SOMERSET COUNTY YOUNG MENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION INC
140 Mount Airy Road, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 somersetcountyymca.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: The Y is the leading nonprofit committed to strengthening community by connecting all people to their potential, purpose and each other. Each day, we empower all children to reach their full potential, we encourage healthy living to improve well-being and we foster a sense of social (Continued on Schedule O)

The Y is the leading nonprofit committed to strengthening community by connecting all people to their potential, purpose and each other. (Continued on Schedule O)

4a. FOR HEALTHY LIVING: Improving the health and well-being of our communities 'We believe every child should learn to swim and to be safe around water.' - Aquatics We believe every child should learn to swim as an important life skill. In 2019, nearly 4,400 children attended swim instruction classes. The Y not only teaches people of all ages how to swim, but also offers classes to enhance enjoyment of the water such as safety skills, recreational swimming and water exercise. Area schools, houses of worship and other nonprofits use our aquatic facilities for instructional, recreational and therapeutic purposes. Additionally, over 60 children learned water safety through programs like Swim School that teaches preschool children how to swim in a small class setting with more individualized attention, and our Safety Around Water program which is offered free to young children who are not swimmers. Teaching children to swim is also integral to our camp programs. During the summer of 2019, nearly 1,100 children participated in our Go for Green camp swim program that inspires children to improve their swim skills in order to earn a "green band" indicating they can swim unaided in the deep end of the pool. Our YMCAs also offer aquatics classes and programs for individuals with special needs, including STARS (Sharing Therapy and Realizing Self Strengths), Special Olympics, and Saturdays in Motion, a recreational program for children with autism. These mission-driven programs demonstrate the Y's commitment to nurturing and safeguarding all of the children and young adults in our community. 'We believe in motivating wellness to help everyone lead a healthier life.' - Health and Fitness Our YMCAs offer members an opportunity to enjoy and participate in a community that is based on the development of healthy behaviors and relationships. In 2019, over 33,000 people were involved at the Y, pursuing healthy activities and lifestyles, which contribute to improved health and a lower incidence of chronic disease in our community. Greater Somerset County YMCA has joined an unprecedented national mobilization effort to combat rising levels of obesity, especially among our youth. Collaborations with some local schools have paved the way for our staff to integrate our programs into the schools' physical education and field days. Children in our Child Care programs participate in the Healthy U curriculum and enjoy healthy snacks, as well as 30 minutes of vigorous activity each day. The Y's wellness program geared towards young people includes Youth Wellness Orientations, Sports and Yoga. Additionally, we offer group exercise classes after school that are specifically designed for children ages 7 - 12 to make fitness fun and encourage healthy habits at a young age. We are committed to offering noteworthy wellness programs focused on chronic disease. Among them is EnhanceFitness, an evidence-based program for arthritis patients to help them maintain their flexibility, mobility and balance. LIVESTRONG at the YMCA supports cancer patients and survivors by helping them to regain their health. This 12-week recovery program is offered free to all members of the community thanks to funds raised through the Y's Annual Campaign. The program provides cancer survivors with a place to go to build strength while gaining camaraderie and hope. We also offer Delay the Disease, a fitness program designed to empower those living with Parkinson's disease by helping delay the progression of symptoms and successfully manage the disease and improve their quality of life. Over the past three years, the Delay the Disease program has expanded, based on growth in enrollment, to offer more class options for varying levels of abilities. Additionally, this past year we successfully launched the Diabetes Prevention program; among the participants, they lost 6.6% of their body weight and 60% of participants dropped below pre-diabetes glucose levels. With a focus on fitness and camaraderie, we offer programs that encourage adults to enjoy healthy, athletic competition. Our Running Clubs, Adult Sports Leagues and Fitness Challenges drew over 300 participants who trained to build strength, endurance and friendships. In its third year, our U.S. Masters Swim Team maintained significant participation with 190 swimmers who challenged themselves and their teammates to reach their full potential while training together weekly. As a team, they competed in regional swim meets with great success. Additionally, we promote fitness for families to help them bond through physical activity and build healthy habits that will last a lifetime. In 2019, there were nearly 500 family members who participated in wellness orientations, group exercise classes, running clubs and family fitness programs. 