One in five North Carolina children doesn’t know where their next meal will come from. NC YMCAs are standing in the gap, often collaborating with community partners to fight food insecurity.

Many Ys provide federally-funded snacks and meals to children and families across the state. Some Ys host their own food pantries, while others grow gardens and donate the produce to needy families or their local food pantries.  

During the COVID-19 pandemic, NC YMCAs provided nearly 1 million meals, 407,000 pounds of produce and held 60 food drives to feed hungry children and families. (March 2020-March 2021)

The Y is committed to building a healthier future for our state’s children.

NC YMCAs agreed in 2014 to adhere to the YMCA’s Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (HEPA) Standards, guidelines for food and physical activity in our YMCA programs that  support healthy choices and environments, laying the foundation for a positive youth development journey.