I'm going to get started because we we do have we we do have a one guest that has a time constraint um I'll I'll hold off the minutes until hopefully let me introduce you our presenter it's my pleasure to introduce to you Meg me gold laska she's she's a director of the mission at advancement as Alex will attest to we've been looking very seriously at a new YMCA like consel of fathers that want say up it's still all the talking stages but Meg who I who I had who I had little reading with she's attempting to get this thing organized but she has talked to the council I know and talk to a lot of other people so I'm going to open to you your great so um thank you everyone for your gracious hospitality and having me here at this meeting um uh as Gary said Gary was you know invited me to come to share with you a little a little bit about um the why and what we've been doing in Franklin Township so um I thought I would just jump in tell you a little bit about myself a little bit about greater suers County YMCA and also what we're doing in Franklin Township and um and then I can open it up to any questions that you might have um so I have been with the Y for the past 12 years initially I started out in a marketing capacity um but really L the whole of the why as a nonprofit organization and so I moved into our our fundraising um and fund development team and in my role at the Y one of the one of my responsibilities really is to explore opportunities for the why to provide services to communities in our service area that were not currently survey and we know for a long time um that there's been talk about bringing a WI a Franklin Township um and so really we've over the past 5 years really we've made a concerted effort to really explore that opportunity um so just to give you a little bit of background about greater Somerset County YMCA um we have been serving the community since 1873 so last year we celebrated our 150th anniversary currently we have five physical locations so one in Basking Ridge one in Bridgewater Somerville Hillsboro Princeton is one of our branches um and we also do programs in planfield and in Franklin Township so those two are sort of like a y Without Walls we do programs but we don't have a facility um and so I don't know has anyone ever been M of the y or had experience of why cor used to be a lifeguard oh fantastic we always appreciate our lifeguard so thank you great great and you as well what what has been your experience uh it's been great both my kids have uh gone to thew and been part of the atic team and uh since we didn't have one locally we had to go to Princeton and you go to Princeton the Princeton location fantastic sign sign sheet yeah B here um so for those of you who don't know um really the Y has three pillars as part of our mission the first one is Youth Development so it's really ensuring that all children have the opportunity to reach their full potential so we really nurture them through all kinds of programs and services um that help them guide them to a bright future um healthy living is our second pillar um that's really looking at ways that we can improve the health and well-being of the community and our third pillar is social responsibility so there are all kinds of programs and services that uplift neighbors particularly those who um May struggle financially emotionally and physically so we really look to remove barriers so that we're providing everyone with the resour ources and the um support and relationships that they need to thrive um and so over the past several years um we um we really felt like there would be an opportunity for us to serve the Franklin Township community um and so in 2020 we were able to partner um we started partnering with the board of education on um we took over the um or we were awarded the school age Child Care Program in the schools um so we started with that program we have since added um some of our safety around water and swim lessons um we work with the Franklin Township food bank on food distribution opportunities um we also have worked with the rec department on programs for seniors some Wellness programs um and you know other programs as well um so over the past um gosh since 2020 our school age Child Care Program started during covid and Dr crosy knows a lot of this already because he's been he's been a wonderful Advocate um for bringing the Y to Franklin Township but during 2020 when we first partnered with the Board of Education we started and it was during the time when schools were closed um but we knew that parents had to go to work so at Franklin Park School we started um a remote Learning Center for Children who needed a place to learn in a safe environment um while their parents went to work we started with 15 children in that program and our staff would help them get on to their Zoom classes and make sure that they were getting their work done and staying focused on you know because you know how difficult it was for children during that time um to stay focused on their online learning um and so we grew from 15 children in that program to nearly 500 um this year and we are now in all seven elementary schools um and um in addition to just you know the the program that we have the curriculum that we have for after school and helping them with their homework and making sure that we Infuse social and emotional learning into our curriculum and and those kinds of things um we also recognized over the past several years um that there there have been a few tragic drownings in the community and we know that water safety is something that the why is an expert in so um we worked with the municipality to be able to get a Grant to be able to bust the children from our school age child care programs to our Hillsboro facility um so that we can provide our safety around water program um so we've been doing that for the past several years