[FOXBORO, MA] – Greg and Kathy Spier of Foxborough are issuing a $25,000 challenge grant to support the Hockomock Area YMCA’s Food Access program, a part of the Y’s annual Reach Out Campaign. The Spiers and the Spier Family Foundation will match every donation made September 13 - 20 up to $25,000.

As a non-profit organization, the Hockomock Area YMCA exists to help people be healthier, more confident and connected to each other and their communities. The Y is guided every day to remain focused on how best to respond to the emerging needs of its communities as individuals and families face financial struggles. In 2024, $3.9 million was invested by the Hockomock Area YMCA to ensure that everyone has the chance to thrive by providing scholarships to people in need in the Y’s 16 town service area to experience YMCA programs and services regardless of ability to pay. Since 2016, the Hockomock Y has been addressing hunger, providing over 135,000 bags of food to neighbors in need through the Y’s weekly food access and food pantry programs as well as served over 580,000 meals to children and families. 
“We are grateful to be part of communities full of caring people committed to improving the quality of life in our neighborhoods,” said Jim Downs, CEO of the Hockomock Area YMCA.  “I am so proud of the work our Y continues to do in partnership with others to raise critical funding for our annual Reach Out Campaign.  Funds raised allow our Y to be here when people need us most.  We are only able to do this through the philanthropic support of a caring community.”

“Greg and Kathy Spier have been passionate, steadfast supporters of our YMCA and their generous challenge will help ensure that we continue to be here for our neighbors,” added Downs.  

The Spier family’s impact in our local communities runs deep.  Their legacy at the Hockomock YMCA includes the naming of the indoor and outdoor aquatics centers as well as the splash park at the Y’s Invensys Foxboro Branch, along with Greg and Kathy’s parents, Sonja and the late Alex Spier.

Greg Spier shares, “One of my mentors is the late Don Rodman.  Don taught me the importance of being philanthropic. He always said how important it was to be philanthropic in the areas where we work and the areas where we live. What better place to be philanthropic in the area than at the Hockomock Area YMCA. The Y benefits thousands of children and families and we’re so proud to be a part of it.” 
“The Y is a fellowship that brings people together and provides joy to so many people,” says Kathy Spier.  “As our father Alex always said, we want to leave the world a better place and that’s what we are going to do.  Please make a gift to the Hockomock Y between September 13 and 20 and we will proudly match it as part of this giving challenge.”

“Thank you in advance from the bottom of our hearts for making a gift and for your generous support,” says Greg Spier.
Every gift matters. To learn more about this challenge and ways to make a gift, visit www.hockymca.org/spier-challenge
To learn about other ways to support this initiative, please contact Katie Moore at [email protected].