Youth Development

As communities return to “normal,” this summer following the Coronavirus pandemic, water safety should be top of mind. NC YMCAs want to ensure that water safety doesn’t get lost in our state's eagerness to return to a “normal” summer. As temperatures rise, kids want to cool off, whether that is in home pools, ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, or oceans.

The YMCA of Greater Charlotte received a surprise $18 million gift at the end of 2020 from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, who donated billions last December to 384 organizations nationwide.

The YMCA of Western North Carolina has marked an impressive yet sobering milestone by serving more than 1 million healthy, nutritious meals to kids in need since 2013.

While schools in Davidson County remain closed for in-person instruction, the E-Learning Academy at the J. Smith Young YMCA in Lexington is living its mission in an important way for seven homeless students from three families.

In November 2019, 15 students from the Parkland High School Youth & Government delegation in Winston-Salem conducted a walk audit around their high school to assess how safe it is to walk or bike to their school and in the surrounding community, and to share their findings and recommendations with local policymakers.