Southmountain receives over $10K in Grants from the Ronald McDonald House
The agency has received a big boost to our National Youth Project Using Mini-Bikes (NYPUM) from the Ronald McDonald House through two separate grants. Ronald McDonald House Charities of North Carolina, Inc. has granted the agency $5,193 and Global Ronald McDonald House Charities granted $5,192 for a combined $10,385 in aid for the program.
NYPUM is a national character education program that uses mini-bike activities as rewards for teens that meet individual character goals. Teenagers living in the Foster Care Community near Nebo participate in the program. The Honda Motor Company, Inc. provides the mini-bikes, and Southmountain created trails on their campus in Nebo, North Carolina for the teens to ride. The grant will pay for one year of operational costs to continue the program for the upcoming year.
While some children are not interested in traditional sports and don’t respond to other types of services; outdoor activities and the chance to experience off-road motorcycle riding is very exciting to them. Integral to NYPUM’s design is a mentoring component that guides and supports youth to make good decisions. The goal is to provide a service that promotes youth development in order to impact youth in a variety of areas of personal development including regular school attendance; environmental awareness; community involvement; safe riding skills; and responsible citizenship. NYPUM offers youth the opportunity to develop self-esteem, values for daily living, and a sense of belonging using mini-bikes as a motivational tool.
