe, technology-free, fun and interactive activities with their peers, face to face, and having the time of their life.

At our camps, kids have the chance to try new things, to develop confidence, and learn new skills. They’ll spend time in the beautiful outdoors while trying archery, rope climbing, planting in the garden, and so much more. They’ll play game favorites like Gaga, Capture the Flag, and Sticks & Arrows and swim daily in our pools. Our campers will receive a swim lesson in the morning, and in the afternoon, they will get to hang out in the pool. Campers in Grades 2-6 will go on local field trips and special guests will visit our younger campers to round out the summer experience. And throughout all of these activities, our campers are creating amazing friendships and memories of the #BestSummerEver.

Our camp offerings range from traditional camps to sports camps, to enrichment camps, teen travel camps and more, for ages 3 through the teen years.

To see what field trips and special guests are planned for our campers, please see below. Field trip information subject to change.

We look forward to meeting you and providing your kids with an amazing summer.

CAMP OFFERINGS

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Posted on: Wednesday, June 11th, 2025

Rediscover Summer

OUR OUTDOOR POOLS & SPLASH PARKS ARE OPEN

Splash into Summer with your Hockomock Area YMCA!

You and your loved ones can enjoy the perks of a Y membership. Take advantage of indoor and outdoor pools, state of the art wellness facilities, summer camp & summer session classes, friendly and helpful staff, and much more!

View each branch’s outdoor pool & splash park* schedule:

FOXBORO

FRANKLIN

NORTH ATTLEBORO

*Splash Parks at our Foxboro and Franklin locations.

Hockomock Area YMCA active members can visit any branch facility including our indoor and outdoor pools and our splash parks in Foxboro and Franklin.

Members are welcome to bring guests with guest passes.

Please note: photo ID is required at every visit for non-members ages 18+. Day passes and reciprocal member usage permitted for use of our outdoor pool at our North Attleboro Y.

Day passes and reciprocal member usage are not permitted for use of outdoor pool and splash park at our Foxboro and Franklin Ys.

Not a Y member? You can join today and rediscover summer with us Click Here.

Posted on: Thursday, May 1st, 2025

Game On For Mental Health Event

Game On For Mental Health Event

Featuring a Panel on Leadership, Athletics & Tackling the Stigma

Sponsored by our Hockomock Area YMCA, Paul & Karen Lenahan, Be Inspired Together, and Kyle Cares in celebration of Mental Health Awareness.

Thursday, June 26, 2025

6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Sports Illustrated Pavilion, Gillette Stadium

Foxborough, Mass

  • Doors open at 6:15 p.m.
  • Program begins at 6:30 p.m.
  • Audience Q&A at 7:45 p.m.

Parking Information: Please park in Lot 22A and look for signage for the event. To view the Gillette Stadium parking map: click here.

Join us for a powerful panel of community members who are dedicated to exploring the role of mental wellness in shaping leadership and resilience.

From the athletic fields, to working with professional athletes, to everyday life, the evening will focus on how conversations and support can tackle stigma, build resilience, and shape stronger communities. Learn how early awareness and supportive environments can foster healthy development and lasting confidence.

Perfect for athletes, parents, coaches, educators, and leaders at every level. All in the community (ages 13+) are invited to attend.

This event is free but registration is required through the YMCA.

REGISTER TODAY

About our Panelists:

