The YMCA of Greater Miami has received a $25,000 grant from the JCPenney Afterschool Fund to help youth with financial assistance and participation in the Y’s after school programs. The funds will support more than 57 Y after school sites throughout Miami-Dade County and the Upper Keys.
“With the help of the JCPenney Afterschool Fund, more children will have access to life-enriching programs at the Y, and parents benefit from this extra support where their children are encouraged to succeed,” said Alfred Sanchez, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Miami. “At the Y, we believe in nurturing the potential of all children and the Y after school program is one of the many ways that we accomplish that.”
The Y has been engaging children after school in Miami-Dade County for almost 100 years. As the leading not-for-profit provider of after school programs, the Y focuses on the holistic development of youth, promoting creativity, a love for learning, academic success and friendship and character building. The Y’s after school program combines play with academics and fills the gaps in schools by offering enrichment through arts, music, physical education, sports and nutrition.
Nationally, JCPenney and the JCPenney Afterschool Fund have supported Y after school programs since 1999. JCPenney Afterschool awards financial aid grants to Ys across the country, enabling them to serve families with limited resources through life-enriching after school programs that inspire kids to be smart, strong and socially responsible. These access grants helped Ys provide critical financial support to 6,500 students during the 2009-10 school year.
For more information about the YMCA of Greater Miami’s after school program, call 305-357-6622 or visit online at www.ymcamiami.org.
