YMCA Southcoast N.O.W. Fundraiser at Sunrise Bakery [GALLERY]

The N.O.W Program (through YMCA Southcoast) is responsible for delivering 300 bags of food to two New Bedford schools every week – 100 to Hayden Macfadden Elementary and 200 to Alfred J Gomes School. Each bag contains: 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 vegetables, and 2 snacks. These items are meant for the children to get through the weekend with proper nutrition, as that may not be a possibility otherwise.

The Southcoast YMCA came to Phil with a problem last Friday. They needed a van to help deliver the 300 meals to the schools. So we held a live broadcast at Sunrise Bakery and Coffee Shop in Dartmouth this morning, where the Amaral family agreed to donate 25% of sales to the N.O.W Program. We hoped that the community would respond to the need, but the outcome was so much greater than we'd imagined.

Not only did we raise over $3,000 for the N.O.W Program, but Cottage Street Motors came forward with a donation that tipped the scales - a van! Now that this dire need has been filled, the program can move forward to feed the hungry children of New Bedford and expand their efforts.

Everyone has a role in ending hunger. Help us bag hunger N.O.W.

MONEY - The one thing the Mattapoisett YMCA always needs is financial support. The money to operate N.O.W. (Nutrition on the Weekends) Program must be raised anew every year. We need money to run our operations, and without it we could not assemble orders of nutritious food for local children on the weekends. We could not buy food in bulk, gather food donations, or fuel our trucks.

*Please Click HERE to donate to the YMCA's "12 Days of Giving Project"

FOOD - The Mattapoisett YMCA also needs donations for food distribution for the local children in need. We rely on the generosity of our food donors, including supermarkets, wholesalers, neighbors, friends, and others to donate nutrient-rich, nonperishable food.

TIME - Volunteers are critical to the work we do every day. We depend on volunteers to inspect, sort, and repack reclaimed food and grocery products. Our volunteer base ranges from students to senior citizens and from business professionals to religious organizations. The help that volunteers provide saves the Mattapoisett YMCA thousands in labor costs annually, which makes it possible for us to provide even more for food for those in need.