COMMUNITY NEWS WELCOME TO THE FAMILY
2022: ISSUE 1 WELCOME TO THE FAMILY RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
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EARLY DAYS 3 IN THIS TOGETHER
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DIVE IN 6 IT TAKES A VILLAGE
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ONE DAY AT A TIME
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THE Y EXPANDS ITS REACH IN THE BRONX
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dream thirty years in the making is finally coming true as the YMCA opens two new branches in the Bronx.
The Northeast Bronx Y near the Edenwald Houses was delayed by the pandemic, but with support from Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Jr. this brand-new facility is now open and serving the community. Community members got a sneak peak of the Northeast Bronx Y between April and July, when the gym served as a vaccination center. Now members can enjoy unique features such as a teaching kitchen for nutritional programming, a rooftop plaza and planting areas for gardening and agricultural programming, and a campuslike design incorporates the landscape and topography. The Northeast Bronx Y has already hosted a number of VIPS—in addition to drawing many New York elected officials to the ribbon cutting, the Northeast Bronx Y was selected by Vice President Kamala Harris as a site to speak about the importance of community centers and to advocate for the passage of the Biden Administration’s “Build Back Better” agenda. The La Central Y at the Hub will soon be joining the Y family and opening its doors to the community.•
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WE’RE HERE FOR ALL NEW YORKERS –
to empower youth, improve health, and strengthen community.
(top) YMCA President and CEO Sharon Greenberger (l) shares a moment with Vice President Kamala Harris at the Northeast Bronx Y. (above, l to r) Council Members Kevin Riley and Vanessa Gibson, Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, State Senator Jamaal Bailey, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie Jr., then-Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz Jr., YMCA President and CEO Sharon Greenberger, thenMayor Bill de Blasio, community leaders Shirley Fearon, Anthony Reid, and Alonzo de Castro, and Northeast Bronx Y Executive Director Meishay Gattis, and former Knicks player John Starks cut the ribbon at the new facility.
(upper left) Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer talks about meeting community needs in the Bronx. (upper right) Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie Jr. connects with community members.
(left) Congress Member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks with future leaders; (upper right) Governor Kathy Hochul addresses the crowd; (bottom right) Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson enjoys the new basketball court. 2
WE’RE HERE FOR ALL NEW YORKERS –
to empower youth, improve health, and strengthen community.
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
Y AFTER SCHOOL BUILDS COMMUNITY WHILE BUILDING SKILLS
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rom middle schoolers in Queens raving about their Y After School days in elementary, to parents in the Bronx describing the Y as “essential,” to kids in Brooklyn saying the Y helped them try new things and be more social—across the city Y After School
leaves an indelible mark on children and families. Serving up to 10,000 kids in a typical year, Y After School delivers projectbased learning opportunities focused on different themes throughout the year.
While many students cite the important role Y staff play in helping them with homework and teaching them new things like volleyball, when asked to sum up the Y in one word, countless children come to the same conclusion: community.•
“YMCA After School has been the difference between being able to feed my family or not because I know they are in a great place with great people while I go to work.” – Parent at the Castle Hill Y’s program at PS 106 in the Bronx
(l) A participant at the Broadway Y’s program at PS 22 in Staten Island created a special cake for the Y theme of Kindness. “Kindness means to smile always even if you’re having a bad day, which is why I put a smiley heart on my cake.” (r) Students at the Harlem Y’s program at PS 96 participated in a ceremony where they locked their hopes and dreams onto a wall outside the Y’s office – so staff can help keep them safe.
EARLY DAYS
THE Y’S EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMMING DOUBLES CAPACITY
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he Y has been operating early childhood programs since the 1960s and continues to look for ways to create nurturing spaces to support NYC families. In 2021, our early childhood capacity grew from 325 slots to 625. With
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support from the NYC Department of Education, we started Pre-K for All services at the West Side Y and started a brand-new early childhood program at the Coney Island Y. We also started offering 3-K for All services and added classrooms at the Cross Island, Flushing, Long Island City, and Ridgewood Ys. The
Broadway Y in Staten Island also added classroom space to its longstanding early childhood program.•
Early childhood partciipants at the West Side, South Shore, and Long Island City Ys focus on play-based learning and social time.
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IN THIS TOGETHER THE Y HOSTS DONATION DRIVES ACROSS THE CITY
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he Y continues to seek ways to support community members through difficult times. In addition to distributing 200,000 pounds of free food and essential items to neighbors in need through our Y Community Markets at the Coney Island, Flatbush, and North Brooklyn Ys, we have hosted special holiday events and coat drives.
In Brooklyn, the Coney Island Y partnered with Congress Member Hakeem Jeffries, MetLife, and No Kid Hungry to distribute turkeys for Thanksgiving. In the Bronx, the Northeast Bronx Y collaborated with Congress Member Jamaal Bowman, then-Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz Jr., Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie Jr., State Senator Jamaal Bailey, Council Member Kevin Riley, City Harvest, FreshDirect, and Slick Rick Music Corp to organize a food giveaway and community party.
