The YMCA of San Benito County received a $5,000 donation from
Wells Fargo Bank Oct. 16 toward the YMCA’s Healthy Kids Initiative.
The donation will allow the YMCA to enhance current programming
including sports, after school, day camp and family activities
– to more purposely include best practices and evidence-based
curriculum for healthy lifestyles.
The YMCA of San Benito County received a $5,000 donation from Wells Fargo Bank Oct. 16 toward the YMCA’s Healthy Kids Initiative. The donation will allow the YMCA to enhance current programming including sports, after school, day camp and family activities – to more purposely include best practices and evidence-based curriculum for healthy lifestyles.
Terrie Fuentes, Vice President District Manager for Wells Fargo presented the donation to YMCA board members, Deborah Armstrong, Julie Palafox, Dee Hone and Geoff Arnold and San Benito County YMCA Executive Director, Rochelle Callis.
“I am simply delighted to receive this donation for our Healthy Kids Initiative,” Callis said. “Our plan is to use this funding to help youth move more and learn how to make smarter eating choices.”
The funding will allow the Y to work with local schools, farmers, medical practitioners and other stakeholders to model, encourage and structure activities that help children increase their physical activity, improve their daily nutrition and begin to make healthy practices a part of their daily habits. This initiative includes encouraging children to engage in 60 minutes of physical activity each day and make healthier choices regarding meals and snacks. The YMCA expects that 85% of children involved in its Healthy Kids activities will report increased daily physical activity and 80% of the children who participate in YMCA Healthy Kids will report eating at least 5 fruits or vegetables per day.
It’s expected that the community will benefit by reduced medical costs as a result of less chronic disease, improved school attendance; less absenteeism, improved academic success when kids are healthier, support for local farmers through increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. The Wells Fargo funding will help the YMCA incorporate best practices and evidence-based curriculum into its current youth development programs including sports, after-school clubs, day camps and family activities to positively impact the health and well-being of children in the community.
The YMCA of San Benito County is a branch office of the Central Coast YMCA. The Central Coast YMCA has branches in Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties and more than 24,000 people are involved in Y programs throughout the Tri-County Area.
