Capital District YMCA continues its ‘Season of Giving’
CAPITAL REGION, N.Y. >> The Capital District YMCA recently kicked off its “Season of Giving” with the annual Caring Community Basket Brigade.
For Thanksgiving, more than 420 meals were provided to those in need across the region by the Capital District YMCA, a leading local charity devoted to assisting those in need.
Called the Caring Community Basket Brigade, all the items needed to cook a complete Thanksgiving Day meal were collected in baskets.
This brigade began with Mike Hamel of HMA Contracting and Hamel Realty. Hamel is a longtime member and volunteer for the Capital District YMCA, who currently serves on the Greenbush YMCA Advisory Council, helping mentor new council volunteers.
Hamel approached the YMCA in 2016 for help with the Caring Community Basket Brigade he had started among his friends and co-workers, to help those in need enjoy Thanksgiving.
In 2016 and 2017 the Greenbush and Southern Saratoga YMCA branches worked with Hamel to serve 160 and then 206 families.
This year, the YMCA has expanded this partnership to cover families in Troy, Guilderland, Duanesburg, and Albany as well as Greenbush and Southern Saratoga.
A total of 429 area families was served this year through the Caring Community Basket Brigade initiative.
Help came from HMA Contracting, Hamel Realty, St. Edwards Church in Clifton Park, the Walmart in Halfmoon, Hannaford Supermarkets in East Greenbush, Delanson, and Guilderland, Target in East Greenbush, the East Greenbush Teachers Association, the Albany Renaissance Hotel, Specialty Box & Packaging Company (SBP), and many more caring donors and volunteers who helped the YMCA collect food, pack and deliver baskets, and raise more than $11,000 to feed families.
“As a premier charity in this region, core to our mission is responding to the needs of our community,” Capital District YMCA President and CEO David Brown said in a press release. “Many people have no idea that the Y provides scholarships to those in need, helping with childcare, saving lives by teaching children how to swim, and much more, such as helping to feed families.”
The Capital District YMCA is one of the largest associations of YMCAs in the country and one of the largest membershipbased community service organizations in the region.
This December, many Capital District YMCA branches will continue their “Season of Giving” by putting up giving trees.
More information about the Capital District YMCA and its efforts is available online at www. CDYMCA.org or by calling 518869-3500.
“As a premier charity in this region, core to our mission is responding to the needs of our community. Many people have no idea that the Y provides scholarships to those in need, helping with childcare, saving lives by teaching children howto swim, and muchmore, such as helping to feed families.” — Capital District YMCA President and CEO David Brown