ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - The City of Albany and several community organizations are working to ensure kids have a safe and educational summer.

On May 27, 2026, the United Way presented checks to Dougherty County non-profits in the Summer Collective program.

The Summer Collective was created in response to Albany State University canceling its National Youth Sports program (NYSP) in favor of free summer camps for high school students. The NYSP program was estimated to reach 500 students according to city leaders.

To support those students and expand access to summer programs, Albany allocated $350,000 to the Summer Collective program in partnership with the United Way.

The summer collective is a group of 19 Dougherty County nonprofit organizations that are getting various amounts of funding to expand summer educational and sports programs.

On May 27, 2026, the Greater Faith and Deliverance Ministry was given $10,000 for its summer programs. Senior pastor Vincent Charles said this funding is a blessing to his operation.

Charles said, “The Albany Summer Collective is a blessing as we come together. All 19 programs are working very diligently to meet the needs of all our students this summer.”

The Greater Faith and Deliverance Ministry plans to expand its reading, math, and Social-emotional learning programs with the new funding. To learn more about the ministry’s summer programs, click here.

To learn more about the Summer Collective and how you can register, click here.

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