KANNAPOLIS – The Kannapolis Y recently received $1,500 from the city of Kannapolis for an intergenerational community garden and $7,500 from Walmart to expand its offering of healthy after-school snacks.
The children are excited to see the garden coming to fruition.
“This is my first time at being a real gardener,” Quayla said with a big smile. Noah pipes up beside her, “Well I made sure the plants got enough water today.”
The garden lies peacefully between the Y lobby and the Murdock Annex which houses the after-school program. The children and volunteers draw water from a large rain barrel (which collects water from the expansive Y roof) and grow plants from seeds in a small greenhouse.
The Walmart Foundation awarded 78 AMP Engagement Grants to Y’s across the United States to increase access to healthy food in after-school programs. The Kannapolis Y was the only association to receive this funding in the Carolinas. The funds will be used to increase scholarship offerings to reach more children, to improve the current food offering with the addition of fresh items and dairy products, and to add occasional “chef” visits to the program.
“Our goal is always to reach as many kids as possible and with the greatest impact possible,” said Brett Crosby, Kannapolis Y executive director. “Like so many nonprofits in our community, we are challenged with the daily expense of meeting that goal.
“With these funds, our hope is to help at least 65 kids in our community. They will go home with more nutritious food in their stomachs and we will enrich their learning experience in the process. The ‘chef’ visits will expand the culinary lesson to math and science. The children will benefit from the perspective of the senior adults as they work side-by-side in the community garden.”
Those interested in learning more about the grants and associated programs should contact Rhonda Poppen at 704-933-9622, extension 648 or rpoppen@cannonymca.org.