The New Year is a time for new beginnings! For the Y – a leading nonprofit that strengthens community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility – one of the most important resolutions is to resolve to make positive changes that strengthen individuals as well as entire communities. Following are five New Year’s Resolutions the Y recommends for 2012:
• Live Healthier – Achieving greater health and well-being is all about taking small steps. Take care of your health by eating nutritious foods and being physically active each day – experts recommend 30 minutes of daily physical activity for adults and 60 minutes for kids. This can be achieved throughout the day by incorporating physical activity into your daily routines (i.e., taking stairs instead of elevators, walking instead of driving, etc.) The Y offers many fun opportunities for individuals and families to be active. Visit YMCAsouthcoast.org to learn more.
• Volunteer – Doing good feels good, and giving back to support neighbors benefits everyone involved. Volunteering also provides individuals the opportunity to meet new people and to develop new relationships. Find an opportunity in your community that you may enjoy, such as cleaning your neighborhood park or distributing food at a local food bank. Become a Sharing the Harvest Community Farm volunteer at the Dartmouth YMCA from April – October.
• Help Inspire Children and Teens, Be a Mentor – Children and teens often need caring adults to look up to and seek guidance. By nurturing our youth, we can help them strive to accomplish success and reach their full potential. Whether a relative or neighbor, use your experience and talent to help youth realize who they are and what they can be. YMCA SouthCoast offers a variety of mentoring programs. Learn more at YMCAsouthcoast.org.
• Learn Something New – Step out of your comfort zone, have fun and grow by exploring personal interests. Is there a swimming, Zumba or painting class you’ve always wanted to take? Try something new that you’ve always wanted to do, to build your spirit, mind or body. Find opportunities at one of the five YMCA SouthCoast branches: Dartmouth, Fall River, Mattapoisett, New Bedford and Wareham.
• Spend Time with Family and Friends – Socializing is good for your well-being and spending time with the people you care most about really helps strengthen meaningful relationships. It also helpful to have a community of people you can reach out to during times of need. So, try to carve out time each month, depending on your schedule, to connect with family and friends, and to get involved with community organizations, such as YMCA SouthCoast.
YMCA SouthCoast is hosting an Open House week at all branches from January 9-15, 2012 so that you can see the Y difference and all that there is available for you and your family. The hours at all branches: Dartmouth, Fall River, Mattapoisett, New Bedford and Wareham are Monday – Friday 9:00 to 11:00 am, 1:00 to 3:00 pm and 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Weekend hours for Saturday and Sunday 11:00 am to 3:00 pm are taking place in Fall River, New Bedford and Wareham. During the open house you’ll be eligible to win some great prizes and we’re giving everyone who joins the Y in January $25 Y Bucks to be used on future programs.
To learn more about YMCA SouthCoast and to download a complimentary guest pass to use the Y, visit ymcasouthcoast.org.