The YMCA of Austin received a grant during the pandemic from the Albertson’s family to provide food assistance to families in need, part of their Nourishing Neighbors program. As we are nearing the close of the grant, we will use the remaining funding to create spaces of celebration, joy, togetherness and hope over the month of December.
In this spirit, we are providing Randall’s gift cards to our central Austin low-income families at our EAC Y afterschool programs and preschools as well as gift cards and goody bags for our early learning readiness participants at the East Communities YMCA.
Internally, the EAC Y does an Angel Tree during the holidays, where our employees can help purchase gifts for families, and we are including gift cards for those families. Through the generosity of the Nourishing Neighbors program, we expect to provide gifts to over 200 families, as well as family gatherings at three of our afterschool programs with food and activities to celebrate the joy of the season.
On Friday, December 16th, families at our Galindo, Pleasant Hill, and Sanchez Afterschool Programs received their gift baggies and were invited to decorate Christmas tree ornaments at the programs. Below are photos from one of those programs!
Associate VP of Out of School Time and Operations, Sarah Rinner, said, “We gave out 101 goody bags and over 500 gift cards totaling $47,825 to our amazing families across our EAC YMCA programs, Early Learning Readiness families, and included additional non-EAC Y families at Sanchez and Pleasant Hill as identified by those principals. Team work made one heck of a dream work this holiday season!”
