The Ocean County YMCA (OCYMCA/the Y) is committed to helping everyone reach their full potential, with a focus on Youth Development, Healthy Living, and Social Responsibility. With programming for youth and seniors spanning across aquatics, health and fitness, day camp, sports and virtual sessions, there is something for everyone at the Y.
Last year, OCYMCA celebrated 50 years of being a hub for health in Ocean County. Unfortunately, due to COVID, the year did not go quite as planned. Just like the rest of the world, they were forced to temporarily close their physical doors in March of 2020; however, they continued to step up to serve our community’s most compelling needs.
Throughout the shutdown, OCYMA ensured that social distancing did not turn into social isolation. They used Zoom to get important news out to members and the community, and to safely continue running their programs. Here are some ways OCYMCA has shifted their services to keep members connected.
Warm Up America
Ocean County has the largest population of seniors in the state and senior isolation was an issue well before COVID hit. OCYMA found creative ways to keep seniors safely engaged. In addition to a virtual book club, the Y also hosted its Crochet Club over Zoom. Participating members could pick up the necessary supplies at the Y and meet virtually with their friends to crochet. They then donated the hats, blankets and other items they made through Warm Up America, a charity that motivates, trains and coordinates volunteers to knit and crochet afghans and clothing for people in need.
Remote Learning Facility
The OCYMCA has been using part of their space as a remote learning facility for all essential workers who need childcare for their kids. Children have a safe place to set up for their virtual school day and have access to any necessary assistance. They receive lunch and snacks daily and participate in fun activities outside of their school work.
Watching the children adapt to the circumstances and flow with the daily changes was inspiring. One of the parents noted that it was hard to imagine the kids wearing masks or consistently washing their hands but now it’s the kids who are teaching the adults how to be healthy and safe!
Summer Meals Program
In 2020, OCYMCA launched a Grab n’ Go Summer Meals Program. The Y, in partnership with Toms River Regional Schools, has been working to keep children healthy and well-nourished. The Y began serving meals on May 26, 2020 and continued to do so each weekday until the end of August. Participating youth received nutritious lunches and snacks daily.
This program is the first of its kind in Toms River and is being operated in partnership with the Capital Area YMCA. OCYMCA began serving 150 meals per day last May and increased to 700 to 900 per day by the end of last August. This summer, the Y plans to operate the Summer Meals Program on four sites.
OCYMA will host a Food Summit in May of 2021 to convene partners, community members, schools and other Y’s to develop the landscape of how the Summer Meals Program will look this year and how to get more meals out. Peter Rosario, President and CEO of OCYMCA said, “This year, we are focused on making the Summer Meals Program bigger and better with even more partnerships. The goal is to help make our community more food secure by providing 2,000 to 3,000 meals per day to those in need.”
Town Hall Meetings
The OCYMCA has always been a trusted voice in the community. They have utilized Zoom to continue pushing out real-time, valuable information from the census and meal programs to day camp and fitness center updates. They also held info sessions to ensure that members would be comfortable coming back when the Y was safely able to open. Discussions took place virtually with swim parents, athletes, kids and seniors who had questions about what the return to the Y would look like.
In-person programming started up again in July of 2020 and all at the Y are following the necessary safety protocols to keep staff and members safe, healthy and happy! In addition to fitness classes and other programs on site, the Y also has an archive of virtual fitness classes for those who feel more comfortable working out from home.
The Future
The Ocean County YMCA will always remain committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to reach their full potential. While hours and classes are limited, Peter and his staff are excited to have their members back inside the Y. With the help and support of the staff, members and community, the Y will come back stronger than ever.
Visit Ocean County YMCA’s website to learn more and stay tuned for updates on the Summer Meals Program and other future initiatives!
The Grunin Foundation had the pleasure of meeting Doug Eagles, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Monmouth County, in 2018 to learn about the organization and Project LEAD. We wanted to share the story about this incredible organization and how Doug and his staff are impacting the lives of youth in Asbury Park and Red Bank.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Monmouth County
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Monmouth County (BGCM) empowers all young people—especially those who need it most—to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens.There has never been a day when BGCM wasn’t there for its kids. Then, COVID hit and they were forced to shut their doors temporarily. At the time, they (like the rest of the world) thought it would only be for two weeks. Even without knowing we were all in this for the long haul, they immediately sprang into action and migrated most of their programs to an online platform called BGCM Boundless. While it wasn’t what they were used to, it was a way for kids to safely see their counselors and friends, especially during a time of uncertainty.
