March 27, 2023
John Merry, a graduate of our Veterans Pathway program, and his wife Christine are Y members in Doylestown. John served in the army during the Vietnam war, one of the first soldiers to be drafted. He spent most of his deployment in Korea because at the same time, his brother was serving in Vietnam, and siblings do not serve together. John recently graduated from the YMCA Veterans Pathway program.
“Many of us [veterans] are older. This program is great for us because Megan teaches us about proper [exercise] form, and she can make modifications based on someone’s physical needs or restrictions,” John said recently about the pathway program. “My balance has improved significantly.”
Back in November, the Y hosted our 30th annual Comedy Night at the Hunterdon Hills Playhouse to support Pathway programs and financial assistance for camp and child care. A generous donor invited YMCA Veterans Pathway participants to attend the event, and John was among them.
“The night was great,” John reflected. “The food was good. The comedians were funny. The conversations and camaraderie shared by the vets at my table was the best part. It was a real feel-good experience for everyone.”
Supporting our Pathway programs through Cause membership directly impacts our participants, and allows us to continue to provide these kinds of experiences for people who need us the most. Thank you very much for being here for our veterans.