By Geena Monahan—For the North Star Reporter
A $50,000 state earmark will help the Hockomock Area YMCA launch a new workforce readiness program for young adults with intellectual disabilities, expanding opportunities for continued learning, job preparation and community engagement.
Secured by state Sen. Paul Feeney (D-Foxboro) in the Senate’s fiscal year 2027 budget, the funding will support the YMCA’s Integration Initiative while launching InteGREAT, a continuing education and workforce readiness program for young adults who are no longer in high school and not enrolled in formal Community-Based Day Support programs. The program will provide structured learning, practical skill development and employment preparation.
“The earmark of funding is a powerful support to our Integration Initiative, for which we are extremely grateful,” Hockomock Area YMCA President and CEO Jim Downs said.
Downs said the YMCA expects about 75 participants to benefit during the program’s first year. Although the earmark is a one-time investment, he said it will help establish a program that can continue growing.
“These funds will help us build a program that will be sustainable and scalable to support a larger number of individuals over time,” he said.
Feeney said the funding reflects the state’s commitment to investing in community organizations, despite ongoing fiscal challenges.
“Despite significant fiscal constraints and uncertainty, the people, local businesses, and communities of the Bristol and Norfolk District always come first for me when crafting our annual state budget,” Feeney said in a statement. “This budget leads with our values and prioritizes the needs of our Senate district.”
Addressing an unmet need
According to Downs, families have increasingly voiced the need for inclusive opportunities for young adults with disabilities, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many community-based programs.
“Families are vocal about the ever-growing need for inclusive programming, with more and more individuals with disabilities living longer, more independent lives,” Downs said. “Following the COVID crisis, many community-based opportunities were unable to resume services, deepening the need for inclusive opportunities in our area.”
Families, Downs said, often struggle to find supported internships, volunteer opportunities, qualified independent living coaches and meaningful social opportunities for adult family members with disabilities.
“They value environments in which the individual has an opportunity to achieve their maximal potential while supporting both their current social skills and continued growth and development of social skills,” he said.
Downs added that state grants and earmarks play an important role in making new programs possible.
“State earmarks and grants are instrumental in providing the financial support necessary to launch new, innovative and necessary programs,” he said. “There is a large financial burden during the development and launch phase of any new program, and having support from the state eases that burden.”
Since 2004, more than 1,600 families have participated in the Integration Initiative, with more than 2,500 individuals taking part in its programs over the past two decades, according to the YMCA. These include adaptive swim lessons, inclusive summer camps, adult sports and the VIP Social Club, helping participants build independence, increase physical activity, strengthen social skills and develop self-confidence.
Downs said one of the initiative’s greatest strengths is that it operates within a family-centered YMCA environment, allowing individuals with disabilities to participate in the same community as siblings, parents and caregivers.
The long-term impact of that approach can be seen in participants like Joe Gerraughty.
Twenty years ago, Gerraughty joined the YMCA as a shy 7-year-old navigating a new home, a new family and an uncertain future. Over the years, he participated in swim lessons, gymnastics, theater productions and volunteer opportunities while building friendships and confidence along the way.
Today, Gerraughty remains an active member of the YMCA community as an independent adult.
“Looking back, Joe realized that so much of who he is today — and so many of the people, experiences and opportunities he treasures — can be traced back to the YMCA,” Downs said. “It’s the place he proudly calls his second home.”
Downs said creating those lifelong connections is at the heart of the initiative.
“Our goal is that every member of the Hockomock Area YMCA Integration Initiative feels welcomed into our community, seen as an individual and supported into the same positive experience we look to provide to all our members,” he said.