We're making a difference with the YMCA Mobile Market, addressing increased food access needs and delivering monthly boxes with healthy options, recipes, and a mental health resource newsletter, "Food For Thought." Our goal is to not just provide food but also strengthen family bonds through shared meals and impactful conversations. YMCA Mobile Market is aimed to address the increased need for food access support. Applications are available at various locations, including schools with afterschool care, CHW clients, Youth Center families, and families in the Schuh and Huber neighborhoods. While processing formal applications, 20 “Emergency” boxes will be delivered to these neighborhoods, and the pantry doors will remain open for additional families in need. Boxes are made and delivered each month in La Crosse County, focusing on providing healthy options and including recipes. Additionally, a monthly newsletter called “Food For Thought” is included in all Mobile Market Food Pantry Boxes. This newsletter serves as a mental health resource, offering prompts for meaningful family dinner discussions and providing information on in-house and community resources. The YMCA’s goal is not only to provide food but also to strengthen family bonds by encouraging family meals and meaningful conversations.

We’re expanding our outreach efforts with Y on the Fly, bringing it to area parks every Tuesday night from 3-4 pm after school. Our commitment to food access work continues throughout the school year as we aim to enhance community resources by partnering with like-minded organizations. Y on the Fly is our mobile initiative offering healthy meals, enrichment opportunities, and education for all. Our focus is on addressing hunger and enrichment gaps in our community, with four main areas of concentration: Food Access, Physical Wellness, Mental Wellness, and Enrichment. We believe that every child should have access to resources for growth and learning, regardless of where they live. In addition, Y on the Fly will now be present in the Schuh-Mullen neighborhood on Sunday afternoons to provide organized youth sports, ensuring that all youth in the area have access to physical activities, overcoming cost or transportation barriers.

Our Food Program is stepping up to support the Youth Center’s food access efforts by contributing to their nightly dinners. In response to the increased number of children and teens attending meals at the Youth Center, our staff will assist with meal preparation and supervision during dinner times. Additionally, we will provide prebagged grab-and-go style snacks for the Youth Center on a daily basis.

At our school-age sites, we’ve introduced nutrition-focused programming called the Healthy Living Club. This afterschool club offers interactive activities like cooking and taste testing to teach kids about the importance of healthy eating and physical activity. In addition to daily programming, we conduct workshops in our on-site Food Forest, where children and families discover various foods, learn to harvest them, and explore cooking techniques in our teaching kitchen.