Kingsport YMCA tackles social issues with measures to 'bridge the gap'
The Greater Kingsport Family YMCA raised more than $225,000 last year during its Annual Giving Campaign to support community outreach efforts, the organization announced last week.
“We have been blessed beyond measure with the ability to do things differently,” Kimberly “K.C.” Cousineau, president and CEO of the YMCA, said. A few of the ways the YMCA tackled social issues in the community included starting a program for food insecurity; providing a safe space for children; and bringing games, crafts and meals to underserved communities.
“Our board of directors, which is comprised of volunteers and community leaders, approved a strategic plan this past year that included goals and strategies based on the most critical social issues in our community,” Cousineau said, “and we designed programs that helped bridge the gap within those issues.”
One of the largest problems the organization addressed last year was food insecurity. YMCA officials said one in four children is considered food insecure. To combat that, the YMCA created a food program for its Aftercare and Y on Wheels initiatives. The program started in February 2021, serving nine sites and 250 meals a day. By the end of the year, the YMCA was serving 15 sites and 450 meals a day. The YMCA served more than 100,000 meals last year, officials said.
Another highlight included providing a safe space for 760 children at 19 Afterschool sites in Kingsport and Hawkins and Sullivan counties.
“This program strengthens our community by providing positive role models to the kids in our program and allows them to build those lifelong relationships,” Katie Hagood, afterschool program coordinator for the 21st Century Learning Center Grants, said.
The YMCA Y on Wheels program served about 100 children a week in underserved communities throughout Kingsport during 2021, YMCA officials said. Each month, the program provided a parent workshop, seasonal clothing, toiletries, and a meal kit that families could use to cook together. More than 1,900 parents and children attended these events throughout the year. YMCA officials stressed that much of the work was accomplished with the help of the public.
“Most of the work is done by volunteers who come in every day to help prep, pack and deliver these meals to the community,” Lauren Williams, YMCA feeding coordinator, said. Cousineau agreed. “Volunteers and donors are the heart of our organization,” she said. “Without them, we couldn’t put those programs into practice to help meet those important community needs.”
Read the article at Times News here