'We believe in the value of play to nurture the potential of children.' - Sports and Recreation From classes to recreational leagues, clubs to competitive teams, our YMCAs offer a wide variety of sports and recreation activities. Programs, focused on promoting strength and athleticism, are also designed to develop a child's mind by instilling positive values like teamwork, honesty and fair play. We offer programs for all ages, interests and abilities, which aim to teach skills that are the foundation for future success. In 2019, over 1,500 children gained the benefits of exercise and sportsmanship in our sports programs and over 730 in our swim team programs. As part of our sports initiative, our staff has integrated its services with some local schools as a complement to the physical education programs. Additionally, we provide active programming for local schools' field days, and intramural sport programming for youth who do not participate in school athletics. 'We believe values and skills learned early are vital building blocks for quality of life.' - Arts and Humanities (including Gymnastics) The arts teach children to make good judgments about qualitative relationships. Unlike many other curricula where correct answers and rules prevail, the focus in the arts is on judgment rather than rules. Our YMCAs offer programs for creative expression for all ages and abilities, such as reading and discussion groups, literary, performing, and visual arts, plus music and crafts. Our gymnastics, dance, music, performing arts, fine arts and STEM programs remain robust with over 1,300 children enrolled. Through our gymnastics team, boys and girls alike learn critical life skills such as setting goals and the value of hard work while they have the opportunity to express themselves creatively through their performances. Our dance classes and dance team continue to be strong with six dance teams that participate in several competitions throughout the year. Our performing arts classes teach the children stage presence and self-confidence. Additionally, we continue to respond to the growing interest for creative expression by working in collaboration with other arts organizations and area school districts to supplement and enhance existing programs. For the twelfth year, we collaborated with the Lucia Bocchino Foundation to host an art exhibit and contest that inspires children and teens to explore the medium of art by expressing their appreciation of female role models in their lives.

4b. FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT: Nurturing the potential of every child and teen 'We believe every child deserves a chance to learn and thrive throughout the year and to have a summer camp experience.' - Child Care and Summer Camp Of the many ways in which children are engaged at the Y, infant through school-age care (ages 3 months through 11 years) is one of our largest program areas. More than 280 children are enrolled in our state licensed full-day child care and early education centers located in three of our branches: Hillsborough YMCA, Somerset Hills YMCA and Somerville YMCA. In addition, our school-aged programs last year served over 570 children in partnership in 10 sites. Over $290,000 in financial assistance was provided to families in need of quality child care services in 2019. Over the course of the summer, over 1,700 children and teens participate in a wide array (more than 100 types) of summer camps, with over $160,000 in financial assistance given to 175 campers in 2019. To continue to expand children's horizons and inspire new interests, each year we introduce new theme-based camps on topics such as science, technology, arts and more. Additionally, our camps offer many outdoor activities including adventure programs, archery, specialty camps, outdoor education and gardening. In 2019, we were awarded the service area for Plainfield, NJ, to provide child care and summer camp programs to the community. These programs are particularly vital among low and moderate income families in the community. Over the course of the year, we opened 4 after school care sites and launched a summer camp program. In all of the programs we served 92 children and we provided 1,054 meals to nourish campers. 'We believe in the potential of teens.' - Youth and Teen Development A growing number of pre-teens and teens benefit from Y programs such as Service Learning Projects, Teen Social Activities, as well as a myriad of collaborative programs with area schools and other service providers. To help establish lifelong healthy habits at a young age, our Y offers free memberships to all 7th graders of schools in our service area. In 2019, our YMCAs served over 1,700 local 7th grade students. Research shows that seventh grade can be a critical time when adolescents are faced with opportunities to experiment with risk behaviors. The Y's program addresses that challenge in our community by providing opportunities for teens to cultivate values, skills and relationships that lead to positive behaviors, better health and educational achievement. The memberships allow 7th graders to get together in a safe environment and participate in wholesome activities. Additionally, our Friday night recreation programs for 6th, 7th and 8th grade students offer students a sense of independence and a chance to be with their friends while under the watchful care of Y staff. Over the course of 2019, nearly 500 teens attended the Friday night recreation events. Over the summer months, over 130 teens gained leadership skills in our Counselor in Training Summer Camp programs. Additionally, over 650 teens volunteered as servant leaders in various projects to support the Y mission. To inspire teens to be global citizens, we offer a civic engagement program that helps teens to gain real-life leadership experience and affect positive change. In 2019, our Model UN program grew to 47 teen members. The program allowed students to learn by example how the United Nations operates and its role in peacekeeping and humanitarian work. In this student-led program, the participants gained a global perspective through collaboration, cultural understanding and problem-solving. Additionally, we offer a Youth and Government program in which students learned about civic engagement and responsibility through hands-on experience. In April, a delegation of 15 teens from Greater Somerset County YMCA successfully drafted and presented bills before the New Jersey Youth and Government Junior Legislature Assembly at a state-wide conference held in Trenton. 