um with all of the children um we rotate schools and so each school has for six weeks goes over to Hillsboro and does this after school um and based on the success of that program um we also integrated that just this P year into the physical education curriculum for all second graders so we're bringing the second graders over to Hillsboro again to teach them how to be Sav in and around the water um we also started a new summer camp um in Franklin Township at Colonial Park so we have the support of the Somerset County Commission commers through arpa funding um to be able to provide a camp program to um children who qualify for free and reduced meal programs um in the schools and their children from Franklin Township Manville Bound Brook and southbound Brook and we would bust the children from a central location in each of those communities to Colonial Park um where they had a full day of camp um we serve breakfast and lunch every day um plus they had the opportunity to be outdoors and make new friends and be active um and particularly following Co when there was children had so much screen time um it was just a great way to really get them engaged and give them an opportunity to grow and of course Colonial Park has all these wonderful amenities so the kids were playing mini golf and they playing in the field and they were swimming at uh you know playing in the water park area um so it was really a wonderful program the first year um we had 120 children in Camp and the second year um we have 260 children in the camp um and even though the the um that we no longer have ARA funding this year um we are now offering financial assistance um through the Y to be able to continue you to offer that program to families um you said in Camille Park I'm sorry in Camille Park Colonial Park oh I you said Colonial Park at Colonial Park oh right by the N okay right um so and again in that program we also did our safety around water and swim lessons we added that in as well um because we really feel like swimming is a life skill that everyone should have I think you were talking about the pools earlier yeah um so we know how important that is and you know the importance of making the whole Community safer by teaching more and more children have a swim um excuse me um also um so I'm just going to give you a couple of Statistics just about the impact that the Y's had just last year alone in Franklin Township so with our financial assistance program which is fun did through fundraising that we do in our annual campaign each year um last year alone in our school AG Child Care Program um and other programs we um we we gave out 200 over $225,000 in scholarships um for those programs one of the interesting things about the why being awarded the school age Child Care Program is that as a nonprofit organization we are able to offer financial assistance to families who otherwise couldn't afford that service whereas the school had previously run the program so now it's opening it up to even more families um in the community who's who's you know and it also Builds on um you know the economic value of that too is allowing parents to continue to work knowing that their children are safe in the wise program um so we have about as I said about 500 children in our school age Child Care Program now um about one in six receives financial assistance uh we had about 500 over 500 children in our safety around water program um and um I mentioned that we had 260 children at in our camp program at Colonial Park um also through through our programs through summer camp as well as in our after school care program um last year the Y gave out over 35,000 meals um to Children um and in some of our adult Fitness classes we have about you know around a 100 participants who regular regularly come to those classes as well so I'm just going to take a quick you know uh pause there just to see if there are any questions and then I can share with you a little bit about our progress to um Advance bringing an actual facility I have one question on the safety around the water program what is the age limit was the minimum age that you allow case to take advantage of that so in our grade whatever sure in our camp program and in our school AE Child Care Program it's children who are entering kindergarten oh I see through fifth grade all right um so those are that's about the AG rate um but we also have you know throughout all of our YMCA throughout the county um you know we we not only teach children how to swim but we also have um adults swim lessons um and um you know we've also been offering opportunities for um diverse populations who may have certain criteria that need to be met in order for for them to appropriately use the pool um we've been we've made accommodations for those groups as well um and so you know we we really believe that swimming is a life skill that everyone should have um and so we really work very hard to make sure that we're opening those up those doors you just follow us so these children they go that they come for the safety around water program they're T by uh coaches how to swim how to you know just learn about safety around the water correct yeah so so they're they're wi certified instructors yes my question is everything you just talked about uh because two kids drowned downtown to Brun in the ran River in the canal is the reason why we pushed I was among the people that pushed who didn't have a pool in our own neighborhood but we have a lot of kids didn't have the access to a pool period and because of the dring is why we pushed some me and some other people push to have a pool in our park that's how the pool became to existence now everything you just talked about has been nonexistence in frankon Township ever are you're saying that the program that you just talked about this now and do you have do you also have housing where young men go