Nourishing our Communities
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Nourishing our Communities: Stories from the YMCAs Food Program
YMCAs across the U.S. have been feeding kids and families for years with the help of dedicated community partners. As hunger rates continue to rise, Ys have found new ways to meet the growing demand. Discover how four Ys have developed creative solutions to feed the unique needs of the communities they serve.
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Osage Prairie YMCA
The Osage Prairie YMCA went from serving 40 kids a week to 2,400 during the COVID-19 pandemic. See how the efforts of a few dedicated staff and volunteers helped this small, rural Y ensure that their community didn’t go hungry.
Disclaimer: During the COVID-19 pandemic, newly offered resources allowed Ys to be more flexible in meeting community hunger needs, like with the Osage Prairie YMCA’s Grocery Grab program. While some of these flexibilities are no longer available, the Y continues to advocate for their permanent adoption.
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YMCA of Greater Long Beach
The YMCA of Greater Long Beach serves a diverse community in Southern California, so they partnered with local faith leaders to ensure that kids and families could access nutritious food that respects their dietary and cultural needs. Watch their incredible work in action.
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YMCA of Silicon Valley
People often think of Silicon Valley as a land of wealth and innovation. However, many families in the community are facing food insecurity. See how Silicon Valley YMCA partners with libraries and other community hubs to provide nourishing food and enriching activities for kids all summer long.
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Yonkers Family YMCA
Yonkers Family YMCA is not new to fighting hunger. For years, they’ve served Y residents, seniors after their workout, kids and teens in youth programs, and neighbors who visit their food pantry. Learn how they scaled up their services during the pandemic to ensure that their community’s growing needs were met.
Meals by the Numbers
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3,000,000 Total people fed
Over 2 million people were fed by Ys in 2024.
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57 Million Meals and Snacks
Children, families and seniors received over 61 million meals and snacks from Ys in 2024.
School programs
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Afterschool Meal Program
Many families rely on free or reduced-price school meals during the day. But after school, almost 11 million children and teens lack access to healthy food. With support from community partners, we can ensure children have access to nutritious meals during this critical out-of-school time.
We also believe in the importance of active minds and bodies. Ys provide learning enrichment and physical activities at more than 2,500 out-of-school time meal programs.
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Summer Food Program
When the school year ends, children face additional challenges to accessing healthy meals. Our summer food programs provide daily nutrition to improve children's well-being.
Family Friendly Recipes
Cooking at home? Encourage healthy eating habits for your family, and have fun while doing it. Here are our favorite kid-tested recipes submitted by Ys across the country.
More Learning and Growth Beyond School
Healthy eating is just one of our many out-of-school initiatives. Discover more programs that encourage kids to establish healthy habits and develop life skills.
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Child Care
To support parents and caregivers, we provide a safe, enriching place for children to learn and grow through our child care, out-of-school time and afterschool programs.
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Safety Around Water Program
Our safety-focused program allows kids to have fun, build skills and gain confidence in and around water.
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Healthy Kids Day
In an effort to keep kids active during the summer, Ys host an annual event where families can learn and play together.