YMCA of Southeastern NC providing range of COVID-related services for Cape Fear residents

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The YMCA of Southeastern North Carolina may be closed to members but the staff have shifted their focus on supporting local feeding programs and providing child care for essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have turned from providing services in our facility to providing services further into the community and one of the most notable ones is childcare for our essential workers,” said YMCA of Southeastern NC President and CEO Dick Jones.

Child care is being provided at the Midtown YMCA and Nir Family YMCA branches. The YMCA says it is following all recommendations provided by health experts to keep children and families safe. The service is available to kids grades K-8, Monday through Friday from 7 AM to 6 PM. The curriculum includes time for school work and other learning and physical activities.

“We want to make sure that all of our care providers in the community are focusing on patients and the ones that need the most care so we don’t want their children or childcare to be an issue for them,” Jones said.

In addition to providing child care, the YMCA is providing about 600 meals a day to children across New Hanover County. So far, the organization has provided a total of more than 13,000 meals since schools have closed.

“We are really excited to be be working with New Hanover County Schools to use our buses and our staff to deliver those meals to children with limited or no transportation in our community,” said YMCA Director of Financial Development and Marketing Sarah Gibbs.

If a child in New Hanover County needs a meal, contact 910-251-9622 ext. 229. You should allow 48 hours for the YMCA to add you to their delivery route. No meals, however, will be distributed on the Good Friday holiday.

“Schools would normally be closed so we’re not serving lunch on Friday and will be sending out notices to every family that we would normally be delivering to,” Gibbs said.

Regarding senior adults, the YMCA is offering a number of services.

The YMCA is now also serving as a new pick-up location for New Hanover County Senior Resource Center’s lunch program. Lunches are available for pick-up at the Nir Family YMCA located on Market Street on Mondays-Fridays between 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM. Any resident of New Hanover County 60 years and older is eligible for these meals.

They’re also helping members stay active and connected during this time of social distancing by providing a number of virtual exercise options including virtual group exercise classes made by the YMCA’s instructors.

In addition, staff members are calling all of senior members to check in on them and see if there is anything the YMCA can do to help. They have also created groups on Facebook to connect seniors and members with similar interests so they can stay in touch and share thoughts and ideas with each other outside of the YMCA.

Finally, registration for camps and other summer programs is open and parents can learn more on the YMCA’S website at www.ymcasenc.org/camp.

“As soon as things are ready to open back up, we’re going to be ready to go straight to summer camp,” Gibbs said.

The YMCA will provide full refunds to any camps or programs that are that are cancelled due to COVID restrictions.