The YMCA of Rock River Valley is honored to be a recipient of The Mill Foundation grant for $10,000.
The Y will use the funds to support a Summer Enrichment Program for youth and teens at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, 1829 N. Rockton Ave.
“Summer learning loss is a big concern for area youth. Combine that with a year of remote or hybrid learning during the pandemic and we have a critical situation in our community,” said Michelle Gorham, Chief Advancement Officer, YMCA of Rock River Valley. “Our children have been alone, forced to manage their own learning in many cases. They need our support.”
The Summer Enrichment Program will provide youth with a safe place to go during the summer, reducing the rate of criminal and at-risk behaviors. Youth will build academic skills they might lose during the summer. Additionally, participants will learn about healthy lifestyles.
This program, with a focus on fun, will also support extended learning for our youth and help them be prepared to return to school ready to learn and on-track to graduate. Program activities will include typical day camp activities like arts and crafts, and cooking that will help with math skills. Drama and storytelling activities will aim to build language skills and literacy, while experiments will engage youth around science and technology.
The Mill Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that provides funding to those programs and organizations which benefit the Rockford region’s disadvantaged youth. The Mill Foundation seeks to help abused, neglected and at-risk youth and their families to develop and establish appropriate values, healthy relationships, behaviors and life skills that will lead to responsible and productive lives.
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