Thank You for Your Service!
About the Military Outreach Initiative
The Military Outreach Initiative offers no-cost gym memberships and respite child care services for eligible active duty military and their families. Through this initiative, military members and families receive access to core resources that promote youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.
Get Started with a YMCA Military Membership
Get started with the following steps:
- Determine eligibility and review the mandatory attendance and reporting requirements.
- Download and complete the Membership Application, OR stop by your local YMCA to acquire a physical form.
- Bring your completed Membership Application and any required supporting documents to a YMCA of Metro Chicago community hub, and our membership team will happily submit it for you!
- Once the ASYMCA receives an approved application, they will provide instructions about how to activate the Y membership.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for the Military Outreach Initiative, Service members MUST be on Title 10 orders, have at least six months remaining on Title 10 orders as of the date the application is approved, and meet all criteria in one of the following four categories.
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- Category 1 includes Reserve Component and National Guard on Title 10 orders. Title 32 orders are not eligible.
- I am assigned to a Service-designated Independent Duty Station that is not at or near a free or Service-provided fitness facility; AND
- I require a single-person membership, or my family resides with me, and I require a family membership. Only one membership type (single or family) is authorized.
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- Sponsor is deployed or on “unaccompanied tour” orders that require the member to reside at an assigned duty location and restricts the spouse or family from accompanying the member; AND
- Sponsor’s family resides at a Service-designated independent duty station or in an area that is not at or near a free or Service-provided fitness facility.
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- Sponsor is on Title 10 deployment orders that require the member to reside at an assigned duty location that restricts the spouse or family from accompanying the member; AND
- Sponsor’s family resides at a Service-designated independent duty station or in an area that is not at or near a free or Service-provided fitness facility.
- Title 32 orders are not eligible.
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- My duty location is my house address.
- My home address is not located at or near a free or Service-provided fitness facility.
- I require a single-person membership or my family resides with me and I require a family membership. Only one membership type (single or family) is authorized.
Attendance Requirements & Reporting
To be eligible for membership renewal, the YMCA facility must be visited a minimum of 48 days (an average of eight days per month) during the previous six-month period. Attendance reports must be submitted with each renewal application. Learn more about attendance requirements and reporting via the ASYMCA Program Instructions.
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Those who are not eligible are most Active Duty personnel affiliated with a military installation, Title 32 National Guard/Reserves, new military recruits preparing for training, military retirees, veterans, wounded warriors, parents of deployed personnel, unit administrators, members of the United States Public Health Service, and memberships under the Department of Homeland Security.
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“Family” of military personnel includes spouse and child dependents (ages 18 and under) of the military member with active Military Identification (ID) cards. In the Unaccompanied Spouse/Family categories, “family” may also include legal guardians assigned by the deployed military member for custodial care of his/her children.
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A visit is defined as the Service member (or member of the service member’s family) coming to the facility to participate in any youth or adult activity. Facility use is counted by “calendar day” only. Multiple entries on the same day by member and/or dependents only count as one (1) visit towards the minimum requirement.
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Due to the popularity of this initiative, please allow up to 30 days for an ASYMCA representative to provide membership instructions. If you have not received confirmation of your membership within 30 days, you may request a status update via email at [email protected] for YMCA memberships.
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Visit reports, or attendance records, must be electronically generated from the facility’s existing software system. The attendance must include the name of the Service member or family and the specific time(s) or day(s) the facility was utilized. If a visit report cannot be generated, fitness facility staff may create a manual log with the member’s printed name, signature, and date of visit. Additionally, fitness facility staff will need to include an official letter confirming that all dates provided on the manual log are accurate.
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If the Service member is unable to access the YMCA facility for 30 days or longer, regardless of reason, you MUST contact the YMCA facility directly and put your membership on hold.
If the Service member is moving due to a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) or the membership is no longer needed and three or more months remain before the end of the membership period, you must cancel your membership. -
Contact your YMCA facility directly to cancel your membership. If the YMCA facility allows a refund or credit, they will provide a cancellation confirmation that must be emailed to [email protected].
Find More Support
Need help getting access to a YMCA Military Membership? Contact ASYMCA for more information by leaving a voicemail at 571-560-6836 or by filling our their inquiry form. Due to the high volume of applications, messages are returned within three business days.