Volunteer Recognition
Our Volunteers are Priceless
Do you have a special skill or talent that you would like to share with us? The YMCA of Summit is always looking to provide fun and entertaining opportunities to enhance our member’s experience.
At the Summit Area YMCA we value the time and care given by our dedicated volunteers. Each month we select a recipient to receive a Volunteer of the Month Award and highlight this individual on our Volunteer Wall or Recognition as well as host events during National Volunteer Week. We dedicate this page to recognizing all that you do.
The Summit YMCA is successful due to the contributions of our wonderful volunteers. These volunteers exemplify YMCA core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility. We are blessed and honored to have such dedicated volunteers as part of our YMCA family.
DOWNLOAD a volunteer application form
Volunteer of the Month, Berkeley Heights YMCA, Charlotte Jakub
When we asked Charlotte why she volunteers, she said," I wanted to volunteer in some capacity because I had time to give. I came across this opportunity on the “Y” website and knew that reading to preschoolers would be fun and rewarding”. I enjoy giving back to the community. The honesty and open hearts of young children is a gift to observe and be connected to even if it’s only for a few days a week.Thank you for your commitment of service! Berkeley Heights Branch
Volunteer of the Month, Summit YMCA - Jacob Choi - Jacob is well-regarded for his outstanding dedication to the Summit YMCA Aquatics department. We are fortunate to have Jacob volunteering within our department for the two years now, during which he has become an important member of our staff. His consistency, hard work, and modesty are traits admired by everyone. We welcome Jacob for his commitment and thank him for his contribution to the aquatics program and our Y!
Here is Jacob’s Y story: My name is Jacob Choi and I will be turning 17 this November and will begin my junior of high school. I live in Short Hills; enjoy playing the clarinet, reading, swimming and lifeguarding of course. One day I’m looking to become a journalist or a lawyer. I heard about volunteering at the Y from my brother who also volunteered when he was in high school. When he told me about it, I thought it would be a fun experience for me as well. I have been volunteering at the YMCA for two years now and what I most enjoy about volunteering is that I have a sense of responsibility and I get to work with a whole team of people who have a duty to help others and their community. It’s also perfect for what I love doing most: swimming! My experience at the Y has been very rewarding.
Volunteer of the Month, Summit YMCA - Mary Koutoudis
Mary first volunteered in December 2011 and immediately became an integral part of the Members Services team. She chose the Y because she wanted to become more involved with an organization that had respect for people of all backgrounds and cultures, and the Y’s reputation and integrity brought her to the Summit Y.
“The YMCA lets people know they have a place to go and that they can become part of a family and community. At the Y, people care for and root for each other to succeed and I like that positive attitude. Volunteering at the Y enables me to help someone by lifting their spirits and letting them know they are at a place where they’ll feel important and at home.”
Mary’s connection to the Y comes from my dad who grew up in Newark, and is now 83. When he was young and when he and his buddies were out of school in the summer, they would walk all the way to Summit and pay a quarter to use the Y. “Back then, there weren’t highways to cross- just a lot of fields” she says with a laugh.
Volunteers like Mary are the lifeblood of non-profit organizations like the Y. Recently a member commented on Mary’s presence and the impact she has on those around her “She’s sunshine and a gentle breeze rippling through the flowers, a true delight!”
Volunteer of the Month, Summit YMCA- Kairas Mistry
“I’ve thought about teaching ESL for many years. When the Y provided an opportunity to volunteer for the ESL program I jumped at the opportunity as I felt it would give me a feel for the subject.
I was not disappointed. The rewards are many. The pleasure of being able to serve my community, even in a small way, is immeasurable. Perhaps, the biggest reward is what you end up learning from your students. To be able to watch an “aha” moment unfold when some new concept has been mastered is truly gratifying. It’s also fascinating to be able to meet and build relationships with people from diverse cultural, linguistic, and economic backgrounds.
Thanks for the opportunity, Summit Area Y!”
Volunteers in Action
Deloitte volunteers help clean up Summer Camp site area in Watchung Reservation.
Volunteers set up LIVESTRONG garden at the Summit YMCA