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SUMMIT AREA YMCA

Summit Area YMCA Annual Campaign Kickoff Starts March 1

 


Help Raise Funds for our Local Community

Join the Summit Area YMCA (SAY) during the month of March for our 2022 Annual Campaign! Discover what a gift it is to give and become a part of the SAY’s mission to change lives every day and strengthen the foundations of community.

While membership fees cover operating expenses, our financial assistance program is funded completely by donations to the Annual Campaign, which ensures that the Y can be available to all, regardless of financial circumstance. Our mission at the Y is to provide opportunities for every individual to discover and reach their full potential in a welcoming and supportive environment. To do that, we depend on the generosity of our staff, volunteers, community partners and members, so we may offer financial assistance to those most in need. This year, the Y’s goal is $300,000. These funds go directly back to our community through financial assistance for Y programs and other community resources.

“The Summit Area YMCA has served the community since 1886, and the one constant since has been our commitment to the singular mission that no one will ever be turned away from our programs based on the inability to pay. Our 2022 Annual Campaign helps ensure that we can continue delivering the programs and services so many residents and neighbors need today, especially after the past two years of the pandemic,” said Paul Kieltyka, President & CEO at the Summit Area YMCA. “We are extremely grateful to our thousands of donors and volunteers who allow us to provide important programs such as the Family Packs program to alleviate food insecurity, Achievers college prep for teens, Livestrong® at the YMCA for cancer survivors, Learn to Swim for youth and countless other programs offered for free to help enrich the lives of our community members.”

 

 

Last year alone, the SAY provided $722,460 in financial assistance to 977 local families. We continue to fight food insecurity by providing more than 3,966 bags of food annually to underserved families in Springfield and Summit through our Family Packs program, a partnership with the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. We countered social isolation through a variety of programs, including our record-breaking summer, where we enriched lives of more than 600 children through camp. We helped bridge academic and economic gaps by mentoring 102 high school students in the Achievers program, many of whom aspire to be first-generation college students.

When you support the Y’s Annual Campaign, you are supporting local community members and helping transform their lives for the better. From strengthening cancer survivors’ recovery efforts through our free Livestrong® at the YMCA program, preparing teens for college, providing our youth with volunteering opportunities, free tutoring services for elementary and middle school students, providing childcare for essential workers, and more—your gift is giving someone access to programs and services that will help them learn, grow and thrive.

 

 

“Everything is constantly changing in the world around us. Families are finding it harder to make ends meet, seniors are struggling with socialization, and children are going to school hungry” explains Tiffany Escott, Director Mission Development and Advancement at the SAY. “The more donations we receive, the more we can do for others. The Y is always here to help and with your support as a donor, we can continue to expand our mission and strength the foundations of our community.”

 

 

This year, the SAY is working to expand its offerings for those with special needs by providing a safe environment for youth and adults with diverse abilities on a daily basis through our partnership with Our House.

To take your donations even further, in 2022 we are extending our youth programs by providing free opportunities for young children to learn how to swim in our pools.

 

 

Research shows that more than half of children in elementary school do not learn how to swim, increasing their risk of drowning in the future. Unfortunately, not all families have access to a pool or can afford swim lessons to ensure their child learns about water safety. Swimming is one of the most important life-saving skills that children and adults should master. Whether for fun or for exercise, swimming will serve them well for the rest of their lives, and it’s never too early to start learning.

As an organization whose sole purpose is giving back to the community, the Y continues to adapt and find new ways to create sustainable programs that help its neighbors put food on the table for their families.

 

 

The Summit ACHIEVE Community Garden not only gathers dozens of residents and volunteers to grow healthy and organic vegetables, fruits and herbs, but each week, fresh produce is donated to the Saint Teresa Food Pantry and GRACE Food Pantry.

Thus far in 2022, we have already raised over $152,000. $45,000 of this is from our very own Y staff who are so passionate about their community, they donate a portion of their salaries back to the Y’s mission. Through their daily work, our staff continues to serve others through health and wellness programs, youth enrichment opportunities, and fostering a sense of social responsibility in all.

We’re so thankful to those who help enrich the lives of our community through their investments in the Y with gifts to our Annual Campaign. Food for neighbors in need. Safe spaces for kids to learn and grow. Outreach to seniors who are feeling isolated. These are just a few of the many reasons to give to the Y. Find your reason to give by helping others through the Y’s Annual Campaign.

Donate today at www.thesay.org/give22.

GIVE

 


SUMMIT AREA YMCA

BERKELEY HEIGHTS YMCA | SUMMIT YMCA | THE LEARNING CIRCLE YMCA

In 1886, we were founded as the Young Men’s Christian Association, but today, we are The Y. An association that values, and is made stronger by, its diverse people. We stand for youth development, healthy living and social responsibility — For a better us. We are committed to creating equal opportunity for all regardless of gender, age, disability, income, ethnicity, sexual orientation or religious affiliation. We strive to create a welcoming and inclusive culture in which our four core values — responsibility, honesty, caring and respect — are integral to everyday operations.

Each year, as one of the area’s leading 501(c)3 charitable organizations, the Summit Area YMCA serves more than 15,000 individuals with our free and fee-based programs and services in an area spanning the New Jersey communities of Berkeley Heights, Gillette, Millburn, New Providence, Short Hills, Springfield, Stirling and Summit. Our history is rooted in working side-by-side with our neighbors to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. Through the generosity of our members, donors, and partners, we are able to offer financial assistance for our programs and services to those in need.


YMCA NEWS

SUMMIT AREA YMCA

BERKELEY HEIGHTS YMCA | SUMMIT YMCA | THE LEARNING CIRCLE YMCA

In 1886, we were founded as the Young Men’s Christian Association, but today, we are The Y; an association that values, and is made stronger by, its diverse people. We stand for youth development, healthy living and social responsibility — For a better us. We are committed to creating equal opportunity for all regardless of gender, age, disability, income, ethnicity, sexual orientation or religious affiliation. We strive to create a welcoming and inclusive culture in which our four core values — responsibility, honesty, caring and respect — are integral to everyday operations.

Each year, as one of the area’s leading 501(c)3 charitable organizations, the Summit Area YMCA serves more than 15,000 individuals with our free and fee-based programs and services in an area spanning the New Jersey communities of Berkeley Heights, Gillette, Millburn, New Providence, Short Hills, Springfield, Stirling and Summit. Our history is rooted in working side-by-side with our neighbors to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. Through the generosity of our members, donors, and partners, we are able to offer financial assistance for our programs and services to those in need.

Please note that the Hurst Pool at the Summit YMCA will be closed on Sunday, March 31, 2024 and will reopen on Monday, April 8, 2024 due to regularly scheduled maintenance. Group Ex Pro will reflect amended aquatics schedules.