Kingsport YMCA addressing food insecurity among youth

KINGSPORT — In an effort to fill the gap of food insecurity in our region, the Greater Kingsport Family YMCA is launching its own feeding program for the children in the Y's after-school and Y On Wheels programs.The program began on Monday and will continue indefinitely, said Jonathan Albarado, YMCA marketing director. The program will serve 250 to 300 children a five-component meal daily, following the USDA's regulations for nutrition.Ultimately, the YMCA hopes to serve 500 meals a day, Albarado said.The food will be served Monday through Friday at 15 after-school and Y On Wheels locations throughout Kingsport and Sullivan County, including such sites as Jackson Elementary School, Robinson and Sevier middle schools and several Kingsport Housing and Redevelopment Authority properties."This is where we have seen the greatest need," says YMCA Feeding Program Coordinator Samantha McClellan. "Some of these children do not know where their next meal is coming from, and in many cases will not be fed a healthy meal unless they are in school."With the changes in the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is reported that 1 in 4 children are considered to have a food insecurity. According to the 2019 Map the Meal Gap study, the regional child food insecurity rate is 21% compared to 13.6% for the overall population of Northeast Tennessee.Within Sullivan County, roughly 19,000 people, or about 12.4% of the population, are considered food insecure, the YMCA reports."We began partnering with Second Harvest Food Bank during the COVID-19 shutdown to provide food bags for the families in our Emergency Child Care, and we have continued this in our programs," said McClellan. "We are looking forward to being able to expand services and make a larger impact to meet the needs of our community and region."The local YMCA received funding from the national YMCA organization with a start-up food program grant, and it has also received funding from the East Tennessee Foundation to complete the kitchen and food prep areas to support the feeding program.Volunteers and YMCA staff cook, prepare and package all of the meals at the main YMCA facility off Meadowview Parkway, then load the food onto a truck, which takes it to the various locations.If you'd like to help, the Kingsport YMCA is looking for looking for volunteers to support this program.Visit ymcakpt.org/volunteer for more information.