Blue Water YMCA to host holiday fun for families on December 6

Local families are invited to a day of holiday fun at the YMCA of the Blue Water Area’s Jingle Jam on December 6, 2025. 

Hot breakfast will be served from 8 a.m. to noon at the YMCA’s main building at 1525 Third St., Port Huron. During breakfast, families can visit the craft station and take pictures with Santa. All kids eat free. Two adults from each family can eat free; additional adults are $10 per person.

The Y will also host their annual Jingle Bell Run on December 6, beginning at 9 a.m. Courses are available as a 2k, 5K, or 10K. Register online at the Y’s website to secure your spot and a t-shirt. Registration costs vary depending on the course you select. All proceeds benefit the YMCA of the Blue Water Area. 

From noon to 3 p.m., there will be the “Y on the Fly” party, complete with games, crafts, swimming, dancing, and outdoor train rides. The building will be lit up with Christmas trees and holiday decorations, transporting families to the North Pole and Santa’s workshop. 

“We’re making sure kids have the opportunity to lobby the big guy to make a stop at their house on Christmas Eve. It’s also an opportunity for families to get nice pictures, and it’s free. It’s the little things,” says YMCA President and CEO Josh Chapman. “If you don’t have the money for family pictures of Santa, this is a cool way to have some fun, swim, eat breakfast, sit on Santa’s lap, and politic him a bit. You can build those memories together at the Y.”

While all activities except for the Jingle Bell Run are free, registration is recommended. Register online at the Y’s website. 

Providing Food Assistance During Times of Uncertainty

The Y provides temporary food assistance and other essential needs during economic uncertainty, acting as a critical partner in the Blue Water Area’s fabric of aid organizations. 

When Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits were reduced or halted earlier this month due to the federal government shutdown, the Y partnered with the Eastern Food Bank of Michigan, Mid City Nutrition, and Meridian Health to distribute nearly 600 boxes of food to approximately 2,000 people, Chapman says. 

“(The food drives) help with the holidays, but it also helped folks get by for a couple of weeks until the (government shutdown) whole mess got sorted out,” he says. 

The YMCA’s Year-Round Programs Fill Gaps in the Community’s Need for Food Assistance, Health and Wellness, and Affordable Childcare

The YMCA has dozens of programs that encourage healthy lifestyles, feed thousands of meals to families facing food insecurity, and provide affordable childcare. 

For adults, the Y offers a pre-diabetes program that helps prevent diabetes. Participants receive a continuous glucose monitor and wellness and nutrition coaching, with guidance customized to each individual.

“It’s literally a life-altering program,” Chapman says. 

The Y also offers classes to youth to teach them how to swim, a skill that can be lifesaving in an area filled with water, Chapman says. 

One of the Y’s largest and most well-known programs is its before- and after-school childcare programs. The Y provides scholarships, accepts government-funded subsidies, and partners with local schools and organizations to provide free childcare to areas of the city with the highest need, Chapman says. 

Childcare programs allow parents to work and better provide for their families, Chapman says. Children receive a free meal, get exercise, and learn social skills while they interact with their peers. 

The Y’s childcare programs usually have waitlists, highlighting a general cost-of-living crisis, he says. 

“We’re serving hundreds of kids every day, making sure that they have a meal to eat. Families can come and hang out and play together, swim together, spend time together, grow together, and hopefully build healthy habits and lifestyles,” Chapman says. “We do our best to make sure that no one is turned away because of the inability to pay.”

The YMCA also offers a full-service gym, swimming pool, and wellness center for paying members, and programs to encourage healthy living.