YMCA of Greenville getting food services to areas in need with new 'Y on the Fly' van
YMCA of Greenville has a new tool to expand its mobile mission of providing food and services to the community.
On Friday, the organization unveiled the vehicle that will be used to enhance its "Y on the Fly" program. The new Dodge Ram ProMaster cargo van that will enable YMCA staff and volunteers to provide food and services to more children, families, and seniors.
"Y on the Fly' is a Y without walls, giving staff and volunteers a way to provide outreach to the community in so many ways," said Parks McCleod, chair of the board of trustees for the YMCA of Greenville Foundation.
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YMCA of Greenville began efforts to help relieve food insecurity in 2020 when schools closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Diana Watson, the organization's chief philanthropy officer.
Greenville County Schools and LiveWell Greenville informed the organization that children who normally rely on schools for breakfast and lunch, weren't getting the food they needed, Watson said.
"Greenville County Schools was doing a huge distribution, where they were distributing (food) at schools across the county, but there were families living in hotels who were technically homeless, who struggled from transportation issues, access to grocery stores, that kind of thing," Watson said.
"We said, 'We can load up and take food to these families,'" Watson said. "We thought it may be a short-term thing."
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Instead, she said, it has become ongoing.
YMCA Greenville now provides food to about 200 families a week and does its bagging and packing of food items from two locations. The program not only delivers food to families in hotels, but also to veterans at the VA Outpatient Center, residents at the Gateway House, and individual families identified through Greenville County Schools, Watson said.
The "Y on the Fly" van will be used to transport and deliver food, along with providing other community services such as holding nutrition classes in Nicholtown or parking lot yoga classes in the Parker community, she said.
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"Y on the Fly' is supported by grants provided by the YMCA of Greenville Foundation, the Holiday Sunshine Fund, and Fall for Greenville. The food program itself is funded by YMCA's annual campaign, as well as donations from YMCA members.
"We're so thankful to everyone who gave to the Holiday Sunshine Fund, The Greenville News, and WYFF for continuing that effort because, as you can see, it does make a tangible difference for our neighbors," Watson said.
Susan Beam said being one of the volunteers delivering groceries has, to her, been life-changing.
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"I've been doing this for about a year and I think the first time we went to deliver, I had no idea these poor neighborhoods are backed up against some of the most affluent areas of Greenville. Once you see a stone's throw, you can't unsee it," she said.
"I'm thankful and grateful that I can do this," Beam said. "It's an amazing program and you can see that we really are making a difference.
"The van is validation of this hard work. Instead of having to load up our cars, now we've got a van. I love it," she said.
The food delivered through "Y on the Fly" is primarily common, nonperishable items. Examples include peanut butter, jelly, granola bars, canned goods, easy microwaveable meals, some breads, and fruits.
"Some of our families are transient. Some of them live in motels. They don't have access to full kitchens," Watson said. "We want to make sure that what we're giving is something they can prepare and eat. We really try to think of who we're serving, what their circumstance is, and what we put in the bags."
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: YMCA of Greenville using new van for community food services