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  • Rob Ninkovich
  • Rob Ninkovich is an 11 year NFL Veteran, 2 time Super Bowl Champion and Starting Linebacker and Captain of the New England Patriots. Rob and his family have made New England their home following retirement and our YMCA is grateful for Rob’s consistent presence and dedication to our organization and specifically our Integration Initiative. Rob received the 2016 Legends Award for his dedication on the field, matched by his passion for giving back to the community. Rob is dedicated to using his public platform in the community to emphasize the importance of leadership, mental health, finding balance and youth wellness through podcasts, speaking engagements and a video series.
  • Dr. Kimberly O’Brien
  • Dr. Kimberly O’Brien is the founder and director of Unlimited Resilience, LLC, a group mental health practice designed for athletes by athletes, and the co-founder and director of Better Together, an athlete peer mentoring program. She is also a research and training consultant at the Behavioral Research & Training Institute at Rutgers University. Her research is focused on the development and testing of brief interventions for suicidal adolescents and their families, with additional specializations in substance use, interventions which utilize technology, and athlete mental health and suicide prevention. Dr. O’Brien has co-authored over 75 articles and book chapters related to adolescent suicide, substance use, and mental health. Dr. O’Brien works with high school and college teams across the country on mental health, mental skills, and suicide bereavement and prevention.
  • Dr. Jonathan Jenkins
  • Dr. Jonathan Jenkins is a Clinical Psychologist and Certified Mental Performance Consultant. Dr. Jenkins is affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in the Sports Psychology and Child/Adolescent Outpatient Psychiatry Department. In his role in the Sport Psychology Department, Dr. Jenkins supports both amateur and professional athletes with improving their focus, concentration, and anxiety management during competition. Additionally, Dr. Jenkins will work with athletes and teams to manage significant crises that may arise, and he often engages in team building exercises with teams and organizations. In addition to working with athletes in this capacity, Dr. Jenkins also works with other individuals in high-performance occupations, such as artists, executives, lawyers, and others.

Questions about this event, please email our YMCA’s Social Worker Brynne Kirwan, LCSW at brynnek@hockymca.org.

Parking Information: Please park in Lot 22A and look for signage for the event. To view the Gillette Stadium parking map: click here.

Posted on: Friday, February 28th, 2025

Eagle Scout Project Enhancing Y’s Educational Garden

When Caroline Dalton, a Mansfield resident and long-time member of the Hockomock Area YMCA, was deciding on her Eagle Scout project, she wanted the project to have a lasting, positive impact on her community. Caroline is part of Troop 51 of Mansfield and is the second female Mansfield resident to have earned her Eagle Scout.

Caroline is also a member of the Hockomock Area YMCA, recalling, “I was a summer camper and gymnastics participant at the Invensys Foxboro Branch. My YMCA involvement deepened when I became a competitive swimmer on the HAY Lightning Swim Team, a lifeguard, and a participant in the HAY Harmony program there.” Dalton continued, “I immediately thought that I could find a worthy Eagle Scout project through the Y since the organization gives back greatly to the community. I’ve made lifelong friendships there as a member and an employee.”

Caroline inquired at the Y and was connected to Dawn DaCosta, Teen & Community Outreach Director, who leads the Educational Garden at the Hurley Family Branch in North Attleboro. The Educational Garden is part of the Y’s summer programming where campers enjoy many garden classes and activities, such as making salsa, pickle jars, tomato sauce to name a few, as well as hands-on learning activities such as birdhouse making and tending to the gardens throughout the summer months. “When I met with Dawn and she explained the Educational Garden and what it meant to the community, I really wanted to help her and this program,” said Caroline.

Throughout 2024, Caroline strategized and worked on the project, in coordination with her Troop as well as the Y’s facilities team. Today, Caroline’s Eagle Scout project has provided the Y’s Educational Garden with much needed fencing to keep wildlife away from the crops. Caroline installed 165 linear feet of fencing around 8 raised garden beds.

Dawn DaCosta shares the significance of this fencing installation, “Because of this amazing project and Caroline’s commitment and dedication, our Y will now have three seasons of gardening, not just the 12 weeks of summer camp. We’re able to start Spring vegetable planting in April. And we’ll have the ability to do service projects in the Springtime for garden preparation and in the Summer, we’ll have more farm to table projects which is really exciting.” Additionally, the project enhanced the Garden with an excavation station where children can explore and play. A large sunshade was also installed to provide a much-needed cooling area and shade for the harvest table where summer classes will be held.

