A new program at the J.A. Walters YMCA could help decrease the high school dropout rate and the percentage of childhood obesity in Hall County.
Y Corps, created through a grant from service organization AmeriCorps, will help children in an after-school program by providing homework support and enrichment activities.
“We wanted to create opportunities for families with fewer finances to receive outside education and after-school care, and it will provide more opportunities to do service-learning in the community,” said Mark Thomas, Y Corps program director. “It’ll give a place for kids to be a part of the programs that we do. We plan to find schools where finance numbers are low and provide the service for next to nothing.”
For example, students may be able to pay $5 per month rather than $65 for activities.
“It’s a place to go after school so they can stay out of trouble,” Thomas said. “We can teach them valuable lessons such as setting goals for graduation, team building and health and wellness.”
The YMCA also has partnered with United Way of Hall County and the Boys & Girls Clubs to use funding from AmeriCorps, which is funded by the federal government and founded through the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993.
“We know the statistics in our county with graduation rates for high schoolers and the increasing obesity rate for children and teens,” Thomas said. He and other YMCA officials are talking with local school officials to get the program started near the beginning of October.
YMCA workers decided to pursue the grant to bring the AmeriCorps program to Hall County.
“There are several in the Atlanta area and other parts of the state, but it’s a completely new program for us,” said Tiffany Whalen, executive director of the J.A. Walters branch and North Georgia camping services. “We’ll do a lot of leadership and independence learning skills. This is a great opportunity to branch out and provide service for Hall County during the school year and not just in the summer.”
Promoting volunteerism also is a large focus, and 11 people from around the county showed up at the YMCA on Monday evening to apply for the volunteer positions.
“Volunteerism is something we need to continue to do in Hall County because it joins the community together,” Whalen said. “This is definitely a program that promotes serving and engaging your community.”