To provide an After School & Summer Camp program that builds healthy spirit, mind and body for all.

Our cause focuses on 100% of an unmet need in Carroll County. The lack of after school and summer childcare has been an issue for our community for many years. We conducted a community needs assessments and the results screamed of the need for after school and summer care their children. Lack of adequate space, staff and program supplies are challenges for our After School and Summer Camp. The children in our service are who do not have the opportunity to be enrolled in a safe After School Club and Summer Camp are being subjected to hunger, unsafe environments, abuse, neglect, unsupervised and juvenile crime opportunities. In 2015, we established our first After School Club and Summer Camp Program. Beginning with seven children enrolled, we have now grown to our maximum capacity of forty-one children. We are unable to serve any additional children due to lack of funds for a full-time director, additional staff, supplies and space.

This grant would solidify our desires to hire a full-time director to oversee the established After School Club and Summer Camp programs along with the wish to expand the programs into other communities in our service area. Our After-School Club and Summer Camp is limited to expanding or allowing increased enrollment due to no additional funds for extra staff, supplies or space. We employee a part time director performing a full-time task. In addition, we could potentially expand into other local school districts, and will allow us to purchase enrichment and STEM program supplies. We have a wait list for children to enroll in our Summer Camp and most likely will have a wait list for our After-School Club this fall. Currently we utilize a local school for our site. While we are forever grateful for the space and collaboration, we are excited to explore additional sites. Most importantly and bottom line, we are eager to start serving more families and children.

This grant would potentially have an lifelong impact on our community. We are in a holding pattern with our growth and opportunity to serve more families. Due to the lack of space and staff, we are missing the chance to be able to serve those families in need of safe after school and summer programs. As long as there are children to serve, our YMCA will give the lifelong commitment to do so. We have seen exponential growth in the programs since our few years of existence and only foresee the same growth as long as the funding is granted to expand the program. This grant grows our opportunity for additional enrollment which in return cultivates more opportunities for our children's future and ultimately could be the experiences that decides their path of life.