YMCA OF CENTRE COUNTY

The services the Y provides to kids and families are needed now more than ever.  In March, our facilities were mandated to close, but we knew we needed to quickly find innovative ways to continue to be here for our community. We organized the following services to meet the critical needs of our neighbors during this challenging time.

• Drive-Through Food Distributions: When schools were mandated to close, many children lost access to healthy meals provided through their school’s free and reduced lunch program. As other businesses were required to close, additional families began to face food insecurity. Within a few days, we gathered resources to start distributing food at drive-through sites throughout Centre County and provided food to over 2,000 kids and families in need at 30+ sites per day. Now that school is in session again, we continue to distribute food to kids in need through our Backpack Program.
• Groceries for Families in Need: Several sites throughout Centre County are distributing bags full of groceries 1-2 times per week to families in need.
• Meals for Seniors and Veterans: During our closure, we worked with other local organizations to provide drive-through meal distribution for seniors and veterans.
• Virtual Health and Wellness Resources: Group exercise class offerings at our branches are currently limited, but you can still join us for virtual classes with your favorite Y instructors. To access online classes, click here.

Many of our members chose to continue paying their Y membership fees in order to support these services. Thank you for playing such a vital role in our efforts to strengthen our community, particularly during this time. Please continue to follow all suggested measures to keep yourselves safe and healthy. If you would like to offer additional support, donations are being accepted at our branches during the day or by mail. You can also give online by clicking here.