Community Corner

Shoppers Can Support Lake County YMCA at JC Penney

People can donate to the YMCA's local after-school programs by rounding up the cost of their purchase at JC Penney

Shoppers at the  in Great Lakes Mall can donate to local after-school programs, and all they have to do is round up.

Until Aug. 27, shoppers at the department store will be asked if they want to round up to the next whole dollar. If they do, the difference will be given to the Lake County YMCA as part of the Pennies From Heaven fundraiser.

“With budget cuts in education, there’s never been a more important time to support after-school programs as a valuable community resource that helps to bridge the education gap,” said Lake County YCMA CEO Dick Bennett in a statement. “As local families prepare for the back-to-school season, we hope they will keep the YMCA’s mission in mind so that the social and academic opportunities we provide after school will continue to be available to local students.”

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The local chapter of the YMCA is just one of the 1,100 organizations that will benefit from the Pennies From Heaven campaign.

Thus far, more than $11 million has been raised for after-school programming.

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“After-school programming at the Y provides children and teens with a safe and nurturing environment around caring adult role models,” Bennett said. “Y programming combines play with academics and enriches children who attend through arts, music, physical education, sports and nutrition.”

JC Penney will also collect shoppers’ change from Oct. 12 to 25 and Nov. 30 to Dec. 12 for philanthropic causes.

For more information about the Lake County YMCA and its after-school offerings, visit http://www.lakecountyymca.org.


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