Somerset County Young Mens Christian Association Inc

Programs: For healthy living: improving the health and well-being of our communities 'we believe every child should learn to swim and to be safe around water. ' - aquatics we believe every child should learn to swim as an important life skill. In 2017, over 3,000 children attended swim instruction classes. The y not only teaches people of all ages how to swim, but also offers classes to enhance enjoyment of the water such as safety skills, recreational swimming and water exercise. Area schools, houses of worship and other nonprofits use our aquatic facilities for instructional, recreational and therapeutic purposes. Additionally, over 160 children learned water safety through programs like swim school that teaches preschool children how to swim in a small class setting with more individualized attention, and our safety around water program which is offered free to young children who are not swimmers. Our ymcas also offer aquatics classes and programs for individuals with special needs, including stars (sharing therapy and realizing self strengths), special olympics, and saturdays in motion, a recreational program for children with autism, as well as the pals and buddies program, which teaches pre-school children with autism to swim. These mission-driven programs demonstrate the y's commitment to nurturing and safeguarding all of the children and young adults in our community. 'we believe in motivating wellness to help everyone lead a healthier life. ' - health and fitness our ymcas offer members an opportunity to enjoy and participate in a community that is based on the development of healthy behaviors and relationships. In 2017, over 26,000 people were involved at the y, pursuing healthy activities and lifestyles, which contribute to lowering the incidence of chronic disease in our community. Our ymcas have joined an unprecedented national mobilization effort to combat rising levels of obesity, especially among our youth. Collaborations with some local schools have paved the way for our staff to integrate our programs into the schools' physical education and field days. Children in our child care programs participate in the healthy u curriculum and enjoy healthy snacks, as well as 30 minutes of vigorous activity each day. The y's wellness program geared towards young people includes youth wellness orientations, sports, and yoga. Additionally, we offer group exercise classes after school that are specifically designed for children ages 7 - 12 to make fitness fun and encourage healthy habits at a young age. We are committed to offering noteworthy wellness programs focused on chronic disease. Among them is enhancefitness, an evidence-based program for arthritis patients to help them maintain their flexibility, mobility and balance. Livestrong at the ymca supports cancer patients and survivors by helping them to regain their health. This 12-week recovery program is offered free to all members of the community thanks to funds raised through the y's annual campaign. The program provides cancer survivors with a place to go to build strength while gaining camaraderie and hope. Swim, inc. Is a free water-exercise program for individuals unable to exercise on dry land due to muscular impairment. Additionally, we offer delay the disease, a fitness program designed to empower those living with parkinson's disease by helping delay the progression of symptoms and successfully manage the disease and improve their quality of life. In 2017, the delay the disease program was expanded, based on growth in enrollment, to offer more classes for varying levels of abilities. Our beginner fitness (b. Fit) program, which minimizes the inertia of starting a fitness regimen, continues to remain popular. In this program, 140 adults received guidance from wellness coaches to help each participant establish a personalized fitness routine, to ensure proper use of equipment, and to encourage personal goals on their road to wellness. In 2017, the program was expanded to include options for families to participate together. With a focus on fitness and camaraderie, we offer programs that encourage adults to enjoy healthy, athletic competition. Our running clubs and adult sports leagues drew 106 participants who met weekly as a group to build strength, endurance and friendships. In its second year, our u. S. Masters swim team grew to 180 swimmers who challenged themselves and their teammates to reach their full potential while training together weekly. As a team, they competed in regional swim meets with great success. Additionally, the y's nutrition programs inspired nearly 1,000 children and adults to make better choices for healthier diets and healthier lives in 2017. 'we believe in the value of play to nurture the potential of children. ' - sports and recreation from classes to recreational leagues, clubs to competitive teams, our ymcas offer a wide variety of sports and recreation activities. Programs, focused on promoting strength and athleticism, are also designed to develop a child's mind by instilling positive values like teamwork, honesty, and fair play. We offer programs for all ages, interests and abilities, which aim to teach skills that are the foundation for future success. In 2017, nearly 1,100 children gained the benefits of exercise and sportsmanship in our sports programs and over 770 in our swim team programs. As part of our sports initiative, our staff has integrated its services with some local schools as a complement to the physical education programs. Additionally, we provide active programming for local schools' field days, and intramural sport programming for youth not participating in school athletics. 'we believe values and skills learned early are vital building blocks for quality of life. ' - arts and humanities (including gymnastics) the arts teach children to make good judgments about qualitative relationships. Unlike many other curricula where correct answers and rules prevail, the focus in the arts is on judgment rather than rules. Our ymcas offer programs for creative expression for all ages and abilities, such as reading and discussion groups, literary, performing, and visual arts, plus music and crafts. Our gymnastics, dance, music, performing arts and fine arts programs remain robust with over 1,800 children enrolled. Through our gymnastics team, boys and girls alike learn critical life skills such as setting goals and the value of hard work while they have the opportunity to express themselves creatively through their performances. Our dance classes and dance team continue to be strong with six dance teams that participate in several competitions throughout the year. In 2017, enrollment grew in our performing arts classes that teach the children stage presence and self-confidence. Additionally, we continue to respond to the growing interest for creative expression by working in collaboration with other arts organizations and area school districts to supplement and enhance existing programs. For the tenth year, we collaborated with the lucia bocchino foundation to host an art exhibit and contest that inspires children and teens to explore the medium of art by expressing their appreciation of female role models in their lives.

