COMMUNITY NEWS 2019: ISSUE 2
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
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DELOITTE DIGS DEEP
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A PROUD TRADITION
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
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CHANGE AGENTS
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IT TAKES A VILLAGE
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HEALTHY HORIZONS
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Y ADVOCATES IN WASHINGTON D.C. AND ALBANY
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ach year Y staff, participants, and volunteers head to Washington D.C. and Albany to speak to elected officials about what matters most to our community.
with their Members of Congress (such as Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, below right), highlighting the impact that Y programs and newer facilities like the Coney Island YMCA have had in their lives.
In Washington, teen participants shared their personal experiences with Senator Charles Schumer (pictured below with YMCA President and CEO Sharon Greenberger and Y staff and teens) and
In Albany, volunteers spoke to State Senators and Assembly Members (including AM Catherine Nolan, bottom left) about the need for upgrades to facilities and continued funding for key
programs such as those implementing Health Eating and Physical Activity (HEPA) standards. Volunteers were thrilled to engage with elected officials about how they can support communities through impactful funding. Y staff and volunteers also celebrated as Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie (bottom right) was honored by the statewide alliance for his support in opening a new Y in the Bronx. •
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YMCA representatives meet with: (clockwise from upper left) State Senator Luis SepĂşlveda; State Senator John C. Liu; State Senator Brian A. Benjamin; State Senator Jamaal T. Bailey; Assembly Member Karines Reyes; State Senator Leroy Comrie; Congress Member Eliot L. Engel; Congress Member Grace Meng; Assembly Member Stacey Pheffer Amato; Assembly Member Inez E. Dickens; and State Senator Alessandra Biaggi. 2
2019: ISSUE 2
YMCA representatives meet with: (clockwise from upper left) Assembly Member Victor M. Pichardo; Assembly Member Joseph R. Lentol; Assembly Member Robert J. Rodriguez; Congress Member Carolyn Maloney; Congress Member Nydia VelĂĄzquez; State Senator Kevin S. Parker; Congress Member JosĂŠ E. Serrano; Assembly Member Yuh-Line Niou; State Senator Robert Jackson; State Senator Jessica Ramos; and State Senator Andrew J. Lanza. 7
DELOITTE DIGS DEEP DELOITTE SUPPORTS Y’S ROWE SCHOLARS PROGRAM
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he Y’s Rowe Scholars program has partnered with Deloitte, a multinational professional services network, to provide two career workshops for teen participants from the Bronx, Flushing, Greenpoint, Harlem, Vanderbilt and West Side YMCAs. Scholars met with young professionals
from Deloitte who shared their college experiences, internship stories and mentorship experiences, as well as with Michelle Pakula, a Senior Manager who coached them on creating elevator pitches. Connecting with Deloitte staff enabled teens to gain valuable skills while also practicing key socialemotional learning competencies such
as growth mindset, interpersonal skills, and self-efficacy skills. Deloitte also hosted College Decision Day, where teens gathered to announce and celebrate where they plan to attend college. •
A PROUD TRADITION THE Y CELEBRATES ACHIEVERS IN INDUSTRY
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he Harlem YMCA celebrated its 49th Annual Achievers in Industry (bai) Awards Gala at New York City’s Cipriani Broadway. Since 1971, this annual awards ceremony has convened business and community leaders to celebrate achievers in industry for their corporate leadership and service to the community. The 2019 gala honored Dr. David C.
Banks, Founder and CEO of The Eagle Academy, with the Dr. Leo B. Marsh Memorial Award for his commitment to community service with a focus on youth development. Wells Fargo was also honored as this year’s Deloitte Corporate Community Award honoree for the great work they have done in the communities they serve. Cheryl Pepsi Riley and her dynamic band closed the
program on a high note with a mini concert. Since 1995, the event’s Corporate Scholarship Program has awarded $1.8 million in college scholarships to New York City students. Thanks to the program’s corporate sponsors, the Harlem YMCA awarded 34 individual scholarships this year. •
Dr. Leo B. Marsh Memorial Award Recipient, Dr. David C. Banks; Harlem Y Board Member, Rev. Georgiette Morgan-Thomas; Keynote Speaker, Dr. Steve Perry; Harlem Y Board Member, Schone Malliet; Carrie Terrell Youth Achiever, Cheyenne Surin-Bullard; Harlem Y Board Member, Rev. Itang Young 4
2019: ISSUE 2
CHANGE AGENTS
Y TEENS TAKE OVER CITY HALL IN ANNUAL EVENT
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ver 100 Y teens gathered in the Chambers of City Hall to debate key community issues at the 14th Annual Teens Take the City event, which was sponsored by City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, and Council Members Debi Rose and Helen Rosenthal (pictured together, upper right). Council Members Inez Barron (bottom left) and Chaim Deutsch (bottom right) spoke with participants about their public service.
