2 Charlotte foundations donate $750,000 to help the YMCA mentor teens

Thanks to a combined $750,000 from two Charlotte foundations, the YMCA of Greater Charlotte is expanding its summer teen mentoring program to year-round, serving 1,500 youth at four branches.

The Gambrell Foundation is donating $500,000 and the Howard R. Levine Foundation $250,000 to the effort, the YMCA announced Wednesday night.

During the school year, teens will spend time with role models and attend programs aimed at improving their studies and the way they interact with others.

They will attend regular teen nights at the Keith Family, McCrorey, Simmons and Stratford Richardson YMCAs and join Y Achievers, the Y’s evidence-based college and career readiness program in partnership with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

The year-round program will be an expanded version of Summer of Opportunity, piloted this summer by the YMCA, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police and 15 nonprofit agencies to reduce crime, build trust between teens and police officers and change the prospects of youth from areas with little access to economic mobility.

The summer program served more than 1,000 teens with the support of 333 volunteer mentors and was patterned on successful programs in Boston and Los Angeles, YMCA officials said.

“The biggest factor in addressing issues like teen crime is preventing it from happening in the first place,” said Todd Tibbits, YMCA of Greater Charlotte CEO. “With our partner agencies, we replace idle time with a safe environment, positive role models and transformational experiences that broaden horizons.”

Tibbits said the YMCA is grateful to the foundations, “both representing local families who believe that access to enrichment and education lead to a better life and a stronger community for all.”

The Gambrell Foundation is honored to partner in a program helping teens, said Sally Gambrell, CEO of the Gambrell Foundation.

Howard Levine said the program assists in redirecting “a risky path for our most underserved youth.” He hopes the foundation’s gift inspires more community partners to join the effort.

This story was originally published November 15, 2017 at 6:37 PM with the headline "2 Charlotte foundations donate $750,000 to help the YMCA mentor teens."