for youth development: nurturing the potential of every child and teen 'we believe every child deserves a chance to learn and thrive throughout the year and to have a summer camp experience. ' - child care and summer camp of the many ways in which children are engaged at the y, infant through school-age care (ages 3 months through 11 years) is one of our largest program areas. More than 280 children are enrolled in our state licensed full-day child care and early education centers located in three of our branches: hillsborough ymca, somerset hills ymca and somerville ymca. In addition, our school-aged programs last year served over 685 children in partnership with eight area school districts. Over $376,000 in financial assistance was provided to families in need of quality child care services in 2017. Over the course of the summer, over 1,600 children and teens participate in a wide array (more than 100 types) of summer camps, with nearly $227,000 in financial assistance given to 215 campers in 2017. To continue to expand children's horizons and inspire new interests, we introduced new camp options such as cooking, jewelry making, competitive basketball, future leaders, scientific myths and several more. Additionally, our camps offer many outdoor activities including adventure programs, archery, specialty camps, outdoor education and gardening. 'we believe in the potential of teens. ' - youth and teen development a growing number of pre-teens and teens benefit from programs such as service learning projects, teen social activities, as well as myriad of collaborative programs with area schools and other service providers. Building on the success of a popular program for young teens, our initiative to offer free memberships to all 7th graders of schools in our service area expanded to over 1650 students registered in 2017. Seventh grade can be a critical time when adolescents are faced with opportunities to experiment with risk behaviors. The y's program addresses that challenge in our community by providing opportunities for teens to cultivate values, skills and relationships that lead to positive behaviors, better health and educational achievement. The free memberships allow 7th graders to get together in a safe environment and participate in wholesome activities that encourage healthy living at a young age. Additionally, our friday night recreation programs for 6th, 7th and 8th grade students offer students a sense of independence and a chance to be with their friends while under the watchful care of y staff. Over the course of 2017, over 400 teens attended the friday night recreation events. Over the summer months, over 100 teens gained leadership skills in our counselor in training summer camp programs. Additionally, hundreds of teens volunteered on various projects in all aspects of the y. To inspire teens to be global citizens, in 2017 we launched a civic engagement program for teens to gain real-life leadership experience and affect positive change. Model un was launched with 17 teen members. The program allowed students to learn by example how the united nations operates and its role in peacekeeping and humanitarian work. In this student-led program, the participants gained a global perspective through collaboration, cultural understanding and problem-solving. Additionally, we launched the youth and government program in which students learned about civic engagement and responsibility through hands-on experience. In april, a delegation of six teens from somerset county ymca successfully drafted and presented four bills before the new jersey youth and government junior legislature assembly at a state-wide conference held in trenton. 'we believe that a connected family is a health family. '- family strengthening parent-child programs and family activities all contribute toward strengthening the bonds between parents and their children. In 2017, over 1000 parents and their children participated in our adventure guides, one of our most popular family programs, designed for parents and children to share precious quality time. They enjoyed campouts and local activities, which provided wonderful opportunities to bond together away from everyday stresses. Our volunteer-led saturdays in motion program, in its 26th year, is the longest running, non-public recreational program for children with autism in the country. Autism spectrum disorder is 51% more prevalent in new jersey than nationally. Saturdays in motion is designed to allow teen volunteers to work and play, one-on-one, with children who are on the autism spectrum. Held twice monthly on saturdays, the program consists of an hour of recreation in the gym and an additional hour of fun in the pools. Through this transformative program, the children with autism have fun playing and making friends, while the teen volunteers gain leadership skills and the parents enjoy caregiving respite. In 2017, the program connected the lives of over 200 teen volunteers and children with special needs. Additionally, we offered friday family fitness nights to encourage families to have fun while engaging together in a healthy activity. With video games and technology devices becoming ubiquitous, children are spending more time "plugged-in" than they are exploring the world around them. Our family programs allow children to "connect" more with their families resulting in stronger relationships and life-long benefits.