When summer 2020 hit, it was clear COVID wasn’t going away any time soon. As they waited to get the word that they could reopen, BGCM continued helping the community and rolled out a food program across Asbury Park and Red Bank. By the end of summer, they had given out almost 20,000 meals to anyone who needed them. In the meantime, they were able to launch their in-person summer camp in July. Doug Eagles, Executive Director of BGCM said, “Although camp had to be run at dramatically reduced capacity, it was inspiring to see the kids go through this experience together.”
As the year went on, Doug and his team started to think about what BGCM could do during the school year and how they could use their space to help the school district and the families of their Club kids. They decided to open up their facilities in Red Bank and Asbury Park during school hours, creating Remote Learning Centers. The day began at 7:45 AM, when parents could drop their kids off for the virtual school day. BGCM was equipped with the necessary technology, including tablets and computers for those who needed them. Many of the parents did not have the flexibility to work from home, so this allowed them to continue to work while their kids stayed on top of their school work.
The team at BGCM was constantly realigning to fill in gaps as they emerged. They began to notice the isolation and anxiety created by the pandemic. It opened their eyes to how trauma plays a role in the lives of the kids they serve. Many of the kids had already been exposed to trauma before COVID hit. The health crisis added another challenging layer to this, and Doug knew they had to position the Club to better address trauma not only in the kids, but also the parents and the staff. He worked with the staff to provide trauma-informed care and eliminate stressful, toxic environments as much as possible. BGCM has always prioritized wellness, families, and resilience, and now the Club is even better prepared to handle unexpected situations, like the pandemic. Their goal is to create and foster a positive experience that allows kids to flourish in spite of trauma.
Project LEAD
In 2018, the Grunin Foundation met with Doug to discuss Project LEAD, a teen employment and empowerment program. Employment opportunities in Asbury Park are limited, and for those opportunities that do exist, teens in the community are often unprepared to succeed in a professional environment. In BGCM’s effort to improve the overall quality of teen programming, they modeled Project LEAD after the highly successful Teen Life Internship program at New City Kids, a nonprofit youth development agency in Jersey City.
Everyone at the Grunin Foundation was so impressed with Doug and his team and we knew Project LEAD was a great fit with our mission and pillars. We were happy to help fund Project LEAD and with that, the pilot was launched in the summer of 2018. Ten teens were selected for an eight-week Project LEAD summer camp where they gained employment and had access to professional development workshops and life coach meetings. Eight of the ten teens successfully completed all ten weeks of the program, and some stayed on to mentor others.
In the spring of 2019, Project LEAD was relaunched to better meet the needs of the participating teens. BGCM began surveying the teens to see what they wanted to get out of the program. From there, they focused on four key areas:
- Resume workshop – Everyone who completes the program leaves with a resume. They also work on interview skills and complete courses online (such as new-hire orientation and courses related to BCGM culture).
- Community engagement – The teens attend community events to help with event logistics but also to meet and network with community members.
- College/career readiness – Participants are guided along the path from a diploma to a degree. Or, if college isn’t the right option, teens will learn alternate pathways to successful careers.
- Keystone Club – As part of BGCM’s leadership and service club, teens complete a project where they learn leadership skills like creating program calendars, planning meetings and trips, matching incoming kids with services they need, and mentoring others.
The teens also complete a service project, which includes raising the funds needed to attend the Boys & Girls Club annual Keystone conference, where over 1,500 members from across the world meet. Since COVID hit, the conference has been virtual, but the teens are looking forward to the day when they can be back together again to network with peers, discuss important issues, and strategize on how to increase efforts in their local Clubs.
Looking ahead
Project LEAD is already making such wonderful impact in the lives of the teens it serves. One of the most inspiring outcomes of Project LEAD is seeing the teens grow – some even stay on as mentors or run different aspects of the program. While the impact has been great, there is still more to be done. Doug is hoping to use Project LEAD as a vehicle to empower youth to gain employment across all of Asbury Park. He hopes this will bring about an economic regeneration of the city. Doug and his staff will continue to find ways to cater the program to the teens’ needs, ensuring they are getting as much knowledge and experience as possible to succeed in a professional environment.