The YMCA’s Teens Take the City program promotes civic engagement, empowering young people to take action, have a voice, and make a difference in their communities. Unique to New York City’s YMCA, this program enhances the teens’ awareness, interest, and understanding of local government. Youth are encouraged to identify issues in their own communities and propose policies and service projects to solve those problems.
At this culmination event, teens presented, debated, and voted on the proposals on topics such as cyberbullying, school safety, voting rights, and immigration. Teens Take the City receives support from the New York City Council, Capital One, Con Edison, and the Rose M. Badgeley Residuary Charitable Trust, and reaches approximately 400 teens each year. •
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IT TAKES
THE Y AND ITS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE
WHAT’S NEW? Assembly Member Nicole Malliotakis took time to catch up with South Shore Y Executive Director Tom Swanciger and hear about new programs. ALL’S FAIR The Y partnered with the Office of Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie (pictured with YMCA staff and community organizers) and the Gilbane Building Company to host two job fairs at Community School 112, near the site of the new Y that is scheduled to open in 2020. Employment partners included the Mason Tenders, Nontraditional Employment for Women, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, and U.S. Census Bureau.
SPRING INTO HEALTH The Chinatown Y’s Beacon at MS 131, Cornerstone at Two Bridges, and the New Americans Welcome Center served more than 200 people at the Annual Spring into Health Fair. Partner organizations included the Office of Council Member Margaret Chin, NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, NYC Health and Hospitals, Nike, Fairway Market, NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, and more. COME ON IN! The Flushing Y hosted a ribbon cutting of their newly designed lobby with special guests (l to r) Flushing Y Board Chair Ling Xu, YMCA President and CEO Sharon Greenberger, Assembly Member Ron Kim, State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, and Flushing Y Executive Director Tiffany Dunbar. 6
FUTURE CAMPER State Senator Jen Metzger met with NYC YMCA Camp Executive Director Thad GiffordSmith and Alliance of NYS YMCAs Executive Director Kyle Stewart to talk about the Y’s three camps in Orange County, NY.
DACA DASH Staff and students from the Y’s New Americans Initiative spoke at a rally for the New York Coalition for Adult Literacy.
2019: ISSUE 2
A VILLAGE
PARTNERS DEEPEN IMPACT IN COMMUNITIES
BK ALL DAY Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams shared inspiring words with the teens who gathered at Brooklyn Borough Hall to debate policy and elect next year’s teen mayor, public advocate, and borough presidents. WELCOME, JOB SEEKERS The Rockaway YMCA and State Senator James Sanders Jr. (pictured with Rockaway Y Executive Director Michael Garcia and Sanders’ Constituent Liaison Lisa George) teamed up to host a career expo that featured a Branding Development Workshop with Kevin Livingston, Founder of 100 Suits. Employers included Edison Home Health Care, JetBlue, Long Island Railroad, and Resorts World.
I LOVE A PARADE Council Member Vanessa Gibson (center) joined Bronx Y Executive Director Sharlene Brown and other Y staff as they marched in the Bronx Week Parade and celebrated the two brand-new Y branches that are opening next year.
BUILDING BLOCKS OF SUCCESS Assembly Member Clyde Vanel channeled his inner child while playing with blocks at the Cross Island Y’s Pre-K for All program.
ON BROADWAY Congress Member Max Rose (center with Broadway Y Executive Director Joe Verhey and Early Childhood Director Allison Sicuranza) visited the Broadway Y to see its programs, like the early childhood center.
COMMUNITY HUB North Brooklyn Y Executive Director Marjorie JeanJacques spoke to a crowd of nearly 100 people who gathered for the annual Brooklyn Community Board 5 general meeting hosted at the Y. STAND UP AND BE COUNTED Council Member Carlos Menchaca (right) joined the Y’s Senior Director of Government Relations Michael Rivadeneyra and other advocates to push the City to fund outreach for the 2020 Census. 7
YMCA of Greater New York 5 West 63rd Street, 6th Floor New York, NY 10023 212 630 9600 ymcanyc.org
HEALTHY HORIZONS THE Y HOSTS HEALTHY KIDS DAY ACROSS THE CITY
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cross the city, YMCAs hosted free community events to celebrate Healthy Kids Day. Events brought together families and community members to get healthy eating tips, practice martial arts, try out gymnastics, ride bikes, learn water safety skills, shoot hoops, and more!
The event also brought Empire BlueCross BlueShield to the Bronx Y, where they delivered a check supporting the Y’s implementation of the evidencebased CATCH curriculum, which trained staff use to guide children through age appropriate fitness and healthy eating activities. •