for social responsibility: giving back and providing support to our neighbors 'we believe everyone should have the opportunity to be a part of the y. ' - adult development our ymcas have programs for adults of all ages. Programs include wellness opportunities, financial development, continuing education, volunteerism, and career and job-transition forums. We support adults with free and low-cost programs that address community needs and fill gaps in community services. With reduced membership rates and low-cost 'drop-in' programs intended to keep seniors healthy, our programs for older adults continue to grow. In 2017, over 2,400 individuals participated in programs for older adults who enjoyed water exercise, indoor cycling, strength training and pickle ball, to name a few. Seniors also benefit from social activities to help them feel connected to their community and engage their minds as they have fun. Social activities for active older adults at the y include book clubs, knitting, games, and presentations on interesting topics such health, nutrition and more. The y also collaborates with other community organizations to further benefit seniors. The partnerships offer presentations on relevant topics such as health and well-being, nutrition, exercise, memory health and more. In an effort to bring wellness to as many seniors as possible, we extend our services to the adult day care center of somerset county in the form of free group exercise classes to help participants remain healthy and active. Career forum, a free, volunteer-led program that is open to everyone in the community, provides valuable skills and support to individuals in job transition. This program remained a vital resource in the community during 2017 with over 600 attendees, which amounts to 5% of unemployed individuals in somerset county, who learned more about the job hunt process, interviewing and networking to help advance their job searches. 'we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. ' - programs for individuals with disabilities and for financially insecure families in 2017, our ymcas offered 12 programs for individuals with special needs. The programs include aqua stars, special olympics, saturdays in motion, music and movement, and achievers, to name a few. All of these mission-driven programs are designed for individuals and families with special needs and demonstrate the y's commitment to ensuring everyone in the community has a chance to learn, grow and thrive. Toward that goal, our ymcas employ seven staff members with disabilities. They all thrive in the y's nurturing, inclusive environment and personify the y's mission in action. Our ymcas support and enhance the lives of our neighbors with special needs by working with other non-profits, as well as public and private institutions such as bethel ridge, special olympics, our house, inc. , hope autism, montgomery school and school districts. To support adults with special needs, we offer the achievers program three days a week. Designed for adults with special needs, the program teaches employment skills, such as communications and personal interaction, with an end goal of better preparing the participants for employment and job retention. In 2017, the program had 7 participants. Additionally, through snap (special needs adult program), adults with special needs have opportunities to participate in recreational activities such as swim lessons, arts, music classes and monthly social events. Carousel kids, a one-week, camp-like program for children with special needs, primarily autism, continued with 14 children who enjoyed two separate weeks of the program in august. Additionally, 24 children with special needs participated in our inclusion program for summer day camp. Last year, we maintained existing programs that are designed for individuals with physical and/or developmental disabilities. S. W. I. M. , inc. Continued to grow and invited participants with muscular impairment who are unable to exercise on dry land to enjoy the water. In 2017, we also partnered with the interfaith hospitality network (ihn), which is a nonprofit that supports homeless families in somerset county. Through the partnership, the y provided child care at no cost to the children of the parents participating in the ihn program allowing them the time and opportunity to seek employment during the day, and know that their children were safe and learning at the y. 'we believe that lasting personal and social change can only come about when we work together' -trainings, community support & volunteerism somerset county ymca supports improving the safety of all residents in the community through training initiatives. Over the course of the year, we had over 400 individuals participate in trainings that included first aid, cpr, babysitting and lifeguarding. In the fall of 2017, somerset county ymca in collaboration with the horizon foundation for new jersey and partnership for a drug-free new jersey, introduced a new initiative designed to encourage and support parents in having meaningful and effective conversations with their children to prevent drug use. The initiative, focused on the national night of conversation, included information regarding substance abuse, tools such as conversation starters, and resources in which families could obtain additional information and counsel. To further support the initiative, somerset county ymca worked in partnership with hillsborough township, hillsborough board of education and other community organizations to host a night of conversation to facilitate meaningful dialogue between parents and their children. Over 150 members of the community attended the event. The y's collaborations with like-minded organizations provide enhanced benefits to the community. In 2017, we partnered with many non-profit and government organizations including bethel ridge, inc. , our house, inc. , veterans administration, interfaith hospitality network, and rotary club among others. We also provided free use of our facility to a wide variety of community-based organizations such as schools, police and fire departments, houses of worship, business and service organizations, youth sport organizations and other not-for-profits for meetings, educational presentations, special events and recreation. One example is our partnership with montgomery academy, which is a school for children, ages 5 - 21, who experience social, emotional and educational challenges. Since they do not have space at their school for physical education, the y offers weekly use our gymnasium and pools to the teachers and students so they can include physical education as part of their curriculum. In 2017, the y was fortunate to receive the assistance of over 900 volunteers who gave their time and talent to our ymcas for a total of 28,000 hours. At an estimated worth of $24. 14 for each hour of service they provide, their volunteer contributions equate to a value of $675,920. The volunteers helped in a variety of ways; from policy to projects, our volunteers are the heart of the y. Of those volunteers, 181 participated in our togetherhood program, which inspires y volunteers to rally around community needs and donate their time and talent to give back to their neighbors. Their efforts provided support of veterans through donations of fresh produce, donations of home goods, and game nights; support of senior citizens through yard work during the fall season; and many initiatives that address additional community needs. In 2017, with a focus on promoting diversity and inclusion, the y's cultural engagement committee volunteers held six events that celebrated a few of the various cultures that make up the fabric of the diverse community served by somerset county ymca. In april, the y celebrated its annual spirit awards at which our wonderful volunteers were recognized for their dedication to the y and the many ways in which they make a difference in their community.