Skip to the main content.
Give Join Today!
Give Join Today!

IMPACT REPORT

2024

Find Your Best Self.
Find Your Y.

I'm Ready to Join!

Add an Awesome Headline

Plus, some additional information make this section look awesome.

IMPACT HIGHLIGHTS

Use navigation arrows to read more.

Mental Health icon

Bolstering Mental Health

Certified over 160 staff in Mental Health First Aid, QPR Suicide Prevention, and/or the Nurtured Heart Approach®.

Adult hand holding a child's hand

Raising the Bar in Safety

Continued to elevate our standards in child abuse prevention with our three-year accreditation by Praesidium, Inc., the leader in abuse risk management.

YMCA staff member

Top Workplace

Awarded a Top Workplaces 2024 honor by NJ.com Top Workplaces, based solely on employee feedback.

Colorful hand in a circle

Top Charity Rating

Charity Navigator recognized us as a 4-star Charity for the 13th consecutive year with a perfect score of 100. Only 1% of nonprofits nationally have earned this distinction.

Girls having fun at YMCA summer camp

Top Camps

The Fairview Lake YMCA’s Blue Mountain Day Camp was selected as the winner of the 2024 Best of Newton Awards in the Camp category and made the Newsweek list of 500 Best Camps in the U.S. The South Mountain YMCA Summer Discovery Camp also made the Newsweek 500 Best Camps list.

YMCA staff teaching cpr

Top Training Provider

The American Red Cross recognized the Metro Y as a top training provider, as we trained 491 individuals in lifeguarding, CPR and First Aid.

Impact Report Review Images-1

All-Time High Enrollment

Saw record summer camp participation post-pandemic, with over 19,309 camper week registrations.

Little kids at West Essex YMCA Peanut Shell Early Childhood Learning Center

Expanding Preschool
Access

Expanded the Universal Pre-Kindergarten program at the West Essex YMCA Peanut Shell Early Childhood Learning Center, now serving 75 children with subsidized preschool programming.

Young campers and counselor having fun at summer camp

Record Camperships

Raised a record $67,100 in camp scholarships during the annual Metro YMCA Golf Outing, which will provide essential support to 1 in 4 kids who rely on financial assistance from the Y to attend camp each year.

Two women playing pickleball at the Sussex County YMCA Pickleball Center

Meeting Pickleball
Demand

Celebrated the grand opening of the Sussex County YMCA Pickleball Center, the first of its kind in Sussex County, and the first standalone indoor pickleball center operated by a YMCA in New Jersey.

Young girls at after school programs at the South Mountain YMCA

Expanding After-School Enrichment

Took the helm of Beyond the Bell in Maplewood/South Orange and successfully transitioned to the South Mountain YMCA from the school district with over 1,600 participants enrolled. The Y was able to make this program more accessible to all, with financial assistance available to qualifying families and 100% and 80% financial assistance to children on Free/Reduced Lunch.

Net Promoter Score icon

Expect the Best

The Metro YMCA achieved a 73 Net Promoter Score, which measures customer loyalty and satisfaction, matching the NPS of companies like Amazon (49) and Apple (48).

The new West Essex YMCA pool

Celebrating Legacy

Marked the 70th anniversary of the West Essex YMCA and made significant strides in the fundraising and construction of a brand new Y in Livingston.

Letter From Leadership

Dear YMCA Members, Friends, and Partners,

As we reflect on 2024, we are filled with gratitude and pride for the consequential progress made across our YMCA community. This year has been one of momentum - deepening our impact, strengthening our programs, and laying the groundwork for future generations. Every milestone achieved is a direct result of your belief in our mission and your investment in our shared future.

We are proud to share that our program offerings have grown in both depth and reach. In Sussex County, we opened a brand new Pickleball Center - an innovative facility and the first of its kind in the area - providing a vibrant hub for health, community, and recreation. Our Personal Training program underwent enhancements that elevated member experiences, while the launch of an instant Financial Assistance application expanded access to programs for more families in need. We continued our “Expect the Best” initiatives to strengthen service delivery and maintain excellence. Notably, our Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 73 reflects exceptional member satisfaction and loyalty - significantly higher than many leading brands, including Amazon (49) and Apple (48). Our 2024 Annual Support Campaign exceeded expectations once again, reflecting your generous support and belief in our cause.

This past year also marked a turning point for the future of the West Essex YMCA. We proudly launched a Capital Campaign to support the development of a new, state-of-the-art facility - one that will be the largest YMCA built in Essex County in the last 50 years.

