A MESSAGE FROM OUR BOARD CHAIR
More Than A Meal: Serving With Purpose.
Monique is the first person I saw when I pulled into the parking lot at a church in Lafayette County, Mississippi. Even on a day when the heat index was climbing towards 100 degrees, nothing could melt the big smile on her face.
“I don't simply just show up to work everyday, I show up to purpose,” she happily told me. “When we serve with heart, our work becomes something greater than ourselves.”
These are words we should all aspire to live by.
Monique is the YMCA’s Community Relations Director in Mississippi. For 10 hot weeks this summer, she and her six-member team loaded boxes with 469,000 meals into cars at nine different weekly food sites scattered across North Mississippi. Over 40,000 of those meals were provided to families in Lafayette County alone.
The meal distribution is part of the YMCA’s rural bulk food program, which provided more than 2.8 million meals to kids this summer in communities throughout Mississippi and Tennessee. That's an estimated 2.8 million pounds of food-the equivalent weight of more than 120 full-size school buses.
The YMCA realizes the tremendous need for kids to have access to nutritious food, especially during the summer months when they aren’t receiving food from other school-sourced programs. Due to the demand, the YMCA expanded the program this year to 60 food sites across Tennessee and Mississippi, up from 45 sites in 2025.
Tackling hunger issues is not an easy task, but one the YMCA believes is worth the effort. The coordination it takes to facilitate a food operation of this scale is challenging.
It takes warehouses and forklifts, and big box trucks to move food. It takes nutrition staff, the marketing department, and community directors to organize the weekly giveaway events. It takes an enormous amount of sweat and muscle to load cars and fill out paperwork. But most of all, it takes a team who genuinely wants to pitch in to make a difference in the lives of the people the Y serves.
I was curious about what drives this part of the mission. So back in the Lafayette County church parking lot, I asked each of Monique’s summer staff members what motivated them to apply for such a hot, physically demanding job. Did they learn anything from the experience?
“I live in this area and had no idea the need for food was this great,” one told me. Another recalled seeing a mother who had just lost everything in a house fire and came to pick up much-needed food for her kids. “This job has opened my eyes to the needs of the community in ways I never expected. I am grateful for the opportunity to help.”
The YMCA is already making plans for next summer’s program. There are a lot of kids counting on it. Until then, it will continue providing more than 45,000 meals per week as part of its year-long food initiative.
Thanks to hard work and donors like you, the YMCA can help reduce hunger one meal at a time. I hope this inspires all of us to live with greater purpose and to make a meaningful impact.
Hope Sneed
Beyond the Award
In 2025, Nicholas Thompson was named the YMCA of Memphis & the Mid-South Outstanding Youth Award recipient. Today, he's celebrating another milestone - completing his first year at the University of Memphis!
Watch the video and catch up with Nicholas on his journey.
What's Happening at the Y
A New Way to Move: Core Reformer Pilates
The Y is bringing a new fitness experience to some of our locations! Core Reformer Pilates Studios are now open at the Olive Branch Family YMCA, Church Health YMCA, and the YMCA at Schilling Farms.
Reformer Pilates combines controlled movement and resistance-based exercises for a low-impact, full-body workout that can be adapted for a variety of fitness levels. This expansion to our health and wellness program gives members a new way to build strength, improve flexibility, and focus on overall wellness.
Community Takes the Court
Last month, the Fogelman Downtown YMCA brought the community together for its 2v2 Basketball Tournament, proudly sponsored by Dannie Gatewood.
From competitive matchups to buzzer-beaters, the tournament was more than just playing basketball—it was an opportunity to build connections, celebrate teamwork, and support the Fogelman Downtown YMCA.
Congratulations to our winners! Most importantly, thank you to Dannie Gatewood, our players, volunteers and supporters for making the event a success!
Making a Splash: Lifeguard Olympics 2026
The 3rd Annual Lifeguard Olympics brought together Y lifeguards for a day of friendly competition, teamwork and plenty of energy!
Beyond the competition, we want to thank our donors who supported this year’s Lifeguard Olympics. Your support helps provide swim lessons for children, training for future lifeguards, and more opportunities to build a safer community.
Congratulations to our 2026 Lifeguard Olympics champions — YMCA at Schilling Farms! Olive Branch Family YMCA took second place, followed by Millington Family YMCA in third.
And thank you to all our lifeguards for the dedication and teamwork you bring every day to help keep our communities safe!
Thank You for Doing More
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