Watchung, Green Brook Each Awarded $5,000 For Youth Programs

WATCHUNG/GREEN BROOK, NJ — Watchung and Green Brook youth programs received a total of $10,000 out of $103,000 that was awarded to 14 Somerset County Municipal Youth Services Commissions by the Board of Chosen Freeholders.

The annual and competitive grants are funded through the 2017 Municipal Youth Services Commission (MYSC) annual grant program.

Each municipality with a K-8 school received a $5,000 annual grant to support projects for youth. In addition, six municipal youth services commissions were awarded a total of $23,000 in competitive grants.

Green Brook was awarded $5,000 for its Health in Steps, Boys Council/Girls Circle programs and Challenge Day/Challenge Club programs. And Watchung was awarded $5,000 for its Girls on the Run/Girls on Track and Trep$ programs.

Ceremonial checks were presented to grant recipients at a recent freeholders’ meeting.

“The Board of Freeholders is pleased to present funding for so many worthwhile educational programs for county youth,” said Freeholder Director Peter S. Palmer. “The grants will be used to support a wide variety of prevention programs in local communities.”

Grant awards in the amount of $5,000 were presented to the following municipal youth services commissions:

• Bernards for Ridge Against Alcohol & Drugs (RAAD);
• Branchburg for its Run 4 Fun and STOP programs;
• Bridgewater/Raritan for its New Comers Club;
• Franklin for the Youth Prevention & Empowerment Program, Youth Council and Boys Council/Girls Circle programs;
• Green Brook for its Health in Steps, Boys Council/Girls Circle programs and Challenge Day/Challenge Club programs;
• Hillsborough/Millstone received funding for its Teen Zone and I Run programs;
• Manville for its ABIS Girls Running, Weston Summer Camp, ABIS Splash Camp and Open Gym Nights programs;
• Montgomery/Rocky Hill for its Girls on the Run/Girls on Track and Kids on the Move programs;
• North Plainfield for its Girls on the Run/Girls on Track and GREAT (Gang Resistance Education and Training) programs;
• Somerville for its Girls on the Run, Garden Rescue and Challenge Yourselves! programs;
• Warren for its Challenge Day/Challenge Day Club, Student Leadership and Mindfulness and Stress Relief Club programs;
• Watchung for its Girls on the Run/Girls on Track and Trep$ programs.

Other grants:

• The Bound Brook/South Bound Brook MYSC, which has two K-8 schools, was awarded $10,000 for its Girls Empower, Character Education, Middle Earth Community Youth Center and Hispanic Support Club. It also received a competitive grant in the amount of $3,000 for a Middle Earth Culture Club.
• The Somerset Hills MYSC, which represents the towns of Far Hills, Peapack/ Gladstone, Bedminster and Bernardsville, received $10,000 for its Youth Summit, B Well Girls and Intergenerational Socials programs. In addition, Somerset Hills received a competitive grant in the amount of $3,000 for its Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction training.

Four other municipal youth services commissions also received competitive grants.

• Bridgewater/Raritan was awarded $4,000 for a Youth Yoga in the Park program;
• North Plainfield received $1,500 for its Police Youth Week;
• Somerville was awarded $3,000 for a Lunch-Time Mentoring program;
• Montgomery/Rocky Hill received $2,000 for a Yoga and Mindfulness Club, $4,000 for Project Adventure and $2,500 for a Montgomery Transitions program.

For more information about the Somerset County Municipal Youth Services Commission grants program and information about the various programs that received funding, contact KateLynn Patronick at 908-704-6317 or patronick@co.somerset.nj.us.

(Image via Shutterstock)

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