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 When the school year ends, so do free meals for the millions of children in low-income households who depend on them most. This summer, the Mathews Family YMCA offered free nutritious meals to 61 children in the county, thanks to a $7500 grant from YMCA of the USA (Y-USA) and Walmart to feed more children through the national Summer Food Service Program.
The Half-Day Camp Fun! summer food program received funding as part of Walmart's Summer Giving Campaign - a broad $25 million initiative aimed at filling the gaps created when schools close this summer. Through the grant, the Mathews Family YMCA was able to offer a comprehensive program completely free of charge to all participants, regardless of financial ability. This included transportation to and from the site, breakfast, lunch, nutrition education, a variety of unique physical fitness activities, and an introduction to a wide range of community health topics. YMCA instructors encouraged the kids to move and groove to ZumbaŠ, Drums AliveŠ, Yoga, relay games, and sport activities. Our IGNITE instructor provided age-appropriate nutrition information which really opened the kids' eyes about what goes into their mouth! Our partners focused on hands-on activities as much as possible--from tasting different types of apples to visiting the farm and a local pool to making a garden mosaic and learning how to care for their pets, the kids now know what it means when we say, "Variety is the spice of life." Please join us in thanking our partners for this program: Church of Francis de Sales, Mathews Extension Office, Bay School for the Arts, Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society, Brian & Julia's Farm, and Bill & Janice Higdon. Thanks also to Y-USA and Walmart who made this program possible through their financial support. And, thanks to the parents for allowing us to provide the opportunity for your child to learn, grow and thrive.
About Philanthropy at Walmart
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are proud to support initiatives that are helping people live better around the globe. In May 2010, Walmart and its Foundation made a historic pledge of $2 billion through 2015 to fight hunger in the U.S. The Walmart Foundation also supports education, workforce development, environmental sustainability, and health and wellness initiatives. To learn more, visit www.walmartfoundation.org. |
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