ATLANTA (October 2, 2023) | Last month, the YMCA of Metro Atlanta was announced as a recipient of grant funding from the Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS). The grant will be used to address youth learning loss within the South DeKalb community.
“I extend my gratitude to Lauren Koontz, President and CEO of the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, and her team for their continued dedication to improving our community in South DeKalb,” said Senator Emanuel Jones (D – Decatur). “Learning loss as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic is a crisis afflicting our students. The funding provided by DHS will pave the way for quality after-school programming that aims to set our children up for a brighter academic future. I am thankful for the YMCA’s partnership as we continue to support the community of South DeKalb.”
“The YMCA of Metro Atlanta is deeply grateful to Senator Emanuel Jones for championing the youth of the South DeKalb community and securing critical funding for the Y to directly address the academic achievement needs of youth and teens, especially in the wake of the learning loss that was exacerbated by the pandemic,” said Lauren Koontz, President and CEO of the YMCA of Metro Atlanta. “Senator Jones is a leader who cares deeply for his constituents and is a great partner to nonprofit organizations providing key programs and support to the community.”
In their efforts to combat this issue, the YMCA of Metro Atlanta announced a partnership with Georgia’s Division of Family & Children Services (DFCS). Through this partnership, the YMCA will address learning loss and support youth achievement by serving youth from low-income families residing in South DeKalb during out-of-school time.
For more information on the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, please visit https://ymcaatlanta.org/.
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Sen. Emanuel Jones represents the 10th Senate District, which includes portions of DeKalb and Henry County. He may be reached at 404.656.0502 or by email at emanuel.jones@senate.ga.gov.