We look forward to seeing what Doug has in store for Boys & Girls Clubs of Monmouth County, Project LEAD, and the youth of Asbury! You can learn more about BGCM by visiting https://bgcmonmouth.org.
The clocks have been turned ahead, the sun is shining past 5pm and warmer weather is finally in sight. Springtime seems to sneak up on us each year, but always bringing a sense of hope as it arrives. The birds are singing and the trees are blooming once again. The air is fresher, the grass is greener and the feeling of renewal is upon us.
As Spring began last year, none of us realized the word normal would become unfamiliar. Our new vocabulary included quarantine, two weeks, social distancing, stay home, we are all in this together, new normal and the one we love to hate – PIVOT. And who would have thought toilet paper would become the most sought after item in the world? This past year ironically feels like it has been an eternity that has gone by in the blink of an eye.
Throughout the unknown, fear and loss, we saw strength, collaboration and hope. We have never been more proud to be a part of the Central Jersey Shore Community. Going along with the theme of Spring revival, we wanted to share some of the silver lining moments and positivity we’ve experienced over the last year.
We gained insight – We’ve all had the thought, “What would we have done differently if we could have seen this coming?” Although we can’t go back, we do have the insight to move forward. As part of our Catapult Institute Workshops, we’ve held many virtual sessions for our nonprofit partners on COVID-related topics that were impacting their operations. We talked about keeping employees engaged while virtual, fundraising during COVID, using Zoom to its fullest and planning for the future. We also facilitated Virtual Lunch Hours where nonprofits could stay connected to their peers but most importantly, have candid talks about the successes and challenges they’ve faced throughout the pandemic, among other valuable topics. Through these open discussions, we’ve shared tools, resources and have learned from one another. While we hope we never have to face anything like this again, we are all better equipped to handle future challenges.
We collaborated more –One of our Foundation’s core values is collaboration and we are inspired when people work together to increase impact. We have seen so much collaboration throughout the pandemic with the goal of serving more people in need. The selflessness in this sector makes us proud. No one was concerned about their own piece of the pie, but rather how can we make MORE pie and make sure everyone gets a piece. Local businesses stepped up and also played an important role in helping during the COVID crisis. As the saying goes, “alone we are strong, together we are stronger.”
We found new ways of operating – It took a while for all of us to adjust to the new ways of doing things. We all thought Zoom meetings, drive through services and virtual appointments would be temporary, but some have been working out so well, we may be seeing a hybrid model moving forward. Without the commute, board and other meeting attendance has certainly increased. We’ve had a chance to feature guest speakers from around the globe at virtual events. And, even though in-person fundraising events were forced to cancel, organizations found ways to make it happen online and raise funds while cutting out some of the typical event expenses.
We felt a great sense of community – When disaster or tragedy strikes, it tends to bring people together as we all look for ways to help and heal. The Central Jersey Shore is no exception. We are grateful and proud to live, work and play in such an incredible community.
Necessary DEI work is being done – We have all learned a lot about social justice issues across our nation over the past year. At the Grunin Foundation, we have been doing the work internally – both individually and as a team – to become an antiracist organization. We are working with partners to identify obstacles to DEI in our region as well as finding effective strategies or solutions to address them. We are committed to making essential changes to facilitate continuing development and dialogue in our DEI journey and we are proud of our nonprofit partners who are doing the same.
Time to spring forward
2020 has given us some of the most trying times we’ve ever been through. It’s also strengthened our partnerships, our passion to serve and our community. We will take and apply all of the lessons learned with us as we move forward.
We have some exciting partnership and program announcements to come in 2021 – all with the goal of driving economic excellence, increasing the quality of life for all residents of the Central Jersey Shore and championing a just and equitable society. As always, we are grateful to our nonprofit partners for being on this journey with us and making our community healthier, stronger, safer and more inclusive.
And before we sign off, we’d like to give a HUGE shoutout to our hospital systems, doctors, nurses and all the healthcare workers who kept our community as healthy and safe as possible. None of us could do what we do each day without having a strong healthcare system as our backbone – THANK YOU!
