YMCA Launches Campaign at Gypsy Hill Park
STAUNTON — The Staunton Augusta Family YMCA will kick off its annual donation drive Thursday night.
The nonprofit will host an outdoor event from 5 to 8 p.m., at Gypsy Hill Park Bandstand in Staunton. The campaign kickoff will feature a dunk tank, youth crafts, face painting and live music from groups including Y Not Sing Singers, Back in the Groove and Gypsie Hill Jazz.
The YMCA achieves its goals of youth development, healthy living and social responsibility through 20 mission outreach programs, including Neuro Wellness, Teen Center, Rock Steady Boxing, Youth Volunteer Corps and Summer Day Camps.
Funds raised in the annual giving campaign will also help provide membership to financially disadvantaged local residents. The fundraising goal is $160,000. The campaign launched on June 6 and will run through the summer.
“This allows us to do our missions programming,” said YMCA Executive Director Josh Cole, “so families can become members and also families can enroll in our child care program.”
The kickoff will feature food vendors from Globowl Café Food Trailer and Domino’s Pizza, and Cole thinks it will be an event the whole community can enjoy.
“We really want to meet you all,” Cole said, “and it’s important to us that we meet everyone who cares about the success of the YMCA and helping us do more in the community.”
Summer Food Program
Augusta County Libraries have partnered with the Stanton City Eats School Nutrition Program and Augusta County Firefighters to provide free meals through the Summer Nutrition Program (SUN) through July 25th at the following times and locations:
Tuesday 1-3 p.m. Churchville Library: 3714 Churchville Ave., Churchville
Wednesday 1-3 p.m. Craigsville Library: 18 Hidy St., Craigsville Verona Volunteer Fire Company: 304 Lee Highway, Verona
Thursday 1-3 p.m. Preston Yancey Fire Department: 2015 Jefferson Highway, Fishersville
Families can stop by any of the locations listed above to pick up a meal package containing shelf-stable foods. Meal packages are available for any child under the age of 18. Parents may pick up one meal package per child in their household, once per week, from one location. Children do not need to be present to pick up the meals.
“Augusta County Libraries is pleased to expand our weekly summer meal program at the Craigsville Library to meal pickup at multiple convenient locations across Augusta County,” said Augusta County Library Director Jennifer Brown. “This will allow us to get more meals into the hands of children, keeping them mentally and physically strong over the summer and preparing them for the upcoming school year. We are so grateful for the opportunity to work with Stanton City Eats School Nutrition Program for providing access to the meals, and to the Augusta County Fire Department for allowing us to use their space for distribution.”
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— Patrick Heitt is the News-Leader’s education reporter. Story ideas and tips are always welcome. Contact Patrick at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter. Patrick HaightSubscribe at newsleader.com.
