Madison Area YMCA

YMCA programs nurture children from infancy through young adulthood through full-day care, preschool education, and structured social and emotional development programs. We provide safe, productive environments for healthy child development, starting with preparation for success in school. In addition to the more than 250 babies and preschool children at our F.M. Kirby Children's Center, more than 400 school-age children attended full-day summer camp on Madison's Drew University Campus. During the year, 1,354 children received water safety training and swim lessons; 1,025 participated in youth sports; and another 103 participated in after-school programming. School-age children in our aquatics, gymnastics and sports programs receive training in building self-confidence, caring, respect, responsibility, teamwork, and athletic skill. The Y's Teen Leaders Club teaches the fundamentals of community service and leadership. In addition to volunteer service projects, the Club hosted local elected officials at three sessions in 2023 designed to teach citizenship and civic engagement. Our Y's counseling program serves children facing depression, anxiety and emotional challenges, helping them to heal, feel safe and be productive in school.

The Y strives to serve our whole community, particularly by assisting those with limited incomes and those facing personal crises. Our new strategic plan focuses on identifying and engaging individuals from newcomer and under-served communities, working to assure our environment is welcoming and creates a clear sense of belonging, especially to newcomers. To expand inclusion, the Y maintains ongoing wellness and fitness programs for children, teens and adults with disabilities. To more fully reach underserved communities, the Y hosted supply drives for partner organizations including Ukraine Relief, Homeless Solutions, Market Street Mission, Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey, Moms Helping Moms and Jersey Cares. Food collection drives were hosted for the United Methodist Church, Diwali SEWA and other local low-income families. Engaging dozens of volunteers in such efforts, the Y generated more than 4,056 hours of volunteer service during the year.

Over 13,350 community members belonged to the Y at the end of 2023, and hundreds more registered for, youth and adult fitness and wellness programs during the year. This growth was made possible by the expanded Family Center facility. At the same time, hundreds of children and teens enrolled in aquatics, sports, summer camp and gymnastics programs in higher numbers than ever before. While labor shortages slowed the resumption of the Y's wellness programs for those living with chronic disease, our Parkinsons and stability-management programs for seniors expanded to five days a week. And our cancer survivors program also served a total of three cohorts and their families during the year. Dozens of fitness classes and aquatics programs serving the diverse needs of our membership were fully subscribed, with a particular focus on serving frail elders, as well as children and adults living with permanent disabilities and/or recovering from injuries or illnesses.