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.