Here’s to brighter days…
2020 was a challenging year, but we are grateful for our partners and community who really stepped up, worked together and helped those in need. Check out some of our incredible partner highlights from last year as well as words from our Chairman and President on what’s to come.
Click the image below to download the Grunin Foundation 2020 Year in Review.
Thank you to Jeanne Wall and Community Magazine for publishing this article, Jeremy Grunin’s Rising Tide: Using Philanthropy to Drive Economic Excellence. Learn some fun facts about Jeremy and his career path, as well as the evolution of the Grunin Foundation.
Click to read the opinion article by Jeremy Grunin and Sharnita Johnson, published by NJ.com.
The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on every single aspect of life as we knew it. The impacts to health, lives, jobs and businesses are obvious and devastating.
COVID-19 has also impacted other areas of life that may not be quite as obvious, such as the arts. While we know theaters have temporarily closed and many have lost their jobs, we may not realize that if we lost the arts, cultural and historical sector entirely, this will devastate our communities, educational systems, mental health and economy.
The New Jersey Arts and Culture Recovery Fund was created to help ensure the survival of the state’s arts, cultural and historical sector during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Co-Chaired by Jeremy Grunin, President of the Grunin Foundation, and Sharnita Johnson, Arts Program Director of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the fund is growing and will provide grants directly to nonprofit organizations and, indirectly through an intermediary partner(s), to artists and sector workers negatively impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
It’s hard to believe we are in the month of November. Time is flying while we continue to try navigating our way through 2020. As we approach Thanksgiving, we are extra focused on gratitude this year. We could not do any of our work without our nonprofit partners, healthcare systems, business leaders and community members.
To our nonprofit partners
YOU are doing the work to create lasting, positive impact for everyone in our community. In spite of the pandemic, you have not missed a beat and even increased your services to ensure those who need them most have access. You have been on the front lines to keep the vulnerable safe, provide meals to those who are food insecure, help the isolated feel connected, give children a safe place to learn and so much more.
To our partners in the healthcare systems
You have worked around the clock, tirelessly to keep our community safe. You have helped so many COVID-19 patients face and overcome their battle. Not only were you there to take care of them medically, you were there FOR them when family members could not visit due to restrictions. You kept the hospitals safe for other patients and your staff. We can’t thank you enough for all of the sacrifices you have made and continue to make to keep our community’s health a top priority.
To our friends in the business community
2020 has been filled with uncertainty. The balance between staying safe and continuing to operate normally has been a challenge to say the least. You have remained positive, creative and continued to help others while trying to make the best of the changing business landscape.
To our Central Jersey Shore Community
You are the reason the Grunin Foundation exists. It is our mission to improve the quality of life for all members of our community by using philanthropy to drive economic excellence at the Central Jersey Shore. We are grateful for your ideas, hard work in our community and for your support.
Each and every one of you is helping our vision come alive – a Central Jersey Shore where people come to visit and stay to live…where businesses and nonprofits work together in a thriving community where everyone has access to an abundance of exemplary arts, culture, education, healthcare and economic opportunities.
Thank you for all you do. We are grateful to work, live and play in such a collaborative, supportive and amazing community.
Wishing you good health, happiness and prosperity as we move into the holiday season and close out 2020. May 2021 be a year of brightness, peace and love.
The Graduate Medical Education program (GME), commonly referred to as residency and the final step in the education of physicians, began in July of 2018 at Ocean Medical Center with support from the Grunin Foundation. Since then, there have been 60 residents, including 13 who are entering their third year. Two of the third year residents in the family medicine program have been appointed as Chief Residents. This is an incredible achievement and they are looked upon as mentors and leaders by their peers.
The GME program provides comprehensive training, combined with an attractive region in which to establish a future and provide fertile ground for retention of these bright, competent future physicians. Throughout the program, residents are exposed to emergency medicine, geriatrics, pediatrics, surgical services, orthopedics, sports medicine, gynecology, maternal care, dermatology, behavioral health, and diagnostic/nuclear imaging. Each resident has a panel of patients, where the resident will serve as the primary care physician.
Normally, the annual white coat ceremony is held each summer. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the incoming residents were introduced to the program and facilities virtually. This year, Ocean Medical Center added 25 residents; eight in family medicine, eight in internal medicine and nine in psychiatry. In total, the GME program has 60 residents with 24 in family medicine, 16 in internal medicine and 20 in psychiatry.
