The YMCA at Virginia Tech is extremely grateful to the University Club of VPI & SU for their generous donation to our Meals On Main program. In the last months of 2023 as part of their Thanks and Giving event, members opened their hearts to support our food security efforts.
Through our Meals On Main program we distribute USDA approved meals and snacks at no cost to youth aged 1-18 years in Blacksburg, Christiansburg and surrounding areas. Between April 2020 and April 2023 we distributed 110,471 meals and snacks to children in the NRV facing food insecurity. We have started providing freshly cooked meals at some locations using our mobile kitchen with the help of awesome volunteers.
The University Club of VPI & SU members collected $1,395 to donate to the YMCA at Virginia Tech meals program. Members made several comments in support of this donation, including, “It is a wonderful, worthwhile project and I was glad to be a part of it,” and, “Food insecurity is a huge issue these days. We were happy to donate towards helping these kids.”
On Thursday, Jan. 11 Club Vice President Don Mullins was joined by Chair of the Thanks and Giving Project Beth Ifju, and club members Ruth and George Lacy to present the check to YMCA Board Treasurer Jim Lawrence and CEO & Executive Director Ryan Martin.
“We truly appreciate the tremendous generosity of the club members and their support of our work to feed local children,” said Martin. “We could not do this work without donations of time and money.”
“Members of two organizations with deep traditions at Virginia Tech met this past Thursday at the house formerly owned by Lucy Lee Lancaster, one of the first five women to graduate from Tech,” said Lawrence. “That notable event occurred in 1925, the same year that the Virginia Tech University Club was founded. The Lancaster House is the home of the YMCA at Virginia Tech, currently celebrating its 150th year of service to the campus and community. Thursday’s occasion was the generous donation by the University Club to the YMCA at VT to support its program fighting food insecurity in our local communities. A huge “Thank You” from the Y to the University Club!”
Interested in getting involved in our Meals On Main program? Contact Karys Blakemore, Director of Food Security Programs, at meals@vtymca.org. Donations can be made online at: https://vtymca.org/support-the-y/ or send a check made out to The YMCA at Virginia Tech, to 403 Washington St SW., Blacksburg, VA 24060.
The YMCA at Virginia Tech
