The Community YMCA Launches Annual Campaign on April 5

The Community YMCA invites local community residents and businesses to attend its Annual Campaign launch on Wednesday, April 5, 6-8 p.m. at the Family Health & Wellness Center in Red Bank.

The event will bring together Y members, volunteers and employees, as well as representatives from community organizations and individuals who have been affected in a meaningful and fulfilling way by the Y’s life-changing programs.

The family-friendly event will feature entertainment from children in Y programs and stories of impact from Y participants. Guests will enjoy a light dinner and activities for kids, and free babysitting with advanced registration will be available for children 4 months to 7 years old.

“Each year, the Annual Campaign not only raises essential funds to ensure that children and families in need have access to vital programs and resources, but it also gives us the opportunity to demonstrate to the community that the Y is so much more than a gym,” said President and CEO Rhonda Anderson.

Last year, the community responded by donating more than $404,000 to the Annual Campaign, which provided financial assistance and program subsidies to 1,115 deserving children, families and individuals. From keeping kids safe after school and in the summer to preventing drowning and summer learning loss, donations to the campaign have a lasting impact on children and families, Anderson said.

This year’s Annual Campaign will be led by Carol Agresti, a member of The Community YMCA’s Foundation Board of Trustees and an active volunteer in the Y’s preschool program, which serves approximately 175 children in Red Bank, Matawan and other northern Monmouth County communities.

“I am truly proud to serve as the chairperson of a campaign that has such a meaningful impact on the lives of children and families in our community,” said Agresti, Senior Vice President and Wealth Director with PNC Wealth Management for the central NJ market.

Agresti noted that the theme of this year’s Annual Campaign is “Soaring to New Heights” and the goal is to raise $550,000 for scholarships to help families in need send their children to after school programs and summer camp, enroll them in swim lessons, counseling or other programs. The Annual Campaign will also help fund specific initiatives such as:

› The Y’s Summer Learning Loss Prevention Program and other summer programs that seek to close the academic achievement gap that especially impacts children from low-income households.
› Safety Around Water and other drowning prevention programs that teach children essential lifesaving water safety skills.
› Y Achievers, a college-readiness program that gives at-risk teens support to complete high school and enroll in college.

Anderson said the Y is grateful to Agresti and the more than 250 dedicated volunteers and employees who will be reaching out to the community in April and May to support the Annual Campaign.

To volunteer or for more information about attending the Annual Campaign launch on April 5, contact Jodi Grinwald, Development Director, at giving@cymca.org or 732.671.5505, ext. 119.

To make a donation to the Y’s Annual Campaign, visit www.TheCommunityYMCA.org/donate.

Photo Caption:
The Community YMCA Annual Campaign Chairperson Carol Agresti (L) and President and CEO Rhonda Anderson get ready to launch the 2017 community fundraising campaign to raise $550,000 to provide financial assistance for Y programs to children and families in need.

About The Community YMCA
The Y is a leading nonprofit charity that strengthens communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. The Community YMCA serves more than 20,000 residents in greater Monmouth County, NJ through programs such as: preschool, before and after school care, summer day camp, teen leadership, arts enrichment, health and wellness and personal and family counseling. In 2015-16, the Y provided more than $404,000 in financial assistance and program subsidies to strengthen over 1,115 children and families. For more information, visit TheCommunityYMCA.org.