By Laurie Goganzer
President and CEO
YMCA of the Jersey Shore & Ocean County YMCA
Step inside the YMCA, and you’ll see the strength of community in motion. A child with autism learns to float with confidence. A cancer survivor celebrates another lap in the pool. A veteran finds new friendships while improving his health. A person living with diabetes discovers how to take control of her well-being.
This is just a glimpse of the life-changing moments that unfold every day in our YMCAs. For over 150 years, we’ve opened our doors to create a safe, welcoming space where everyoneof every age, ability, and background can grow stronger and realize their full potential.
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None of this happens on its own. It takes the generosity of our donors and partners, and the heart of our team, to make a difference in someone’s life.
During this season of gratitude, I’m especially thankful for every partner, member and donor who helps us live out our Y’s mission of nurturing youth, promoting healthy living, and strengthening community.
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Donor Spotlight on RWJ Barnabas Community Medical Center Foundation
Every parent worries about keeping their child safe around water. For families of children with autism, that concern is even greater. Children with autism are 160 times more likely to drown than their peers. That’s why our Ocean County YMCA’s Adaptive Aquatics Program means so much to our community.
With the incredible support of the RWJ Barnabas Community Medical Center Foundation, more than 50 children with disabilities learned vital water safety skills this year alone. But they also discovered something deeper: confidence, self-esteem, and belonging – in and out of the water.
Moments That Matter: Thankful and Thriving Y Members
Emma Brezniak, a five-year-old with autism and several other diagnoses, joined the Adaptive Swim Program this past summer. Her grandmother Kelly was so impressed by Emma’s progress that she wrote a personal note to the Y expressing her thanks for the program and the compassionate instructors running it. “Since joining, Emma has learned to love and respect the water. Her instructors have been amazing, teaching her to jump, dive, swim, float, and enter and exit the pool safely.”
Jack Willis, a young man with cerebral palsy, joined the Red Bank Family YMCA as a safe and nurturing place to play basketball. His mother Kelly commented on the physical, emotionaland social benefits for Jack: “Even just being in the same room with other kids helps him feel a sense of connectedness, which is very special. Being part of the Y and this community has really helped him grow in ways that wouldn’t have been possible without this type of activity.”
The Strength of Community
Emma and Jack remind us that when we come together with open hearts and helping hands, lives are transformed. The generosity of our giving community makes that possible. Thank you to our donors, community partners, members and staff who continue to strengthen the Y’s promise: to be a place for all, where everyone has the support they need to learn, grow, and thrive.
Best wishes to our community for Happy Holidays.
Laurie Goganzer is president and CEO of the YMCA of the Jersey Shore and the Ocean County YMCA, which together deliver youth development, healthy living, and social service programs to nearly 60,000 people in central New Jersey communities. Learn more about giving at www.ymcanj.org.