'We believe that a connected family is a health family.'- Family Strengthening Parent-child programs and family activities all contribute toward strengthening the bonds between parents and their children. In 2019, over 600 parents and their children participated in our Adventure Guides, one of our most popular family programs, designed for parents and children to share precious quality time. They enjoyed campouts and local activities, which provided wonderful opportunities to bond together away from everyday stresses. Our volunteer-led Saturdays in Motion Program, in its 28th year, is the longest running, non-public recreational program for children with autism in the country. Autism Spectrum Disorder is more prevalent in New Jersey than nationally. Saturdays in Motion is designed to allow teen volunteers to work and play, one-on-one, with children who are on the autism spectrum. Held twice monthly on Saturdays, the program consists of an hour of recreation in the gym and an additional hour of fun in the pools. Through this transformative program, the children with autism have fun playing and making friends, while the teen volunteers gain leadership skills and the parents enjoy caregiving respite. In 2019, the program connected the lives of over 360 teen volunteers and children with special needs. In 2019, we strengthened our Healthy Kids Day initiative by partnering with 18 other community organizations to host a free community event that encourages families to stay active, physically and intellectually, throughout the summer months. Held at a professional baseball team's ballpark in May, the event inspired over 1,100 families to "swing for the fences" and reach their full potential through physical activity, nutrition and education. Additionally, we offered Friday Family Fitness Nights to encourage families to have fun while engaging together in a healthy activity. With video games and technology devices becoming ubiquitous, children are spending more time "plugged-in" than they are exploring the world around them. Our family programs allow children to connect more with their families resulting in stronger relationships and life-long benefits.

4c. FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Giving back and providing support to our neighbors 'We believe everyone should have the opportunity to be a part of the Y.' - Adult Development Our YMCAs have programs for adults of all ages. Programs include wellness opportunities, financial literacy, continuing education, volunteerism, and career and job-transition forums. We support adults with free and low-cost programs that address community needs and fill gaps in community services. With reduced membership rates and low-cost 'drop-in' programs intended to keep seniors healthy, our programs for older adults continue to grow. In 2019, nearly 2,700 individuals participated in programs for older adults including water exercise, indoor cycling, strength training and pickle ball, to name a few. Seniors also benefit from social activities to help them feel connected to their community and engage their minds as they have fun. Social activities for active older adults at the Y include book clubs, knitting, games, and presentations on interesting topics such health, nutrition and more. The Y also collaborates with other community organizations to further benefit seniors. The partnerships offer presentations on relevant topics such as health and well-being, nutrition, exercise, memory health and more. In an effort to bring wellness to as many seniors as possible, we extend our services to the Adult Day Care Center of Somerset County in the form of free group exercise classes to help participants remain healthy and active. Career Forum, a free, volunteer-led program that is open to everyone in the community, provides valuable skills and support to individuals in job transition. This program remained a vital resource in the community during 2019 with over 440 attendees, which amounts to nearly 5% of unemployed individuals in Somerset County, who learned more about the job hunt process, interviewing and networking to help advance their job searches. 