VOLUNTEERISM

The Summit Area YMCA is a volunteer driven organization that endeavors to serve our community. Whether it is coaching a Youth Sports team, being a guest speaker to a Teen Career Panel, helping to address food insecurity, providing clothing to the homeless, preventing senior isolation and more, volunteers drive our mission forward to help those in need and provide each and every individual the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. 
VOLUNTEERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY

956

individuals volunteered at the Berkeley Heights YMCA and Summit YMCA in 2018.

6,375+

volunteer hours were dedicated in service to the community by volunteers of the Summit Area YMCA.

79

different volunteer opportunities were offered throughout the year to serve various pockets of need in our community.
"I volunteer at the YMCA because it is an organization that has done so much for so many people, and I think it's great to be part of something like that. The YMCA has so much to offer, and it has always had a really strong impact on the whole town of Summit. Having the opportunity to work with children in an environment that I loved as a child is very rewarding.​"
— Kerry, Summit YMCA

TYPES OF VOLUNTEERS

Special Interest Volunteers
Utilize your organization skills and training ability to support special interest groups, such as ESL lessons, bridge lessons, or simply reading to children.
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Adult Achievers
Adult Achievers are minority professionals in the New Jersey/New York City area with a heart for mentoring and giving back to youth adults. 

Volunteens
Volunteens is a summer program for students in grades 8th – 12th who are looking to earn hours and gain experience working within the Summit YMCA. Teens are required to commit 4 weeks in this program and will be assigned to one or more department based on their interests and skill set.

General Support Volunteer 
Can you help us introduce prospective members to our facilities? Are you willing and interested in helping out in the office or chaperoning on a summer youth day trip?
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Policy Volunteers
Provide leadership as a policy volunteer at the branch or Association level as a Board or Committee member.

Togetherhood™ Program

The Summit Area YMCA's Togetherhood Program identifies community needs and leads projects that give back and support our neighbors. This volunteer initiative is focused on supporting our communities through senior outreach, cultural engagement and special events.
Some volunteer projects include:
  • Senior Spa Days
  • Holiday parties
  • Summit Helping Its People
  • ​Family Backpack Program
​"When I moved from Manhattan I was looking for more than a gym—I was also looking for community involvement.  I found both at the Y. The Y really helped me get involved in the Summit community. I love the group exercise classes, but also love Togetherhood, the Y’s member-led volunteer initiative. Specifically, I absolutely love the Togetherhood’s Senior Spa Day monthly event. I have been doing this event for 2 years and seeing the joy and happiness that it brings to the seniors is priceless. Without the Y, I would not have been able to help others in such a meaningful way."
— Dorota, Summit YMCA
“The Y helped center me after I relocated to the area, having lived the last 40 years
in Bergen City. Whether it was water aerobics, weekly Bridge group, exercise classes for seniors, fundraising for the Y’s Annual Campaign or volunteering for the Togetherhood program, the Y helped me belong and feel needed. The spectrum of
the Y’s impact on the community is wide through programming such as free second
grade swim lessons, supplemental food for weekends, shoe collections, senior housing
and so much more, as well as through its financial assistance program. I like being
able to make a difference in my community.”​
— Mibs, Summit YMCA

ADDRESSING FOOD INSECURITY IN SUMMIT

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1 in 5 children in the United States lives in a home that struggles to put food on its table, with New Jersey ranking 44 in the nationwide percentage of "food-insecure children". 

​The Family Pack Program – a collaboration among the Summit Area YMCA (the "SAY"), Community FoodBank of New Jersey, and The Junior League of Summit – provides supplemental weekend meals to to hungry children in Summit receiving free or reduced-priced school meals during the school week.

​Unfortunately, these children may not have access to food over the weekend and so the Family Backpack program  provides children with packs of food prepared by the FoodBank every Friday during the school year.
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Every week, Summit Area YMCA Volunteers serve as drivers to deliver the packaged food to designated schools in the Summit area, while teachers and school staff discreetly place the packages in the backpacks of students enrolled in the program.

140

children and families facing hunger insecurity in Summit were able to enjoy nutritious weekend meals during the school year.
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SUMMIT AREA YMCA
BERKELEY HEIGHTS YMCA | SPRINGFIELD COMMUNITY POOL | SUMMIT YMCA | THE LEARNING CIRCLE YMCA
In 1886, we were founded as the Young Men's Christian Association, but today, we are The Y. An association that values, and is made stronger by, its diverse people. We stand for youth development, healthy living and social responsibility — For a better us. We are committed to creating equal opportunity for all regardless of gender, age, disability, income, ethnicity, sexual orientation or religious affiliation. We strive to create a welcoming and inclusive culture in which our four core values — responsibility, honesty, caring and respect — are integral to everyday operations.
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Each year, as one of the area’s leading 501(c)(3) charitable organizations, the Summit Area YMCA serves more than 19,000 individuals with our free and fee-based programs and services in an area spanning the New Jersey communities of Berkeley Heights, Gillette, Millburn, New Providence, Short Hills, Springfield, Stirling and Summit. Our history is rooted in working side-by-side with our neighbors to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. Through the generosity of our members, donors, and partners, we are able to offer financial assistance for our programs and services to those in need.
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www.thesay.org