Wahlburgers food truck will distributed grab ‘n go burgers boxes to YMCA staff, residents, and families.
Chef Paul Wahlberg rolled up in his food truck to the Lynn YMCA to serve his famous Wahlburgers to YMCA staff, residents, and families in need of food assistance. Wahlburgers food truck has been seen at various locations serving free meals to frontline workers during the COVID-19 emergency. The Lynn YMCA has provided essential services in the Greater Lynn region during the crisis by collecting diapers and infant supplies, sheltering the homeless, and serving meals to hungry kids and families.
“For the past 11 weeks, the Lynn YMCA has worked tirelessly with our colleagues in the Metro North and North Shore areas to respond to the emerging needs in our community during this crisis. We are doing everything we can to be a positive regional resource and partner where we are most needed,” says Andrea Baez, Senior Branch Director, Lynn YMCA. “Paul Wahlberg is a supporter of YMCA work throughout the state and I am thrilled he will be visiting Lynn, to not only say thank you to our team, but provide Lynn residents with a hot lunch. We have been serving grab ‘n go meals to our families for two months, so it’s nice to take a break, and let Paul do the cooking for a change.”
The Lynn YMCA first partnered with Chef Paul in 2019 when he his charity Alma Cares, Inc. provided Thanksgiving turkey boxes. During the COVID-19 crisis in 2020, the Lynn YMCA and its association the YMCA of Metro North have partnered with other organizations like Tufts Health Plan, Shaw’s Supermarkets, Lynn Shelter Association, and the Salvation Army to provide a assistance to people by collecting 26,000 diapers to distribute to families, serving 4,500 meals to hungry children, turning one of its floors into a nightly homeless shelter, and hosting blood drives with the Red Cross.
“The Y has a long history of stepping in to help when are communities are in crisis. At the start of 2020, the Lynn YMCA just began to celebrate its 150th year in operation and were making plans to open our new building. We couldn’t have imagined then what was in store for our sesquicentennial year,” explains Kathleen Walsh, President and CEO of the YMCA of Metro North. “People like Chef Paul, and all of our members, supporters, and community partners, have kept us positive and motivated to continue providing these needed services. Our 150th birthday celebration will just have to wait, until we can mark the occasion properly.”
The YMCA of Metro North continues construction on a new Lynn YMCA building that was slated to open in the fall. The building will be a 70,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility including a family aquatic center, gymnasium, locker rooms, an indoor track, fitness studios, family adventure center and child watch area. The existing building will be transformed into a new youth and teen center dedicated to enriching the lives of our young people. The construction and opening dates will be announced in the early fall.