Caroline shares that this project couldn’t have been fulfilled without the support of the community around her. “I’m grateful to the many local businesses who contributed monetary donations as well as supplies,” says Caroline. “It meant a great deal to me to have the support of Troop 51 Mansfield members, Order of the Arrow members, and many friends and family. They gave up their free time on weekends to help me complete the manual labor of the project.”

This project’s impact will be felt by generations of area children. Caroline reflects, “This project will have a positive impact on the Y and the community it serves. A big thanks to my team for all the work put in to make it a success. Having my Eagle Scout project be part of the Y, means a lot and I’m proud of that.”

Caroline will attend Westfield State University in the Fall where she will be part of the swim team and will major in Elementary Education.

For information on service learning projects at the Y’s Education Garden this Spring or Summer, or for those interested in future Eagle Scout projects at the Hockomock Area YMCA, please contact Dawn DaCosta at 508-643-5270 or dawnd@hockymca.org.

Posted on: Saturday, November 30th, 2024

Inclement Weather Policy

The safety of our members and staff is a priority for our YMCA. During extreme weather conditions we employ an inclement weather policy, using our website home page and branch home pages to alert members of any facility closings or delays and class cancellations.

FACILITY CLOSINGS AND DELAYED OPENINGS

The Hockomock Area YMCA will monitor the weather during the winter months and will be mindful of the safety of our members and staff when deciding to continue a consistent class schedule or to modify the schedule based on the weather conditions.

For all group exercise classes, youth programming and adult programming, the Hockomock Area YMCA will make a decision two hours prior to the start of class and will notify all participants via our website and our social media pages.

In the case that the YMCA must close, this communication will be done through our website, member email blast, social media pages and on our phone messages.

CHILD CARE CANCELLATIONS AND DELAYS

It is our intention to operate Child Care and our school-age School’s Out program during regularly scheduled hours. Please be sure to provide your contact information and cell phone number to the facilitator of your child’s program who will alert you in case of any delay or cancellation.

Posted on: Wednesday, October 16th, 2024

Experience the Thrill: Join Our Ski Club

Get ready for an exciting winter with the YMCA Ski Club! This year, youth ages 11-17 can hit the slopes at Wachusett Mountain on Fridays or Sundays. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced skier, everyone is welcome!

What to Expect:

  • Dates: Fridays from January 3 to February 7 and Sundays from January 5 to February 9.
  • Transportation: We’ll take a bus from the YMCA to Wachusett Mountain, leaving at 2:30 PM and returning by 10:00 PM.
  • Skills for Everyone ages 11-17: Enjoy group lessons and rentals available at the mountain.

Important Dates:

  • October 2: Passes go on sale
  • December 2: Pass prices increase
  • December 13: Last day to order passes

Make sure to mark your calendars so you don’t miss out!

PURCHASE PASSES NOW!

The Ski Club makes for a fantastic gift for teens/tweens eager to enjoy the outdoors this winter, regardless of their skill level! Please note that space is limited. For more details, feel free to reach out to Ken at Kenf@hockymca.org or call 508-643-5290.

Posted on: Monday, September 23rd, 2024

Join us for Vacation Days packed with action

When School Is Out, the Fun Is In.

Kids ages 5-17 are invited to join us during Columbus Day and Veterans Day school breaks for fun, social, and educational activities.

We believe that all kids deserve the opportunity to discover who they are and what they can achieve! That’s why, at the Y we offer flexible schedules and the opportunity for kids to learn skills and build relationships that lead to positive behaviors, better health, and educational achievement, all while having a lot of fun.

Our experienced staff takes the right steps to ensure your child’s safety and happiness during an action-packed day!

For our outdoor enthusiast pre-teens and teens, join us on a summit hike, with transportation to and from the North Attleboro Branch. Everyone else, get off that couch and onto the court! Join our sports team for mini sports camps running in Foxboro and North Attleboro all day and half day options available.

REGISTER TODAY!