COMMUNITY NEWS MAKING CONNECTIONS
Each year, Y summer camps, including Summer Rising programs offered in collaboration with NYC Public Schools, offer thousands of children experiences that are both playful and profound. From kindergarteners to middle schoolers, kids take part in games, songs, field trips, and learning experiences that help their minds stay sharp throughout the summer months.
Equally important are the connections campers make – to one another, to trusted camp counselors who serve as healthy role models, and to special guests, such as the elected officials from across the city who took time to connect with campers through reading or chatting about public service. At the Castle Hill Y, campers also bonded with volunteers from Chase Bank over games and s’mores.•
(top) Congress Member Grace Meng receives a warm welcome at the Flushing Y/ (clockwise l to r) Assembly Member Alex Bores makes a friend at the Vanderbilt Y; Council Member Sandra Ung feels at home with campers at the Flushing Y; Council Member Justin Brannan reads with campers at the Coney Island Y; Council Member Kevin Riley shares his love of reading with campers at the Northeast Bronx Y.
r) Assembly Member Emily Gallagher discusses future goals with campers at the Greenpoint Y; Congress Member
(clockwise from top l) Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon chats with campers at the Dodge Y; Chase Bank volunteers bond with campers at the Castle Hill Y; Council Member Linda Lee holds court in the reading nook at the Cross Island Y; Assembly Member Andrew Gounardes (pictured with Dodge Y Executive Director Caroline Sanchez) leaves a camper starstruck at the Dodge Y; Assembly Member Phara Souffrant Forrest visits Counselors In Training (C.I.T.s) at the Bedford-Stuyvesant Y; Assembly Member Deborah J. Glick shares a tale with campers at the McBurney Y.
(l to
Dan Goldman reads with Prospect Park Y campers; State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal talks with campers at the West Side Y.
GETTING OUT THE VOTE
YMCAS INCREASE NONPARTISAN VOTER OUTREACH
Since 2017, the Y has been hosting registration drives for National Voter Registration Day, and engaging in other outreach efforts to help educate and prepare community members to vote. In 2024, the Y has hosted over 80 registration and outreach events, connecting with thousands of community members and registering over 600 voters.
Our partners in these efforts have been Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority (AKA), Brooklyn Board of Elections, Brooklyn NAACP, Brooklyn Voters Alliance, Generation Vote, League of Women Voters, Office of Council Member Christopher Marte, Metropolitan Asian Deaf Association, MinKwon Center for Community Action, NALEO Educational Fund, NYC Votes, Office of Council Member Keith Powers, Queens Board of Elections, Queens Community Justice Center, Staten Island Board of Elections, SuperMarvelous Society, Unite NY, and the Williamsbridge NAACP.
In addition, support from Con Edison and the Y’s Center for Community Impact have helped us to launch a GOTV campaign and roll out a series of fall events across the city to energize voters. These efforts focus on equipping registered voters with information and motivating them to show up to the polls.•
(clockwise from top) Volunteers from the Brooklyn NAACP show up regularly at the Bedford-Stuyvesant, Dodge, and Flatbush Ys to promote civic engagement; the Queens Board of Elections at the Cross Island Y on National Voter Registration Day; Y staff and community members at Get Out The Vote events throughout the city.
“HERE!”
THE Y IMPROVES PUBLIC SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
Students cannot receive an education if they don’t go to school, and 36% of public-school students citywide missed at least 10 percent of school last year—nearly double the pre-pandemic rate. This fall, our schools welcome a new cohort of kindergarteners born during the COVID-19 era.
The Y’s Attendance Success Champions (ASC) program is committed to supporting the evolving needs of our K-1 students, combining socialemotional learning with targeted case management strategies to identify and address the root causes of becoming chronically absent. The program operates at 15 Title I schools across the five boroughs and has served
675 students since its 2022 piloted launch, most of whom are children from low-income households of color. With a focus on K-1 students, who are
often dependent on their guardians to commute to school, we emphasize the importance of family involvement through regular check-ins and holistic support that addresses barriers and empowers families to prioritize school attendance. Through this approach, P.S. 26 in Jamaica, Queens reported an average increase of 12% in attendance and improvement among 89% of participants.
