Food Insecurity

Nearly 300,000 people in five NC counties have received more than 1.4 million pounds of fresh, healthy produce from the YMCA of Western North Carolina over the past 10 years. The Y celebrated this milestone last month with the opening of its new Nutrition Outreach Hub to meet growing demand. 

Sue Glass joined the YMCA of Greater Charlotte as president and CEO last month. Glass most recently served as president and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Denver, which she joined in 2018. 

Congratulations to several North Carolina YMCA staff who were named YMCA of the USA Anti-Hunger Heroes for their work to support healthy food access in their communities! We’re especially excited to recognize them during Hunger Action Month.

Three North Carolina YMCAs are partnering with NC DHHS for the Healthy Opportunities Pilots (HOPs). The pilot is the first comprehensive program in the country to test and evaluate the impact of providing specific evidence-based, non-medical interventions related to housing, food, transportation, interpersonal safety, and toxic stress to high-needs Medicaid enrollees.

During the pandemic, Jen Fuller-Allen, CEO of the J. Smith Young YMCA in Lexington, began sending an email each Friday to her Board of Directors. “I wanted to connect with our Board more regularly to share highlights from the week to better equip them to help tell our story,” Fuller-Allen said.

North Carolina YMCAs provided nearly 2.5 million meals to children, adults and seniors in 2021 to fight food insecurity in the wake of COVID-19. In addition, YMCAs donated more than 640,000 pounds of food, including 430,000+ pounds of fresh, healthy produce, to nourish those in need. 

The Hayes-Taylor YMCA, part of the YMCA of Greensboro, and the Southeast Raleigh YMCA, part of