The Door County YMCA Offers Summer Food Program to Help Kids Get Their ‘Fill of Fun

The Door County YMCA joins national effort to serve 5 million meals to 150,000 kids and teens, in partnership with the Walmart Foundation and other key funders.

In an effort to combat child hunger, the Door County YMCA will offer its free Summer Food Program, thanks in part to a $35,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation and other key funders of the program. Combining food and fun, the program provides nutritious meals and snacks and fun learning enrichment activities to keep youth healthy, active and well-nourished all summer long. The program runs from June 16 to August 29 and is open to kids ages 18 and under.   Research shows that more than 30 million children in low-income communities receive free or reduced-cost meals during the school year, but only 2.3 million of these same kids have access to free meals when school is out. To help fill summertime gap and ensure fewer children go hungry, the Door County YMCA will serve 18,000 meals here in Door County and Algoma. At more than 1,100 summer food program sites nationwide, the Y will strive to serve 5 million healthy meals and snacks to 150,000 kids this summer.

“At the Y, we are focused on keeping kids mentally and physically active while ensuring they have access to healthy food so they’re well-nourished and avoid the ‘summer slide’,” said Tom Beerntsen, CEO of the Door County YMCA. “The YMCA’s Summer Food Program will help kids stay healthy, active and energized all summer long, ensuring they start the school year ready to achieve. For years YMCA summer programing has been focused on summer learning loss nutrition, and physical activity; we are committed to closing the achievement gap”

Participants in the Door County YMCA’s Summer Food Program will receive at least one meal per week day and enjoy various fun activities. To reach more youth who may be unable to visit the Y, the Door County YMCA takes the Summer Food Program out into the community by partnering with multiple business and families in our community to bring healthy meals, snacks, and fun activities to these kids at 11 different locations. While children are eating they are encouraged to try new foods, and enjoy physical activity every day.

The Y is committed to nurturing the physical, mental and social-emotional development of youth and is working to ensure that all kids have access to nutritious meals, so they can continue to be healthy and thrive when out of school. The YMCA’s Summer Food Program, now in its fourth year, is part of a year-round effort to fight child hunger in partnership with the Walmart Foundation. In 2013, the Y provided a total of 7.5 million meals to children across the country through Afterschool and Summer Food Programs. In Door County last summer the Door County YMCA served over 10,000 meals to kids and teens throughout the summer.  

During the school year, Door County YMCA will also serve healthy meals and snacks in its after school program to provide kids with nourishment and academic enrichment.

To learn more about the Door County YMCA’s Summer Food Program, please call Leah Pluff at 920-818-0796 or visit ymca.net/summerfood.

Construction to Begin on YMCA Peterson Park

Construction on a ten acre public park north of the YMCA on Michigan Avenue will begin the second week of July.  The park will be constructed on property owned by the YMCA and will be open to the community without regard to YMCA membership.  The YMCA owned and managed park will be a “park for the community” and be named Peterson Park.   A gift from Carla and Ellsworth Peterson funded the acquisition of the property in 2013 and will fully fund the initial phase of construction and improvements.

Initial improvements to the property will include the installation of additional walking paths, a new sports field, a restroom facility, a small amphitheater for exercise classes and youth  programming and preparation of the site to accommodate future amenities to include a playground, multi-purpose sports court, sand volleyball and a splash pad.  When the park opens in the spring of 2015 it will include nearly three quarters of a mile of walking paths.  Discussions are currently in progress with local partners to improve selected areas of the site as prairie gardens.  Future plans also include a sculpture garden area.  Rass Excavating will be the general contractor on the project.

This project has been included in the City’s master park plan.  Currently there is not a city park in this area of the city.  It is hoped that additional funds will be raised this year to construct a community playground area on the south end of the park property west of the existing pavilion in the spring of next year.

