Kids are growing up with Coombs!

Ready, Set, Grow!

With summer in our rearview mirror, I’ve been reflecting about the time I've spent outside and feeling fortunate to have these opportunities, especially during COVID. Jumping on my bike, going for a hike, or getting on the water are all ways that I decompress, relieve stress, and find motivation, and it isn’t lost on me that not everyone in Jackson has access to these benefits. Everyone in our community, specifically our local youth, should be able to feel the inherent joy and rewards that outdoor recreation provides to people like you and me.

Coombs Outdoors has grown significantly over the past few years all with the goal of leveraging outdoor programming to help our local youth build a sense of community and belonging, develop confidence and a sense of self-worth, and increase mental health and emotional intelligence. Some of our proudest moments and biggest highlights of the past year include:

  • Serving more than 300 local youth in year-round programs

  • Providing 50+ kids with a safe, screen-free space for after school study halls and mentoring during virtual learning

  • Launching the EMPOWER Internship program, providing 14 high schoolers with job prep and professional training and placed in summer internships at local businesses and nonprofits

  • Programming and coordinating three weeks of summer camp each for 160+ middle and elementary schoolers

  • Teaching 200+ kids to ski and snowboard at Snow King

  • Mentoring 70 middle and high schoolers in the PowderPal ski program at JHMR

  • Hiring 3 former Coombs participants as Camp Instructors for our ACTIVATE summer camps

  • Recruiting 1 new Executive Director and securing a year-round program staff of 6

  • Raising $1 Million in Annual Revenue for the first time in the organization’s history

  • Sharing countless laughs, encouragement, proud moments, and adventures

During the pandemic, Coombs ramped up programs and services to a portion of our community that needed it most. We saw the benefits to our kids and their families, which are backed up by this 2021 study from the International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health titled "Outdoor Activity Participation Improves Adolescents Mental Health and Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic." Thanks to generous donors like you, we have been able to increase our impact and fill an important gap in services. I am so proud of what this organization has accomplished and we are excited to keep growing and expanding. 

I hope that you will join me in celebrating our successes by considering a gift to support Coombs Outdoors through Old Bills Fun Run. 
 

- Jenny Wolfrom Holladay
Executive Director, Coombs Outdoors

Ryan Stolp