The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation’s two-year $600,000 investment has enabled us to bridge educational gaps and deepen our impact in improving attendance outcomes for students in underserved communities—a mission we’re committed to in the school year ahead.•
ONWARDS AND UPWARDS
THE Y SUPPORTS FIRST-YEAR COLLEGE STUDENTS
This fall, as some of our Y Rowe Scholars began their first semesters of college, we’re excited to continue our support with the recent launch of AlumnY, an expansion of our college and career access program. Over the past three years, 92% of Y Rowe Scholars have made the monumental decision to attend college, compared to the 72% citywide average. Our new alumni support network fosters their persistence in higher education and guides them toward meaningful employment with living wages and opportunities for career advancement.
At the heart of our program is a commitment to closing the achievement gap that disproportionately affects Black and Hispanic youth from economically disadvantaged households, who make up over two-thirds of our participants. Many of our Y Rowe Scholars are the first to attend college in their families, underscoring the importance of holistic programs like Y Rowe Scholars that prioritize social-emotional learning, equipping students with the confidence to thrive both academically and socially in college life.
This year marks the ten-year naming anniversary of Y Rowe Scholars, which has transformed so many lives thanks to the generosity of Jack and Valerie Rowe. More than 2,500 young people have graduated, achieving remarkable milestones with a 93% on-time high school graduation rate, outperforming the 82% citywide average. The Y is committed to creating pathways to success for young people with the support of our donors, Jack and Valerie Rowe, Bank of America, Capital One, Colgate, the Deloitte Foundation, Delta, Macy’s, Morgan Stanley, and National Grid Foundation •
IT TAKES A VILLAGE
THE Y AND ITS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERS DEEPEN IMPACT IN COMMUNITIES
FALLING FOR FALL
The Cross Island Y hosted a fall festival with giveaways for the community and with Queens Deputy Borough President Ebony Young (above left) and State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky (above right with VP of Operations and Cross Island Y Executive Director La-Vena Francis) stopping by to show their support.
CELEBRATING SENIORS
The Broadway, Northeast Bronx, and South Shore Ys hosted Senior Days where scores of active older adults
Y teens at Port Richmond High School in Staten Island collaborated with Never Lose Hope to pack bags for patients dealing with chronic illness and cancer, and enjoyed a visit from representatives from the Offices of Council Member Kamila Hanks and State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Stanton.
GOLF & GALA
Event co-chairs Kris Magel (left) and Larry Bremer (right) helped organize a fun Golf & Gala event, which honored Molly Finnerty, Chief Investment Officer of Zenith (far left), and Rich Steimel, Senior Vice President of Lendlease (far right) (seen here with scholarship recipient Kadidia Bocoum and emcee J.B. Smoove).
MAKING AN IMPACT
Volunteers from Deloitte came to the Harlem Y to plant the garden, prepare sandwiches for transitional housing clients, and paint walls throughout the building.
GO GREENPOINT!
The Greenpoint Y hosted a celebration where attendees included (l to r) Greenpoint Y Board Chair Paul Pullo, Council Member Lincoln Restler, State Senator Kristin Gonzalez, YMCA President and CEO Sharon Greenberger, Assembly Member Emily Gallagher, and Greenpoint Y Executive Director Kendall Charter.
YMCA of Greater New York
5 West 63rd Street, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10023
212 630 9600 ymcanyc.org
BACKPACK BONANZA
YMCAs GIVE OUT HUNDREDS OF BACKPACKS
Ys across the city hosted free backpack giveaways at the end of summer to help hundreds of families get ready for a new school year. Supporters included Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie and State Senators Jamaal T. Bailey and Nathalia Fernandez •
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West
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Operations and
Side Y Executive Director Kathryn Colglazier (in green) helps West Side Y board members and staff to hand out backpacks; State Senator Nathalia Fernandez joins in the fun at the Castle Hill Y; State Senator Jamaal T. Bailey and Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie hand out backpacks at the Northeast Bronx Y.
