Young Men’s Service League Livingston Completes Second Year

Activities engaging kids with special needs, providing companionship to senior citizens and addressing food insecurity and homelessness are just a few of the ways the community was served this year by members of the Livingston Chapter of Young Men’s Service League.

The chapter, part of the national nonprofit service organization, served 3,018 hours in Essex County and beyond at the completion of its second year. Members are moms and high-school aged sons from Livingston and area towns who volunteer together at a variety of philanthropies, sharing meaningful experiences and helping others.

“As we wrap up our second full year of serving our own neighborhood and surrounding communities, we are proud of our commitment to YMSL and making a difference,” said Connie Breece, who has served as president of the chapter since founding it with a handful of other Livingston women in 2021. “I hope that our moms and young men have satisfied something within themselves that will keep them in the service mindset as we head into our third year.”

In 2022-2023, the group partnered with 22 organizations addressing everything from environmental stewardship to helping kids with special needs. They include Furniture Assist, Community Food Bank of New Jersey, Pillar Care Continuum, Livingston Neighbors Helping Neighbors, Habitat for Humanity, MEND, the Township of Livingston Senior Services, ACEing Autism and others providing social services to clients in need. Since its inception, the group has served a total of 4,751 hours.

The young men also compete an annual leadership curriculum, tailored to each grade, including topics such as civic responsibility, character and social, practical and life skills. Members of the community, including Livingston Mayor Michael Vieira and members of the Livingston Police Department, shared valuable lessons with the group.

The new year, which began May 1, marks the first time the young chapter will have students representing grades 9 through 12, with about a dozen sibling sons who have joined their older brothers in service. Among them are Marc Lewin, a junior at Livingston High School, whose brother, ninth-grader Jonathan Lewin, joined him and his mother Adrienne Lewin at various activities throughout the year.

“Volunteering with my family is something I’ve done for as long as I can remember, so my mom and I jumped at the chance to be founding members of Livingston YMSL,” he says. “As I learn more and more about leadership, I am becoming an even better leader by applying what I learn while volunteering.”

For more information about membership or how your organization can partner with YMSL Livingston, visit https://chapters.ymsl.org/chapter/livingston/