(above) Northeast Bronx Y Executive Director Meishay Gattis and Congress Member Jamaal Bowman survey food being distributed to community members (below).
The Castle Hill and Northeast Bronx Ys also partnered with local elected officials to collect goods for families affected by a building fire. In Queens, the Jamaica Y organized food and clothing drives in partnership with the Members Church of God International Feeding Program, Colgate-Palmolive, Empire BlueCross BlueShield, and AIDS Center of Queens County, while the Long Island City Y provided toys to local families. In Manhattan, volunteers from Dell Technologies met at the West Side Y to wrap presents for Y Afterschool students from the Bedford-Stuyvesant and McBurney Ys.•
(l to r) YMCA Vice President of Public Affairs Sharon Levy, Coney Island Y Executive Director Sam Moore, Council Member Ari Kagan, Congress Member Hakeem Jeffries, then-Council Member Mark Treyger, YMCA Vice President of Operations Dordy Jourdain, and NYC Ferry Community Relations Associate Sherene Steer-Ojelabi distribute turkeys in Coney Island. 4
WE’RE HERE FOR ALL NEW YORKERS –
to empower youth, improve health, and strengthen community.
A Jamaica Y staff member stands ready to help people find their sizes.
(above) Council Member Amanda Farías and Castle Hill Y Exectuive Director Sharlene Brown put out the call for donations. (below) Families at the Long Island Y are greeted by tables full of goodies to choose from.
Dell Technologies volunteers celebrate a job well done.
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DIVE IN
THE Y LAUNCHES THE AQUATICS CENTER OF EXCELLENCE
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o deepen the Y’s commitment to serve ALL New Yorkers, we are launching a bold, new initiative in 2022 to leverage the YMCA’s long-standing expertise in youth development, preventative health, and community engagement to serve even more New Yorkers in new and innovative ways.
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WE’RE HERE FOR ALL NEW YORKERS –
to empower youth, improve health, and strengthen community.
The first major effort of this new initiative seeks to address New York City’s lifeguard shortage and provide expanded opportunities for all New Yorkers who want to learn how to swim. As part of the new Aquatics Center of Excellence (ACE), in recent months the Y has been offering a free Lifeguard
Training & Development Program across the five boroughs. In the initial sessions, over 30 community members have received a nationally-recognized lifeguard certification, which will open up employment opportunities at the Y and beyond.•
IT TAKES A VILLAGE
THE Y AND ITS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERS DEEPEN IMPACT IN COMMUNITIES FLU-PROOF (far left) The Castle Hill Y teamed up with Montefiore Medical Group and the Vanderbilt Y partnered with Council Member Keith Powers to arrange flu shot clinics. (left) Jamaica Y Membership and Healthy Lifestyles Director Sabrina Scott joined Queens Hospital’s Associate Executive Director of External Affairs Cleon Edwards to oversee the provision of flu shots. The Jamaica Y also partnered with NYC Health + Hospitals, DocGo/Rapid Reliable Testing, and the NYC Vaccination Program to bring a mobile vaccine unit to the Y. NOTHING BUT NET Students from the Vanderbilt Y’s programs at the Julia Richman Educational Complex attended a free Knicks game.
COMPOSTING WITH A COUNCIL MEMBER (l to r) Cross Island Y Executive Director La-Vena Francis, then-Council Member Barry Grodenchik, and Big Reuse’s Outreach Associate Jordan Engel teamed up to speak to community members about recycling food scraps and yard waste, and to distribute free, high-quality New York City compost.
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ON BROADWAY In partnership with Delta Air Lines, the Broadway play Thoughts of a Colored Man hosted community events at the Castle Hill and North Brooklyn Ys. Community members were treated to free haircuts at a mobile barbershop, a BBQ food truck, merchandise from the play, and free tickets to see the play on Broadway. 3
YMCA of Greater New York 5 West 63rd Street, 6th Floor New York, NY 10023 212 630 9600 ymcanyc.org
ONE DAY AT A TIME
REACHING COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH THE YMCA COUNSELING SERVICE
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ith support from the New York City Council and the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports, the YMCA Counseling Service engages in substance misuse treatment and prevention. The Y’s Peer Engagement Specialist has educated community members about the dangers of substance abuse and the ease of obtaining treatment at events such as NY Foundling’s Fatherhood Fun Day, Back to School Celebrations, CHASI’s Health Fair in Tappen Park, Stapleton Open Streets, Boardwalk Bash, and others. The Y also partnered with Tackling Youth Substance Abuse (TYSA) to organize the SI Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (SICASA) Walk for Recovery and Health Fair in Clove Lakes Park. The Y has also facilitated over 75 Narcan trainings and supports individuals and businesses to respond in the event of an opioid overdose.•
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WE’RE HERE FOR ALL NEW YORKERS –
to empower youth, improve health, and strengthen community.
YMCA Counseling Service’s Peer Engagement Specialist, Andrew Fairley (left), and a community member at the SICASA Walk for Recovery.
