GIVE FOR A BETTER US

When you donate to the Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA's Annual Campaign, you help us provide the people who live and work in Fanwood, Scotch Plains and Clark with the programs and services they need to thrive. Support is provided based on demonstrated need, with the goal that no one is turned away from membership regardless of their income or background.

Last year, the Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA offered almost $400,000 in financial assistance supported largely by Annual Campaign gifts. This provided scholarships for programs and services such as LIVESTRONG(r) at the YMCA for cancer survivors, summer day camp, School Age Child Care, Preschool and Child Care, swim lessons and more.

"My son attends morning care at his school through the YMCA, which allows me to work early shifts at my job. He also goes to Vacation Days at the Y, which also allows me to work. Without the financial assistance, I would not be able to afford camp or Vacation Days. I hope one day, I can pay it forward and help others. The financial assistance is an extraordinary help to my family. And the Y has such a nice environment. The people are really kind. At the Y, I feel like you can trust people. They really work with love, with kindness." - Jessica, financial assistance recipient

"I am grateful for the Y being here, the least I can do is support it in any way that I can. When I first started giving, I specifically wanted it to go toward scholarships for kids. This isnt my story, but one I personally saw: There was a mom with her three kids and one of them was in tears. The mom was saying, we have to figure out who takes swim lessons this time. We have to choose. The little girl was just sitting there with tears streaming down her face since her family couldnt afford swim lessons for all of them. I was like, you know what, I dont want her to cry. How can you not go home and say, Ill write a check right now? I remember what its like to be a on a budget for a family of four. You can not afford to take lessons or anything extra, theres barely enough for food or other necessities. We are lucky to not be in that position anymore. When you remember what its like, you say, lets share. Its not that hard. - Sophia, Annual Campaign supporter

To build a better us, we focus on:

Youth Development: All kids deserve the opportunity to discover who they are and what they can achieve, under the guidance of caring adults who believe in their potential. We see every interaction with young people as an opportunity for learning and developmentall grounded in the Ys core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.

Healthy Living: We help people and families build and maintain healthy habits for spirit, mind and body in their everyday lives. By helping kids, adults, families and seniors from all walks of life improve their health and well-being, we build a stronger community.

Social Responsibility: With our doors open to all, we bring together people from all backgrounds, to support those in need. We take on the most urgent needs in our community and inspire a spirit of service in return. Our members, volunteers, supporters and staff demonstrate the power of what we can achieve by giving back together.

To learn more about the Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA's Annual Campaign, visitfspymca.org/giving