NOVEMBER 2025

In this issue:

NYSLTA Empowers Northeast Bronx Y Teen Chefs

The Northeast Bronx (NEBX) Y was honored to be selected as the charitable beneficiary of the New York State Land and Trust Administration’s (NYSLTA) Convention and Annual Meeting Charity Auction, held on September 9, 2025, at the Grand Cascades Lodge at Crystal Springs in Hamburg, New Jersey.

Thanks to the generosity of NYSLTA members and the leadership of Charitable Works Committee Co-Chairs Monica Malagon and Kathy Roper, the event raised nearly $35,000 to support the branch’s Teen Chef Program.

Proceeds from the raffle and the silent and live auctions will fully fund the Teen Chef Program for a 24-student cohort from Fall 2025 through Spring 2026—covering all costs for supplies, instruction, and hands-on learning experiences.

Through the Teen Chef Program, young people learn about nutrition, meal preparation, healthy eating, while gaining practical life skills and confidence that extend far beyond the kitchen.

Thanks to the NYSLTA Charitable Works Committee and all event participants, Bronx teens will gain hands-on culinary experience and a foundation for lifelong healthy habits. Their generosity ensures that young people have access to opportunities that inspire creativity, self-reliance, and a love of healthy living—making a meaningful difference, one meal, one lesson, and one young chef at a time.  

The Heckscher Foundation for Children Makes Waves for Swim Equity

Two kids in a pool at Cross Island Y.

For more than a century, the Heckscher Foundation for Children has invested in “innovative, results-driven programs that level the playing field for underserved youth” across New York City. Their partnership with the YMCA of Greater New York is a continuation of that legacy. This time, to expand access to life-saving swim instruction for hundreds of children, starting on Staten Island.  

The Foundation has generously provided catalytic funding to support a collaborative pilot swim program for second graders. The partnership between the Y, the JCC of Staten Island, and the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation will provide free swim instruction to over 800 second-grade students during the 2025–26 school year. The initiative aims to demonstrate that large-scale, low-cost, school-based swim programs can be delivered through public-private collaboration—and ultimately scaled across all five boroughs.

“The Heckscher Foundation for Children provided crucial leadership and support in helping the Y to launch Second Grade Swim in 2006. Since then, we’ve seen the transformative power of Second Grade Swim across the city, and we’re proud to partner with the Foundation, the JCC of Staten Island, the NYC Parks Department, and elementary schools across Staten Island to build on that legacy,” said Sharon Greenberger, President & CEO of the YMCA of Greater New York.

Most of the students who attend one of the 11 schools participating in this pilot experience economic hardship, mirroring the larger NYC school system. This pilot program offers immediate localized impact to underserved youth, while providing a framework to scale citywide.  

Together, we are working to ensure that every second grader has the opportunity to learn how to be safe and confident in the water. Thanks to the Heckscher Foundation for Children, this initiative is more than a swim program—it’s a model for what’s possible when organizations come together to build healthier communities, starting with our youth.

Team Y Champions Join Global History & Make Local Impact

2025 Y marathon runner hugs Y Staff along route.

This year’s marathon made history with more finishers than ever—59,226 to be exact. Since 2011, our Team Y Champions runners have been right in the heart of the action. Together, we raised over $82,000 to support free and low-cost Y programs across the city, including food pantries, childcare, immigrant services, and more.

Several of our 19 runners gave back to their neighborhoods—Prospect Park, Park Slope Armory, Bedford-Stuyvesant, North Brooklyn, and Long Island City Ys. Thank you to everyone who came out to support and celebrate with us at our cheer zone at Gowanus Gardens—the energy was incredible.  

Up next: the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon (3/15) and the TD Five Boro Bike Tour (5/3) Applications open in the next few days, and donors receive exclusive early access. Email Tessa Greenberg to learn more or reserve your spot before they’re filled. 

A Will to Give: Richard Wasserman’s Legacy in the Making

When it comes to giving back, Richard Wasserman leads by example. A dedicated Board Chair of the Vanderbilt Y’s Board of Managers and member of the 175th Campaign Committee, Richard has generously pledged a $100,000 bequest to the Vanderbilt Y. This gift will help ensure future generations of New Yorkers can experience the same sense of belonging and possibility that shaped his own life.  

Richard has been part of the Y for decades. He and his brother Evan grew up going to the West Side Y, where they built lifelong friendships and cherished memories. Today, Richard has carried that spirit forward, serving on the Vanderbilt Y’s Board for more than ten years.

Sharing the news of his planned gift, Richard wrote:  

“I just wanted to share how excited I am to include the YMCA of Greater New York in my will with a gift of $100,000. The Y has been an important part of my life, and it feels wonderful knowing that future generations of New York kids will have the same opportunities, encouragement, and support that I’ve always valued.”  

Richard’s commitment to supporting young people also inspired the Evan H. Wasserman College Scholarship, which he created with his nephew Ross Wasserman in memory of his late brother, Evan H. Wasserman. The scholarship awards two Vanderbilt Y teens $2,500 each toward college expenses—a meaningful boost as they take their next big step. The Y’s Youth and Family department is in the process of interviewing the scholarship candidates.

We’re deeply grateful to Richard and his family for their commitment to investing in young people’s futures, especially low-income and disadvantaged youth. Their support embodies what makes the Y so special—a community built on kindness, opportunity, and connection that lasts generations.