Military Families Program: Operation Strong Families & Operation Hero

Tampa YMCA Military Families Program

The Operation Strong Families program supports active military and veteran families. This family program for parents and children meets two evenings per week for 10 weeks for 60 minutes each time. Parents will meet with other parents in a small group setting led by a facilitator once per week for a discussion and once per week for a workout. While adults have their sessions, children in grades 3-6 meet together twice per week for their group sessions (younger children may stay in the Kids Zone childcare while the parents and older siblings meet).

During the program, families will experience the following benefits:

• Reduced stress for parents/caregivers
• Increased knowledge of community resources
• Improved social support for all
• Enhanced youth self-esteem

This family program is open to the military community and offered at no charge thanks to funding from the Children’s Board of Tampa Bay.

Operation Strong Families (OSF) is a 10-week targeted program designed for active duty and veteran families. Our goal is to make the Tampa YMCA a local destination where these families can grow in health, connectedness, and mental wellness.

Operation Hero (OH) is an enrichment program designed to address issues faced by many of our military youth. The program is for children who experience academic difficulties and children who demonstrate difficulty dealing with emotions or other barriers.

This family program is open to the military community and offered at no charge thanks to funding from the Children’s Board of Tampa Bay.

For more information, updates on registration, or any questions, please email us at:

military.families@tampaymca.org