like the YMCA and so forth I mean is that a part of your total program too so so that's an excellent I mean everything you've been talking about was about swimming and theol sure and the YMCA always known is about everything else plus the swimming and the booth sure and I have been to several young men in my lifetime so but we need a YMCA for the past 30 years okay that's where our young men when they was eligible to be able to go to a YMCA they had no place to go to and then once they got of age of where they were beyond what you just talking about concer the pool and the young kids and so forth they were sent to got to be on welfare or whatever some need some help to assist they was sent to a motel 20 M from home where normally a YMCA would be able if there was an existence in their neighborhood they would be able to be able to grow from that from a YMCA so I'm just telling you that I'm just saying to you that everything you just saying is good and fine I sure wish that was in Frankl town for the past 30 years and what you're saying to us now is that you're trying to make that available to Franklin Township if at all possible is that basically what you're saying so what yeah so so you bring up an interesting question so and I'm going to I'll answer the second question first so yes our goal um is to bring a YMCA to Franklin Township and the municipality um including mayor Kramer and our wonderful council members um have been incredibly supportive about um bringing the why and partnering with us to bring a why to the Community to answer your second question or your your first question technically um there are many wi across the country and yor is one of them where um housing is part of the YMCA the YMCA as an organization um was really founded to meet the needs of each community that it serves so even among the that are part of that are sort of under our umbrella for greater sunet County YMCA when you go to each YMCA you'll see that there each one has a slightly different personality and slightly different programs and services that's because we work to mirror the needs of the community right if there's a need in the community housing then then a YMCA you know may um explore the opportunity to provide those Services right I the new bu one BCA and I've all my life I've known that to be playful young man could be raised up they Liv there and they had a pool of course but that's that's my idea of a YMCA you know what I'm saying sure and I think but I think it's also worth mentioning that um since the since the YMCA was founded in London well before r y was um you know it yes it started out as young men the ym but the Y has evolved and grown and the Y is open to all it's open to everyone yeah so man Association that's right yeah right so it's so really why um the y y USA sort of the governing body for YMCA's um has really focused just you know they rebranded as the why um but it's the YMCA is open to everyone and we we that's that's really the goal is to for the GU to nearr um the community in terms of its diversity and to celebrate that and I think that's one of the wonderful things about Franklin Township is the diversity of this community um and um and I can talk a little bit more about the work that we've done because we did do a market study um one of the things because we are a nonprofit organization is um you know and I know everyone's been talking about bringing the Y and it seems like we've been talking about it for a very long time but one of the reasons for that is that we've been very strategic about the approach that we're taking to ensure the sustainability of the YMCA in frin Township this you know we want this to work this project to have the same Legacy that our otherwise have you know to be here for the next 150 years to be here for generations to come me too and so we we didn't want to just say yes let's you know let's get into a fundraising campaign without doing our due diligence to make sure that we are taking the right approach we're taking strategically making um the right decisions to advance the opportunity so I think it's interesting to I didn't know uh to what extent the why was involved with our community in our Township so that was um good um we learned something um but also almost 2 years ago I believe there was a 10 acre piece of land in on the consulada that the township and the council had agreed to provide to the Y to set up a facility and there were some fundraising campaigns in and around it there was some ground associated with this some institutional funding and some individual resident based funding effort is that still in the works and if so where are we with that so the answer the first part of your question the property um is yes the the township has designated that property um for us to be able to build a facility in that location to dat there has been no fundraising that has happened um we are only just getting we're only just starting that um and you know we're just really on the cusp of starting that campaign now okay so yeah there haven't been any funds that have been um we've not actively been looking for funds um we've really we really have been doing more of the the um the planning if you will so we did the market study to see um from a programmatic and membership perspective if the Y would be sustainable in the community and it the study came back showing that um not only it would be sustainable um but that it would there would be a wonderful reflection of diversity of the community in the membership base which is great to see um and then we from there we did a feasibility study that really um supports our work in figuring out how much can be raised in a capital campaign um to bring a y to Franklin Township and again there was you know that that study was um done among residents of Franklin Township who expressed an interest in helping to advance this opportunity