'We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive.' - Programs for Individuals with Disabilities and for Financially Insecure Families In 2019, our YMCAs offered 12 programs for individuals with special needs. The programs include STARS, Special Olympics, Saturdays in Motion, Music and Movement, and Achievers, to name a few. All of these mission-driven programs are designed for individuals and families with special needs and demonstrate the Y's commitment to ensuring everyone in the community has a chance to learn, grow and thrive. Toward that goal, our YMCAs employ several staff members with disabilities. They all thrive in the Y's nurturing, inclusive environment and personify the Y's mission in action. Our YMCAs support and enhance the lives of our neighbors with special needs by working with other nonprofits, as well as public and private institutions such as Bethel Ridge, Special Olympics, Our House, Inc., Hope Autism, Montgomery School and School Districts. To support adults with special needs, we offered the Achievers Program three days a week from January through June. Designed for adults with special needs, the program teaches employment skills, such as communications and personal interaction, with an end goal of better preparing the participants for employment and job retention. In 2019, the program had two participants. Additionally, through SNAP (Special Needs Adult Program), 22 adults with special needs had opportunities to participate in recreational activities such as swim lessons, arts, music classes and monthly social events. Carousel Kids, a one-week, camp-like program for children with special needs, primarily autism, continued with 20 children who enjoyed two separate weeks of the program in August. Additionally, we continued our inclusion summer day camp program to 34 children with special needs thanks to a grant from the Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation. The inclusion camp is a wonderfully integrated program from which children with special needs and typically developing children benefit equally. In 2019, we also partnered with the Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN), which is a nonprofit that supports homeless families in Somerset County. Through the partnership, the Y provided child care at no cost to the children of the parents participating in the IHN program allowing them the time and opportunity to seek employment during the day, and know that their children were safe and learning at the Y. 'We believe that lasting personal and social change can only come about when we work together' -Trainings, Community Support & Volunteerism Greater Somerset County YMCA supports improving the safety of all residents in the community through training initiatives. Over the course of the year, we had over 480 individuals participate in trainings that included First Aid, CPR, Mental Health First Aid, Substance Use Prevention, Child Abuse Prevention, Babysitting and Lifeguarding. In 2019, Greater Somerset County YMCA continued an initiative designed to encourage and support parents in having meaningful and effective conversations with their children to prevent drug use. The initiative, focused on the national Night of Conversation, included information regarding substance abuse, tools such as conversation starters, and resources in which families could obtain additional information and counsel. Greater Somerset County YMCA worked in partnership with Hillsborough and Somerville Schools and other community organizations to host two Night of Conversation events, as well as three other events in additional communities, to support and facilitate meaningful dialogue between parents and their children regarding substance use prevention. The Y's collaborations with like-minded organizations provide enhanced benefits to the community. In 2019, we partnered with many nonprofit and government organizations including Bethel Ridge, Inc., Our House, Inc., Veterans Administration, Interfaith Hospitality Network, and Rotary Club among others. We also provided free use of our facility to a wide variety of community-based organizations such as schools, police and fire departments, houses of worship, business and service organizations, youth sport organizations and other nonprofits for meetings, educational presentations, special events and recreation. One example is our partnership with Montgomery Academy, which is a school for children, ages 5 - 21, who experience social, emotional and educational challenges. Since they do not have space at their school for physical education, the Y offers weekly use of our gymnasium and pools to the teachers and students so they can include physical education as part of their curriculum. In 2019, the Y was fortunate to receive the support of over 1,400 volunteers who gave their time and talent to our YMCAs for an estimated total of 30,000 hours. At the current value of $25.43 for each volunteer hour of service they provide, the worth of their contributions equates to $762,900. The volunteers helped in a variety of ways; from policy to projects, our volunteers are the heart of the Y. Of those volunteers, over 230 participated in our Togetherhood program, which inspires Y volunteers to rally around community needs and donate their time and talent to give back to their neighbors. Their efforts provided support of Veterans through donations of home goods, and game nights; support of food insecure individuals in our community through meals prepared and served at a local soup kitchen; support of senior citizens through yard work during the fall season; and many other initiatives that address additional community needs. In 2019, with a focus on promoting diversity and inclusion, the Y's Cultural Engagement Committee volunteers held 14 events that celebrated the various cultures that make up the fabric of the diverse community served by Greater Somerset County YMCA. Additionally, we launched an LGBTQ+ employee resource group that offered five initiatives throughout the year designed to engage all employees. In April, the Y celebrated its Annual Spirit Awards at which our wonderful volunteers were recognized for their dedication to the Y and the many ways in which they make a difference in their community.

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