“The YMCA is pleased to be able to provide this unique public amenity for our community.  This project is another testimony to the extraordinary generosity of the Peterson family” YMCA CEO Tom Beerntsen explained.  “We will continue to add program components to the Park area as funding becomes available” Beerntsen explained.  Opportunities to honor or memorialize friends and families will also be available in the future.  A program to plant trees and install benches throughout the park will be announced later this summer.

City Administrator, Steve McNeil, explained that this park project is a further example of how the YMCA continues to serve Sturgeon Bay.  “The new park project is a continuation of the Y’s commitment to serve the entire community.  The City of Sturgeon Bay and the Y have a long history of working together to improve the lives of our families.  This new project will make our community an even better place to live” McNeil commented.

A ground breaking is planned for the Monday, July 7th.  For further information on how to donate to the installation of future amenities to the Peterson Park project, please contact Tom Beerntsen or Cindy Weber, the YMCA Vice President of Resource Development, at the YMCA.

Giving Kids a Chance to Fall in Love with a Sport

Local Eric Natwick hired to run youth programming at Door County YMCA

With the recent wrap up of the NBA Finals and the Stanley Cup, as well as the current unfolding of the World Cup, kids might get the idea that sports are all about winning and losing, but Eric Natwick, the new Youth & Teen Development Director at the Door County YMCA, feels otherwise.

“One of my favorite quotes for youth sports is, ‘Sometimes we win, and sometimes we learn – but we never lose,’” said Natwick, who was hired in May. He will head up a few of the Camp Compass Summer Camps, like T-ball, tennis, Otumba Park Half Day Camp and Sports-of-all-Sorts in Sturgeon Bay.

“I did this camp when I was younger, so it's really neat to be able to provide this experience for others,” said Natwick, who grew up in Sturgeon Bay. “I always knew I would be back [in Door County] at some point, and to be able to promote child development and healthy living at my job is incredible.”

Door County YMCA CEO Tom Beernsten also sees the value of bringing Natwick back to Sturgeon Bay and into the fold of the Y.

"Eric is a hometown boy and is a known entity. He has strong athletic skills, but more importantly, he has a natural ability to relate to children. He will be a great leader for our programs and a wonderful role model for our kids," said Beernsten. “Our business is about changing lives. And the way we do that is by putting everyday heroes, like Eric, in the lives of kids everyday.”

Natwick graduated from St. Norbert College in May 2013 with an English major and Business Administration minor. During his tenure at St. Norbert, he played for the men’s college soccer team, which was ranked in the top 20 in the nation. One of the few soccer coaches in Northeast Wisconsin who holds a D-License from the U.S. Soccer Federation, Natwick has coached and managed soccer teams in Sturgeon Bay, Green Bay and Seymour. Natwick is also one of the founders of the Sturgeon Bay Soccer Alumni event, which raises money for the Sturgeon Bay High School program.

“My success and experience is in soccer, but I want to emphasize the fact that I love all sports,” said Natwick. “I look forward to not only teaching the basics and the fundamentals of each sport we provide, but giving a kid a chance to fall in love with a sport the way that I have with so many of them.”

If interested in signing up for youth programming in Sturgeon Bay, please call the Door County YMCA at 920.743.4949 or go to www.doorcountyymca.org.

Lansing Avenue Center Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

The Door County YMCA wants to thank our community for coming to the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for our new Lansing Avenue Center on June 16th.  Along with opening the Lansing Avenue Center, we were also kicking off the first day of our Camp Compass as well.  The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony took place at 10:00 AM at 876 South Lansing Avenue in Sturgeon Bay.  YMCA staff and community partners were in attendance, along with Camp Compass participants.  After the ceremony, guests enjoyed a tour of the facility and enjoined some powder sugar frosting cake!

In the Fall, the Lansing Avenue Center will transition to offer daycare for children ages six weeks to five years old, and will also offer before and after school care for Sturgeon Bay and Southern Door schools.  Workplace Wellness classes and other YMCA programing will also be offered at the new Center.

For more information on registering for Camp Compass or to inquire about our daycare, please contact Joanna Severinsen at (920) 818-0796.