While COVID-19 has presented many challenges and changed the way of life, it has helped the residents gain valuable experience. They’ve had hands-on involvement in handling a health crisis and working as a team to provide the best possible care to their patients. Through these challenging times, the residents have felt strongly that Ocean Medical Center provides not only innovative and visionary leaders who invest in their wellness and success, but also a family environment. Having gone through some of their toughest days as a resident during the pandemic, they feel prepared for whatever the future may bring.
The Grunin Foundation believes that supporting this residency program and helping to attract the next generation of health care providers to our community is important for not only enhancing care but helping the local economy to thrive. The Ocean Medical Center GME program is creating a culture of wellness and economic excellence at the Central Jersey Shore. We are thrilled to watch the success grow each year and we look forward to a bright future.
The Grunin Foundation is proud to be a part of a coalition of funders that has established the New Jersey Arts and Culture Recovery Fund (NJACRF) to help ensure the survival of the state’s cultural sector that has faced economic devastation from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Fund has so far raised more than $1.6 million, including a lead matching gift of $1 million from the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund (NJPRF) to help kick start NJACRF, and quickly get support to arts and culture groups around the state. “New Jersey has a celebrated and vibrant arts and cultural sector that has suffered tremendously as a result of the pandemic,” said Josh Weinreich, CEO of the NJPRF. “We are proud to support NJACRF so they can give much needed aid to this community.”
NJACRF will provide grants to the cultural community to offset expenses incurred due to pandemic cancelations, reopening adaptations, and support for artists and sector professionals.
Arts and culture are an essential component of the state and local economies. Nonprofit arts organizations generate more than $660 million in economic activity in New Jersey, employ nearly 22,000 workers, and engage more than 8.3 million people who stay in hotels, and eat and shop locally.
“Investing in arts and culture today will increase the chances of long-term, sustainable success, with broad-reaching results that impact employment, real estate values, crime and safety, tourism, health and wellness, education, and overall quality of life in New Jersey,” said First Lady Tammy Murphy, the founding chair of the NJPRF.
Half of the NJPRF gift was made possible through a matching grant from Joan Rechnitz, a philanthropist who founded the Two River Theater in Red Bank with her late husband, Robert.
“I am delighted to help kick off this incredibly important fund,” Rechnitz said. “The arts and culture are the heart and soul of our communities and vital to the work we do to rebuild from the devastating impacts of the pandemic.”
The Grunin Foundation, based in Toms River, provided the initial gift of $250,000 to establish the fund.
“We are proud to support the New Jersey Arts and Culture Recovery Fund,” said Jeremy Grunin, Co-Chair of the NJACRF and President of the Grunin Foundation. “The impact of the global pandemic on this sector has been felt by everyone. Arts and culture are important to our emotional and social wellbeing while also serving as an important gear in our economic engine. This fund will help ensure the sector’s survival in the short term and growth in the longer term.”
NJPRF has pledged to match new contributions to the fund dollar for dollar, up to $1 million. To double the impact of your dollars, and help sustain NJ arts and culture donate now by clicking here.
While business as it was before COVID-19 has come to a screeching halt, many cultural groups and artists have not stopped working, most without pay, to offer relief and hope for residents of all ages, including many of our most vulnerable populations.
Some of these nonprofits have been serving communities for decades, but due to event cancelations, refunds, layoffs, and complete closure, they have exhausted reserves and increased debt. The economic fallout is expected to have a ripple effect statewide
The NJACRF is hosted by the Princeton Area Community Foundation. In addition to Grunin, the NJACRF’s Steering Committee includes representatives from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Prudential Foundation, Stone Foundation of NJ, and E. J. Grassmann Trust, all contributors to the fund, as well as the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and New Jersey Historical Commission.
“As the sector at large braces for worst-case scenarios, including permanent closure, New Jersey and its residents risk losing a necessary component of a complete recovery,” said Sharnita C. Johnson, Arts Program Director at the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and NJACRF Co-Chair. “With help, the sector will continue to support healing, resilience, and relief, and move forward on a path for safe reopening.”
NJACRF grants and application information will be announced in the coming weeks.
To learn more about the fund, visit www.NJartsculture.org, or contact Michael Nuno at [email protected]