United Way of Iredell County Partner Agency Spotlight: Statesville Family YMCA

ADDRESS: 828 Wesley Dr Statesville 28677
PHONE: 704-873-9622
EMAIL ADDRESS: a.blakley@ymcanwnc.org
WEBSITE: https://ymcanwnc.org/statesville-family-ymca/

Executive Director: Angela “Blake” Blakley 
Board Chair: Marks Elder

Number of Employees: 60

Description of Services Provided: The Bridge Academy is an initiative of the Statesville Family YMCA that provides support services to youth in the Iredell-Statesville School District whose families have been displaced by homelessness. It is a continual yearlong project ending with following grade completion. Each year will recognize a new group of students. These students are identified by I-SS via the McKinney Vento Homeless Education Program. The Y provides these youth and their families with access to year-round childcare through After School Care and Summer Exploration Academy, ensuring these students do not have to spend out-of-school time alone and unsupervised in their current living situations. Students participate in personal development opportunities and academic tutoring provided by certified teachers, as well as enrolled in swim lessons and youth sports. Often these students do not have enough to eat or do not have healthy eating options. The Y provides a healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner, and afternoon snack during the summer and a snack and dinner during the school year. Food is also sent home for the weekend if needed. Transportation is provided so these youth have access to all program components. Each of these students is included in our YMCA Bright Beginnings, which is a program that provides students in need with essential back-to-school supplies. Students receive a new backpack filled with all the necessary school supplies, a pair of name-brand tennis shoes, a gift card for a fresh hair-cut, and a $100 worth of school clothes. While primarily serving youth, the entire family benefits from the Bridge Academy, as the YMCA will provide each family with a family membership at no cost, along with monthly parent engagement opportunities. Affordable childcare will allow parents the ability to work or attend other programs that allow them to better their lives and not worry about their child during before or after school hours.

Number of clients served in last year: 28 students are enrolled in the Bridge Academy, but since we include the family, we are currently serving 112 individuals with different components from the program.

What is the best way for someone to contact your agency to access services? Students in this program are identified by social workers in the Iredell-Statesville School system. We do not require an application since they are sent to us by I-SS. We do have a registration process for each member of the family.

Describe the role that volunteers play in your agency: Volunteers are the backbone to our organization; we rely on volunteers to serve on our Board of Management for guidance in operational decision making and to lead our fund-raising efforts to support our community initiatives such as the Bridge Academy. All of our youth sports teams are led by volunteers and we also pair a volunteer with each student for the Bright Beginnings shopping spree.

What is the best way for someone to get involved with your agency: Contact us 704-873-9622. A staff person will connect you to the appropriate representative

• Budget for Current Fiscal Year: The Bridge Academy: $138,000
• United Way Funding for Current Fiscal Year: $23,183

MAJOR EVENTS
None planned at this time due to COVID

MAJOR FUNDRAISERS
Year round Annual Impact Fund Campaign. When you give to the Annual Impact Fund, you are helping to sustain the Y and assure the continuation of life-changing programs and services that create opportunities for us all to rebuild. With your help, our Y can focus on what we do best and where we’re needed most by addressing community needs through our programs and services. Our Y has spearheaded efforts to support our neighbors in need with food distribution, emergency child care, blood drives and more, while also finding new and innovative ways to meet the needs of our members. We’ve always been more than a gym and swim – filling gaps and supporting critical needs in ways that no other organization can — but our Y is facing extraordinary challenges. The Y is not a place — we are a purpose and our ability to remain a vital thread that holds the fabric of our community together is reliant on your donations now more than ever.