$25,000 Grant Used For Maintenance And Improvements At ASYMCA Facility
August 25, 2022 – The Charlotte Hornets Foundation announced today that its annual Military Grant has helped the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) Fort Bragg complete an extensive Branch Improvement Project. The $25,000 donation, which was announced last fall by Hornets Sports & Entertainment Executive Vice President & COO and Charlotte Hornets Foundation President James R. Jordan – a retired Command Sergeant Major who was stationed at Fort Bragg from 1993-2006 – was used to complete significant maintenance and improvement items at the ASYMCA, including replacing exterior siding, painting the building’s exterior and metal awnings, interior flooring, office and educational furnishings, food pantry commercial refrigeration and more.
“As a veteran who was stationed at Fort Bragg and continues to call Fayetteville home, I am very familiar with the ASYMCA and am glad that our organization has the ability to assist with these important needs,” said Jordan. “The improvements that have been made because of this grant are incredible and will hopefully help the ASYMCA continue to support the Fort Bragg community for years to come.”
As one of only three nonprofit organizations authorized to operate on a military installation, the ASYMCA Fort Bragg offers programming and opportunities in support of the unique circumstances associated with military life. The ASYMCA provides no- to low-cost assistance including an on-site food pantry, newborn-necessity bundles, childcare, educational programs for children ages 18 months to school-aged, deployment support and more. In 2020 alone, the ASYMCA Fort Bragg provided families with over 36,000 pounds of food, no-cost educational support, 60 deployment quilts and over 800 baby bundles, and the organization is forecasting 100 percent increases in food pantry distribution and educational program participation as social-distancing restrictions are lifted.
“We greatly appreciate the Charlotte Hornets Foundation supporting our organization,” said ASYMCA Fort Bragg Executive Director Jeremy Hester. “As the needs of our community grew during the pandemic, limitations forced us to halt maintenance and improvements to our facility. This grant has allowed us to make needed repairs and upgrades to better serve Fort Bragg’s thousands of military families.”
In November 2021, the Hornets and the ASYMCA Fort Bragg also partnered to launch Operation Hornet, a new initiative designed to support students enrolled in the ASYMCA’s Operation Hero – a free after school program for military children that is designed to address the unique challenges they face, such as frequent moves and deployments.