TOGETHERHOOD UPDATE

The Togetherhood Committee is growing our core service initiatives, expanding our community partnerships and getting ready for summer volunteering. In addition to blood drives and food initiatives, which continued throughout most of the COVID shutdown and beyond, we are now in conversations to restart our English as a Second Language (ESL) program and Green initiatives. Updates on exciting opportunities for the latter efforts will be shared in the next newsletter.

Our food security initiatives include branch food drives, neighborhood street drives and food collection at the Metuchen Farmers Market. Committee members and Y staff are working closely with community partners like the First Presbyterian Church of Metuchen Food Pantry and the Farmers Market to ensure that food and related items get to those in need. To date, through the generosity of our community, we have collected and delivered 1300 food items.

Blood drives are organized with partner New Jersey Blood Services/New York Blood Center. At the Metuchen branch April drive, we collected 53 units of blood (higher than the expected 40 units), had 65 donors present, and nine volunteers who contributed 17.5 hours of their time. Given the success of our core initiatives, we are planning on documenting these good practices and sharing “how to” tips with community members who would like to lead similar efforts in MEWSA branches. The commitment to making a difference runs strong!

New Jersey Blood Services reports that our YMCA/Together blood drives consistently meet and exceed their goals. Please help us keep this tremendous effort going. Upcoming Blood Drives for 2023 are scheduled on the following dates:

• Sunday, 6/25/23 9:00 AM –1:30 PM

• Sunday, 8/27/23 9:00 AM –1:30 PM

• Sunday, 10/22/23 9:00 AM –1:30 PM

Tuesday, 12/26/23 2:00 PM –6:30 PM

If you wish to sign up to donate blood, please visit www.nybc.org/njdrive and enter sponsor code 15750. Enter the date range you wish to return to see results.

Thank you to Dr. Sharan and Anakaren Lopez from Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy for presenting a discussion on Corrective Posture to our Edison Branch members. With people spending lots of time sitting and on devices, the exercises and techniques were much needed!

Five Days of Action, a week-long social media awareness campaign to raise awareness and inspire adults to take action to protect children from sexual abuse, is a joint initiative between Y-USA and the Darkness to Light Foundation. During the Five Days of Action, the Y engaged in critical steps of prevention Know, See, Respond that will help adults better protect children. For more information about preventing child sexual abuse, visit www.fivedaysofaction.org

On May 8th the Piscataway Community Center expanded its Child Watch program to our members Monday - Saturday mornings from 9am-12pm and Monday through Thursday 5:008:00pm.

-ContributedbyMeghanDoriety, MembershipExperienceAssociate Director

What an amazing Healthy Kids' Day we had on April 29th! The YPCC hosted local vendors who brought fun activities and giveaways for the kids. Some featured activities include interactive booths, selfie station, obstacle course, safety around water and open family swim. Thank you to the staff and volunteers who helped to make the day successful. Most of all thank you to all the families who joined us for a couple hours of family fun. We can't wait to do it again next year!

-ContributedbyKyleStrohman,ExecutiveDirector,YPPC

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All Board newsletters can be found on the YMCA website at http://www.ymcaofmewsa.org/about-us/assocation-