News

Dear Friends of the New Jersey YMCA State Alliance,

As the crisp air of autumn arrives and the leaves begin to turn, exciting things are happening in YMCAs all across New Jersey. The start of the school year always brings fresh energy, and we are so proud to see children back in their classrooms during the day and thriving in safe, nurturing afterschool programs at their local Ys. These programs do so much more than provide care – they create a place where young people feel a true sense of belonging, build strong friendships, and develop the confidence to grow and thrive.

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Julia Wieczorek and Heather Doerr, along with YMCA staff members from Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges, Summit Area YMCA, The Gateway Family YMCA, Greater Somerset County YMCA, Raritan Bay Area YMCA, and Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA, attended the August YMCA Principles & Practices (P&P) leadership experience in West Chester, PA, hosted by the Oscar Lasko YMCA and Child Care Center.

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The New Jersey YMCA State Alliance (NJYSA), through a new partnership with the New York Yankees, created a memorable opportunity for 45 students and staff from the West Essex YMCA. On July 31^st, the group traveled to Yankee Stadium to watch the Yankees take on the Tampa Bay Rays, enjoying a day filled with excitement, team spirit, and connection.

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Do you want to build leadership skills, learn how government works, and make your voice heard on issues that matter? The NJ YMCA Youth and Government (YAG) program gives high school students the chance to step into the shoes of elected officials, judges, lobbyists, journalists, and more – all while connecting with peers from across the state.

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This August, in partnership with the Virtua Eat Well Team, NJYSA conducted a Veggie Van Training and Mobile Grocery Unit Tour for New Jersey SNAP-Ed educators. This interactive experience demonstrated how the Veggie Van mobile market model can help create healthier, more equitable food environments and increase access to fresh, affordable produce in lower-income communities.

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This summer marked the third year of NJYSA’s partnership with the regional McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program. Together, we connected youth experiencing homelessness and their families to local YMCAs for summer programming, to nurture health, belonging, and community beyond the school year. In 2025, 48 youth across 8 YMCA branches participated in day camp and overnight camp at no cost. Participating youth hailed from Sussex, Bergen, Passaic, Somerset, Mercer, and Monmouth counties.

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With twelve years of experience working at the Y and as a former Youth Program Director of Camp STAR, Laura Rodriguez is thrilled to join the NJ YMCA State Alliance team to support Ys across the state. For the past five years, Laura worked in Massachusetts both as an SEL coach for Arlington Public Schools and as a Camp Staff Director for Belmont Day School. As the Youth Engagement Director, Laura will be responsible for working closely with Ys, volunteers, and advisors across the state to facilitate and enhance the Youth and Government (YAG) Program and conference.

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You can read the full feature story here.

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