um and again great enthusiasm for that so but I think also to your point we know that it will um you know beyond individual philanthropy um we will also be looking at other funding opportunities as well so basically there saying that there is no y here okay because the reason I thought it was at consulada already because I see there's a website and it has the address and it has only programs yes so we have an office we partner with the Board of Education and we have an office at their building okay but the programs that are here they are not existing yet I'm not sure which programs you're referring to so they don't have any physical building yeah it's planned it's planned no because it said I I was under the impression it was already running I no I wish I was a again but but but I thought from 2 years ago there would have been a lot of progress that we have made seems like we're still in the planning phase yeah because it says here grad preate to fish I wonder why all options locate a front lot so I thought they were all existing I told somebody that there's a y yeah so we do have child care programs from kindergarten through fifth grade and they there so what happens is and I apologize because maybe I wasn't clear we when I said we partner with the Board of Education all of those programs are at the schools at school so the children stay at school and our staff goes to those schools and we actually use the schools as our don't have for you know for the program because other people stop so there are actually programs now that you're using that's yes so the Child Care Program the before and after school care program and the one in the uh in the park and the one in the park is our cam so that is has been running for 3 years now oh um we also partner with the ref department so we use the senior center for some classes um some Fitness classes um for seniors um I believe it's for seniors oh so in other words they don't have a brick and water yet yes what we're working oh okay yes that's what we're working toward thank so much other and you don't want to have any time Horizon as far as when that ground break is going to happen right we don't have a timeline although what I would say is um you know we're we're hoping that we can get this done in let's say the next 5 years um whenever you and your buddy decide for if you know of course everything will depend on funding um and if we if we have a great success you know immediately then we can put a shovel in the we we know the rest we really do thank you so much how can this group help how can the township help sure so I you know if anyone is interested in learning more um I can pass out my cards and um you can reach out to me to ly and I can share more I the Council as I mentioned has been wonderful and very supportive we have we 100% support and we really want to have why because we need why having 70,000 people here and many of them they go to otherwise like you do and uh so uh and especially because of the diversity we really need a place like as I say Mr K have we support them 100% And we open comrades myself as a kid I used to go to the LI in the' 60s and then since I was going to the DA camp and all that when I became a life guard CU I love to S so I I push for the L well and the other thing you know it's great that you bring that up too because in in all of the communities that we serving really across the country the Y is one of the largest employers of teens um 35% of our staff at greater Somerset County YMCA are between the ages of 15 and 19 years old and it's a great first job because they there's an added level of responsibility when you're a lifeguard you're you're saving lives when you're working in child care you're working you're Mentor for children when you're a camp counselor you're a mentor for children so there's all these wonderful jobs that teach accountability and responsibility and great values um as I'm sure you probably learned Right add one other thing absolutely greatting and ab absolutely great absolutely great and it's really nice it's really nice when you have uh that many uh lifeguards in the training right and you have yeah I was certified you don't have any kids to train because of financial instability that's not true did you understand what I just said there are kids you mention about is wonderful to have their first job I would say also for the last job because I see a lot of seniors also they work so you have the first job and the last job yeah it's actually so great that you bring that up because um I was just at our Hillsboro location the other day and I met a new person and he said oh I'm Joe and I just retired and so this is my retirement job and I was like oh great great Joe I'm glad to that's what I great thanks okay any other question sh with you thank you for sharing thank I told you the H is behind this so if you need help oh really we act on behalf of the C counselor but if you need our help you know we be glad can do just tell us what you want us to do and we SN Mr over there in the gang and make them go our way you know thank you no be talking truly I I appreciate I know you know it's it's a late evening meeting and I really appreciate your time and just being able to share the work that done and where we're headed thank you with our youth in the township so he he'll be more than happy to help you yes I know we will yes ma'am will okay thank you very much thank you want me stick around or you want to we not going to be do much longer okay great all right that's continue the meeting um I don't have I don't have a polican my driver he's my driver I don't have he's with me but um do you want to give a brief report on sure bias training yes sure should have received email on that he comes up here signed up I think I signed up yeah you did you did sign up yeah yeah so you know with the worst is great but it has some challenges