Picture above Rotarians, the board of the Hunton YMCA, and James Rogers (Deputy City Manager) celebrate the completion of the new kitchen and the Little Readers Library.
A year ago, the Rotary Club of Norfolk provided a small grant to the William A. Hunton YMCA for new cots and blankets for their day care pre-schoolers. When delivering the check, Bill Moore and Carlisle Wroton were moved by the multiple needs of the Hunton Y which serves people in the Tidewater Park neighborhood, one of the most financially challenged in the City of Norfolk.
Spurred by the need, discussions revealed the need for a new kitchen. At the time, the Hunton Y did not have the ability to provide for cold storage or an ice maker. This meant that Chef Paul had to shop one or two times a day to for food to feed 160 pre-schoolers daily during the school year. During the summer, Chef Paul feeds 300 Hunton Y participants daily. The Hunton Y also did not have ice making capabilities which required the Hunton Y to have to make runs to the closest convenience or grocery store for ice.
Energized, Bill Moore and Carlisle Wroton developed a plan to provide a new kitchen for the Hunton Y. Four other Rotary Clubs (Chesapeake, Norfolk-Sunrise, Hampton Roads, and Virginia Beach Town Center) joined in and obtained a District 7600 grant of $25,000. With these funds, contributions from the five Rotary Clubs plus other Rotarian contributions, the plan was implemented.
Architect and Rotarian Jeff Wells led the design of the new kitchen and a separate room to contain both a walk-in chiller and a walk-in cooler. Today, Chef Paul needs to purchase only twice a week. An ice maker has eliminated the need for trips to a convenience store.
The Miracle on Charlotte Street continued with a Little Reader Library. Led by club members Marty Raiss, Ann Baldwin, Diane Wallach and Jeff Wells, Norfolk Rotarians painted walls, laid new carpeting, and assembled shelving for the Little Readers Library. Youth Associate Jennifer Gibson from the Van Wyck Library was instrumental in helping to design the Little Readers Library and supplying books from the Van Wyck donations and discards. She also coordinated the contribution by the Youth Services Department of furniture for the Little Reader Room--table, wooden chairs, book bins, and rocking chairs. Rotarians jumped in and provided more books for the library for children aged 3 to 8.
The new kitchen and the Little Readers Library ribbon cutting occurred on March 9. Representatives from the various Rotary Clubs, the board for the William A. Hunton YMCA, James Rogers (Norfolk Deputy City Manager for Neighborhood Development) gathered for the “ribbon cutting.” While there wasn’t a ribbon cut, there was a blessing by Rev. Jim Sell of the various spaces and the people who either work at or use the Hunton YMCA. It was a joyous celebration which is reflected on the smiles of those who attended.