Our commitment to youth and families continues to be a cornerstone of our work. We expanded access to free preschool in Livingston and surrounding communities, helping young learners get the strongest possible start. Our Beyond the Bell after-school program thrived under the South Mountain YMCA’s leadership, providing essential enrichment for students and peace of mind for working parents. And at camp, we reached an all-time high in camper weeks -proof that our revered programs continue to inspire joy, growth, and connection for children of all ages.

Looking ahead, we begin the process of crafting a new 3-year Strategic Plan in 2025 to ensure we are adapting our services and facilities to meet the evolving needs of our community. In 2025, construction will begin on the new West Essex YMCA, and we will celebrate several milestone anniversaries: The South Mountain YMCA’s 55th year, the Sussex County YMCA’s 20th, and the Fairview Lake YMCA Camps’ remarkable 110th. Most significantly, 2025 marks 140 years of the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges serving the community a legacy built on compassion, innovation, and the unwavering belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive.

Yours in service,

Rick Gorab

Chief Executive Officer

The Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges

daren_phil2

Daren Phil
Chairman of the Board

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges Board of Directors provides governance, policy direction, and fundraising support for the entire Association. The visionary leadership of these volunteers helps us provide extraordinary youth development, and healthy living experiences and so much more throughout our service area.

Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges - Board of Directors

Daren Phil, Chairman of the Board
Peter H. Tanella, Vice Chairman
Bill Ruhl, Treasurer
Marlene Waldock, Secretary
Ronald Schwarz, Immediate Past Chairman
Richard K. Gorab, President/CEO


Ajay Bansal • Dan Borgna • Jose Briones • Reyna Burger • Valerie W. Crawford* • Mike D’Alessandro • Kristi D’Angeli • William Esposito • Lawrence Fechner, Esq. • Stacey Staaterman Feeney • Ted Foung • Jose A. Galvan • Paul A. Gomperz* • Staci Grant • Christel Hyden • Matthew B. Jarmel • Branden Jones • Mark Lewis • Stephen M. Mellet, Sr. • Nilesh Mhatre •  Andrew Pfaff • Daren J. Phil • Toni Pinkett • William R. Ruhl • Peter Schofel • Ronald Schwarz • Alex Serrano, CPA • Jean Stennet • Peter H. Tanella, Esq. • Himanshu (Hams) Tripathi • Stuart Vorcheimer • Marlene Waldock • Christopher Wolverton *Emeritus
Daren Phil, Chairman of the Board

Daren Phil

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
Peter H. Tanella, Vice Chairman

Peter H. Tanella

VICE CHAIRMAN
Bill Ruhl, Treasurer

Bill Ruhl

TREASURER
Marlene Waldock, Secretary

Marlene Waldock

SECRETARY
Ronald Schwarz

Ronald Schwarz

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN
Richard K. Gorab, President and CEO

Richard K. Gorab

PRESIDENT AND CEO

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

2024 audited financial statements examined by Bederson LLP.

REVENUE AMOUNT

Contributions / Grants/Government Contracts

$5,834,434

Membership

$5,929,247

Program

$32,955,874

Other

$9,185,688

TOTAL REVENUE

$53,905,243
EXPENSES AMOUNT

Program Services

$38,654,970

Supporting Services

$7,336,268

TOTAL EXPENSES

$45,991,238

CHANGE IN NET ASSETS

$7,914,005

INVESTING IN COMMUNITY

  • Raised a record $2.9 million in contributed income towards our Annual Support Campaign.

  • 1,215 volunteers provided 18,522 hours to support the Y.

  • 3,108 kids learned invaluable water safety and swimming skills and the importance of sportsmanship through Y programs.

  • 4,773 kids tried new activities, made lasting friendships, and gained independence at summer camp.

  • 3,411 kids were inspired to learn, play and grow in one of our 42 afterschool and full day programs. 

  • 921 children developed critical physical, social, and emotional skills that help shape their view of the world in one of our 4 Early Childhood Learning Centers.

  • 42,288 individuals connected with the Y in-person or virtually, growing in spirit, mind, and body.

  • Awarded 3,493 recipients a total of $2,406,853 in financial assistance toward Y programs.

  • 196 middle school students received free memberships.

STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY

Building Healthy Communities

  • Partnered with CFBNJ FoodBank to offer enriching experiences at the East Orange YMCA, including cooking classes for kids, fostering essential life skills and nutritional awareness. 

  • Restored swim lessons and lap swimming to the New Milford and surrounding communities, using Hackensack High School's pool to offer programming for children and adults. 

