WEST CHESTER, PA — The YMCA of Greater Brandywine, an association of eight YMCAs throughout Chester County, was recently awarded $57,000 in grants from the YMCA of the USA. These funds will support programs that improve the health and well-being of Chester County residents, as well as provide additional opportunities for youth development, two key areas of focus for the YMCA.
Specifically, the grant funds will enable the Y to:
- Expand and enhance its Year-Round Food Program, which provides thousands of meals to children at the Brandywine YMCA in Coatesville and the Oscar Lasko YMCA and Childcare Center in West Chester. The grant will help both YMCA branches provide additional nutrition education for children and their families.
- Grow its Diabetes Prevention Program by training and certifying additional staff in its delivery so that it can be expanded to additional locations in Chester County. The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program helps adults at risk of developing Type II Diabetes delay or stop its onset. 86 million Americans have pre-diabetes, which equates to one in three adults. However, only 10% know they have it.
- Launch its Healthy Weight and Your Child Program, which addresses childhood obesity, by enabling the Y to train and certify staff in the program’s management and delivery. More than one-third of children and teens ages two to 19 are overweight, and that rate has tripled in the past three decades.
- Equip YMCA staff with the training, tools and knowledge to integrate character development into its youth programming through the Character Development Learning Institute.
About the YMCA of Greater Brandywine
The YMCA of Greater Brandywine is an association of eight YMCAs that offer life-changing programs for children, families and adults throughout Chester County. Our Y is a diverse association of individuals joined together by a shared commitment to nurture the potential of kids, promote healthy living and foster a sense of social responsibility. With more than 80,000 members annually, each YMCA in the association features unique facilities and programs that best reflect the needs and interests of their communities.
To ensure that everyone has access to quality programming, financial assistance and subsidized programming is available. In 2017 alone, the YMCA of Greater Brandywine provided more than 3.5 million dollars in financial assistance to support 11,915 families with access to childcare, summer camp, programs and memberships. To learn more about the YMCA of Greater Brandywine, visit www.ymcagbw.org or contact info@ymcagbw.org.
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