and part of the challenges that sometime people what are you talking about we're talking about the bias and civil rights training I said so yeah everybody has it so one of the things that always comes up uh there hate crimes bigotry bullying and so forth and a lot of people especially the new arrivals and some D many of the diverse communities that we have they really don't know what their rights are what what kind of uh crime is a bias crime for example and if somebody is uh subject to a biased crime how or who to report and how to report so the Franken interface Council uh approached uh the U uh Homeland Security and they they always have training under bias training and civil rights and so forth so they are putting this program together on the on July 31st it's going to be a senior center starting at 6:00 they will be also Diner uh ser and so Homeland Security and other people they will be coming and giving that training but they added another part to it which I really think is very useful is that what is the mental health effect if somebody is facing a you know BSE crime or hate a bigotry cuz often you face and you go home and you can't sleep or you you know you feel like maybe I don't belong to this community this society and so forth so they are going to be adding that part as well the mental health aspect of the the impact of the bias and hate crime and bigotry so I encourage everybody to come and learn it's going to be really a good training uh it's 2 and 1/2 hours and it's done by professional uh we have NAACP is one of the sponsor ERS we have a new organization in town GMA who are going to help us with some uh uh food items we have uh we get in the food from an Italian restaurant not we the sponsor HRC also is one of the sponsors yeah and we have it on the flyer you'll see our uh I don't have the fly it was in your email in the email phone baby you don't have a computer no I'll send you the if you you have a WhatsApp you s it I don't know what that is okay TT I'll send you the text John he'll send so but anyhow so I encourage everybody to come and and as especially your uh if you have young children uh high school or middle school ask them to come because a lot of these things happen in school bullying and so forth so they need to know we would like to get the word out Dr well I i' we've sent it out of it yeah I appreciate that now we already have 80 people signed up okay so you know is minimum sorry has anybody food is going to cost some money and that's one thing that I was going to ask if anybody wants to help towards that please uh you know let me know and um I can you can send them the money to me or I can you can I can connect you with the president of interface Council Reverend red so you can give them her to directly I'll tell you I'll tell you this in front of all of us here if nobody from the fourth board in the frankon township have been notified your whole effort is worthless John I have mentioned three times during the council meeting the email has gone out the the Baptist Church the first Lincoln Church who we have the president of interace council is a member of the it's Rend Reverend Sonia red she has NCP NW she's a member of NW she has sent it out to everybody so if you have not received your email nobody in the whole fourth W have received anything I'm sure they have because I have the list of the people that they they will have so it is it's that's not true we've been and also is on the the township website it's right there town so for so and now that you know just go ahead and tell people we still have time for them to register yes I will do that yeah but don't tell me they've been notified when I know they haven't how do you know John I'm well I have a meeting with with with with Deacon Deacon U uh uh uh Jonesy D Jones in the morning tomorrow and I'll asked him ask go yeah please and if they not I have the whole men's group is going to come and find you and find out this one this thing is going on I promise you that yeah okay but but it's been actually it's been uh kind of uh publicized quite a bit I haven't had no phone or nothing I I don't even know the first time I've ever heard about it Liv 80 years to you the last time at the last meeting it's in the minutes they about it and that's why I S that's why I sent you email youil I they talked about it on the last couple of meeting okay I found it ju July 31 you s it Johny you're in the list let's move on I they haing my phone they took my phone I got my phone let's move we don't have a police so please the RSVP by the end up tomorrow because we try and see how many they try and see how many uh people come in so they can order the food will you will you you my name my submit my name register me for me let's move on um I okay however you do it Johnny yes sir okay let's move on um I I need an okay for the minutes of April 24th and June 26th I couldn't do it last time but but but but we do have a little quum today so let's let me get a motion about those two minutes I'm APR okay the other thing on my we don't have a policeman tonight and I don't know why I I'll have to call Captain Heaven he really pretty good about that um the Kmart Shopping Center uh thing is coming up to the zoning board on August the 1st again August the 1 defitely want to beat her need to be I'm it still has not been approved we we're still talking about it so August 1 come to the Z you be I can oh man next Thursday thse well I wanted to know about the flag well what flag that's Edna she supposed to be here that flag you put up in middle what right she she was taking care of a project putting Flags right and she was supposed to make a report tonight and I haven't heard that that she's not com next time thought the Jun Lane if not I'll take thank you again thank you for coming sir and uh I I need a motion I make a motion second thank you everyone thank you see 31