It’s an answer to her prayers.

Every time I call Yasmin McKinney, director of the YMCA, to let her know we have a donation for the Claude C. Brown YMCA, it is always at the time times when she needs the help most.

Last time we made a donation from our aluminum can collection drive, we gave enough money to pay for a charter bus for the children from the Brown YMCA to take a day trip to the Boys and Girls Club in Meridian, Miss. With the remaining money, McKinney purchased more school supplies to pass out to children in early August.

Now, thanks to a generous donation from the Student Government Association at John T. Morgan Academy, we presented McKinney with another installment of our can collection. Morgan students visited the Times-Journal office this week and gave McKinney a check for $300.

McKinney said the money will purchase food from the Selma Food Bank and will be prepared for the Kids’ Café meals once a week at the Brown YMCA. Children can visit for a free, freshly cooked meal, and McKinney said more children attend the meals near the end of the month. The donation from Morgan will ease the grocery bill, providing enough funds to buy about 900 pounds of food.

Although McKinney hugs me and thanks me for the monetary help the can drive has provided the Brown YMCA, I cannot take the credit. I am merely the idea, but you, Selma, have enabled this drive to make an impact in the lives of the children in our community.

At two cents a can, I can only collect so many cans by myself, but thanks to the generous donations from the community, both in cans and cash, we are making a difference in the community and in the lives of those we may never meet.

Our collection drive is not complete yet, and I strongly urge everyone to bring their aluminum cans to the Times-Journal office, 1018 Water Ave., and ask the cans be given to me, Laura Fenton.

We have to make a difference. We have to make a difference ¬– now.

Laura Fenton is the education and general assignment reporter for the Times-Journal. She can be reached at 410-1744 or laura.fenton@selmatimesjournal.com.