Jackson Free Press

There's not much going on in Jackson that I don't know about. I try to stay up to speed on all of the good things that the city has to offer, but occasionally, I'll run across something that really sparks my interest. It might be something that I never knew about at all. And of course, when I'm turned on to great things, I want to pass that good news on.

Most recently, I joined the board for the downtown YMCA. Now you may be saying to yourself, "That's no big deal." Everyone knows about the YMCA, right? It's the place we go to work out, lose weight and maybe take a swim.

What a lot of people don't know is that the YMCA provides so much more. I was impressed when I went to check out the downtown facility. I thought it would be just a place with exercise and weight machines. My visit ended up being an experience that changed my perception of the YMCA forever.

The facilities are truly family friendly. The "Y" has grown to include child care, camps for special-needs kids, child-abuse prevention services, job training and even supervised visitation services. The YMCA even has specialized programs for kids and seniors.

And here I thought that it was just a place to pump iron and shoot baskets with a few friends.

What stood out to me most on my tour was what I learned next: The YMCA developed a "Safe Haven" program that provides a resource for children and adult victims of domestic violence. And it's located right in the downtown area. But I can't forget about the Farish Street YMCA, which is still near and dear to me because of my connection to the area. I know how vital that lifeline is to the people of that area.

The YMCA has the same challenge of other non-profit organizations—specifically, money—finding the funding to keep its many great programs afloat. The "Y" survives on grants and what we can give.

Recently, I thought of a good way you guys can help. My good buddies Jeff Good and Dan Blumenthal over at Sal & Mookie's (565 Taylor St., 601-368-1919) were gracious enough to name one of their new signature pizzas in my honor. The Franklin Street is the latest menu item available to Jacksonians. It includes ground turkey, creamed spinach, artichoke spread, mozzarella, sharp yellow cheddar, tomatoes and creole seasoning.

But here's the important part: During October and November, when you purchase a Franklin Street pizza at Sal & Mookie's, you'll automatically donate $2 to both the downtown and Farish Street YMCAs. That's a couple of bucks that can add up to help maintain some of those great programs I mentioned earlier.

In my humble opinion, anything to help our kids and seniors is a good thing. So round up your family and your appetite, and head down to Sal & Mookie's. Order the Franklin Street, and join in a delicious way to give back to our community.

And that's the truth ... shonuff.

Previous Comments

ID

165278

Comment

Folks, the response has been GREAT so far. Remember, youve got until the end of November. If you havent PLEASE go by Sal and Mookies and get you a "Franklin Street" Pizza and lets drum up some "dough"..(dough..Pizza..get it? lol) for the Downtown and Farish St. YMCA's. If any of you are interested in a tour of the facilities let me know. Thx

Author

Kamikaze

Date

2011-10-27T11:09:48-06:00