  • Offered free enrollment in the Piranhas Special Olympics Swim Team for adults with disabilities at the West Essex YMCA, for the first time since the onset of the pandemic.

  • Celebrated record participation in the West Essex YMCA’s Racers Swim Team with 138 swimmers, and reached state and national status for the first time.

  • Worked with the State of NJ to license St. Joseph's educational building in Maplewood for additional After School programming. This opened 200 more spots for critical after school care. 

  • Added Futsal (five-a-side soccer) and pickleball courts at Fairview Lake YMCA Camps, making all-weather play possible for campers and visiting groups, and a new pavilion.

  • Enhanced pickleball offerings with the introduction of Premium Memberships at the Sussex County and the West Essex YMCAs, and added drop-in play sessions at the New Milford and the South Mountain YMCAs.

Expanding Access to All Adults, Children & Families  

  • Taught 224 swimmers essential water safety skills that help reduce their risk of accidental drowning at our free Safety Around Water program. 

  • Raised over $43,000 at the 22nd Annual Sussex County Golf Outing for financial assistance and free programs at the Sussex County YMCA

  • Raised over $31,000 for local children and families at the South Mountain YMCA Duck Race, celebrating 25 years. Read more.

  • Raised over $37,000 to support approximately 1 in 4 summer campers during our second Camp for a Cause campaign. Read more.

  • Raised over $50,000 during the 59th Annual Sports Award Banquet,  hosted by the New Milford YMCA Program Center. Read more.

  • Raised $63,000 through the Y’s first Sporting Clays fundraising event. Read more.

 
Little girl on a tricycle

Early Childhood Care

The Y is like an extension of our family. All four of our children have gone (or are going) through the Early Childcare Learning Center and the staff could not be more amazing. The learning, the friendships, the love... it's all there. And we are so grateful.

- Jessica Murphy, South Mountain YMCA

Older woman taking swim lessons at the YMCA

Swim Lessons

As an adult beginner swimmer, I felt instantly at ease with instructors Jada and Roma's warm, judgment-free approach. Their patient, tailored teaching methods and constant encouragement made every class rewarding. The facility itself is immaculately clean, with a bright, inviting pool area and spotless changing rooms. For adults learning to swim, this welcoming environment with exceptional instructors is truly empowering. Highly recommended for an enjoyable, supportive experience.

-Shelly Lettman, East Orange YMCA

Blair Scrudato, Sussex County YMCA member and cancer survivor

LIVESTRONG@ 
at the YMCA

Blair Scrudato credits the LIVESTRONG program with helping her feel better physically and mentally, and more like herself, after all she had been through. “This program was valuable in helping me get strong so I can live my life and make memories. I couldn’t have done it on my own.”

-Blair Scrudato, Sussex County YMCA

Alison Clark, West Essex YMCA member

Health & Wellness

The YMCA has been my go to exercise home for over 40 years. I have friends who were exercising when I started and are still there. In fact, many of us look forward to seeing each other in our now Senior Classes! That is part of what keeps us coming because not only is the Y our home for keeping ourselves physically strong and healthy, it's also a place where friendships are made and last. And what a pleasant greeting we receive when we walk in the door and check in. We are always greeted with a "Good Morning" and a big smile. For those of us who live alone due to the loss of a spouse, that greeting is a great way to feel welcome and begin our day! 

-Alison Clark, West Essex YMCA

Two school age girls that participate in after school programs at the YMCA

School-Age
Child Care

I like that the program is offered for parents like me who have to be at work at a certain time. I like the convenience of it as well as the price. The people that run the program at my school are kind and trustworthy.

- Rashmi Roberson, New Milford YMCA Program Center

Two young men at Fairview Lake YMCA summer camp

Summer Camp

This is the 4th summer that my son gets to enjoy the privilege of camp at Fairview Lake. Each year, he is sobbing on pick-up day which I am ready for as the letters sent while away only beg for us to sign him up for an extended session there. My son has changed a lot and all for the better since being at Camp. It's a very inclusive environment that allows him to be himself and meet others from so many walks of life. He loves that he gets to learn new games, be outdoors and most importantly, meet so many new people.

- Elaine Roman, Fairview Lake YMCA Camps

 

Sign Up For E-News

Stay up-to-date on all things Y. We care about your privacy and will never sell or give your email address to anyone.

METRO YMCA OF THE ORANGES ACCREDITATIONS

Praesidium accredited logo American Camp Association Charity Navigator 4-star logo Newsweek Best Summer Camps award logo Top Workplace logo NJ Grows Logo