Before I turn to the report, let me inform you that for the 5th straight year, the Bolger Foundation has issued a challenge to provide “1 for 2 - $5,000 Challenge Gift” if we are once again successful in raising no less than $10,000 in our campaign. For the past four years it has been close, but we have been successful every time in meeting this challenge, and needless to say……..we need to do it again!

Our efforts throughout the YMCA world have continued to be highly successful. Our specific partnerships in Senegal, Haiti, Mexico and the Dominican Republic are all on-going. We also remain one of the YMCA of the USA’s strongest supporters, with a continuing $3,500 annual contribution towards international efforts.

Dominican Republic
2007 was the first time we ran an International Camping Program (ICP) to the Dominican Republic. It was a great success, with 14 participants and leaders. This year we did it again, with 11 participants traveling to the “DR” from June 28th to July 12th. Our young people built three houses and painted a YMCA school and community center. They worked hard, but had a great time, and came back “fired up.”

Mexico
This year was our 10th year participating with an ICP trip to Reynosa, Mexico. Fourteen participants and two leaders built a 10 x 20 cinder block house. This hands-on experience, with plenty of dirt and lots of cement all over the place, allowed our young people to work side-by-side with the family that will live in the house. As always, the side benefit was an understanding of a world far beyond what our young people normally experience. The house when done, is a life changing improvement for the family.

Haiti
Haiti continues to be the absolute neediest of all the nations in our entire hemisphere and lately an absolute magnet for hurricanes. The YMCA of Haiti is one of the few bright lights in this deeply troubled country.

The Ridgewood YMCA, for the 5th year, provided support for the summer Soccer Program for the YMCA of Haiti. The program ran for the second year at Camp Perin, with our financial support and direct contribution of two soccer coaches brought to Haiti and sponsored by us. Jim Delia, a member of our World Service Committee and the YMCA Board of Directors, as well as an attorney at Wells, Jaworski & Liebman in Paramus; along with Jans Bos of the Netherlands, spent a fantastic week coaching and helping these young people.

As a result of this week, as well as a visit by representatives of our committee and a related foundation, we are now providing help to open a new branch of the YMCA in the community of Kenscoff, “up the mountain” from Port au Prince. We are also working with the YMCA of Haiti to completely upgrade the Soccer Program to provide soccer camps in both Camp Perin and Kenscoff, and perhaps to undertake and create a YMCA National Team. If all this happens, Jim Delia will be looking for as many as three additional volunteers next summer to join him for a life changing week in Haiti coaching young people. If anyone knows of a coach who might be interested contact Jim Delia at jdelia@wellslaw.com.

Big thanks to UK Elite, Ridgewood High School Boys and Girls Soccer, and Maroons Soccer Club for donating soccer clothes and equipment for both the Haiti and Mexico trips. Additional thanks to the Ridgewood community for their contribution of school and personal hygiene supplies.

Our program that provides books for English libraries in the Haiti YMCA branches is on-going, with a book drive underway right now. If you have any lightly used books that could be appropriate for donation, please get them to the YMCA as soon as possible.

Senegal
Our partnership with the Senegal YMCA has been a source of great pride for the Ridgewood YMCA for many years. After making contributions for six years to assist the Senegal YMCA in completing its multi-purpose room, we shifted emphasis this year, and together with several other US donors, raised and contributed $10,000 for the purchase of a new generator for the Senegal YMCA. This was an absolutely critical gift, as it allows the YMCA to continue to operate even when the power goes out, which unfortunately happens in Dakar on an all-too-frequent basis.

We were disappointed that we did not have enough participants interested in attending an ICP Program in Senegal this year. Victoria Bennett, the “godmother” of our ICP programs will re-double her efforts to see if we can get a group together for 2009.

During the 2007 ICP Senegal service project the group helped educate a rural village in Ziguinchor on the importance of mosquito nets. Malaria is the number one killer in Africa and can be prevented by using mosquito nets. This year the Ridgewood YMCA implemented a “Bug Net Challenge” which raised $4,250, providing 1062 people with nets.

We Need Your Help
As a reminder, our ICP Campers pay to participate in these service learning opportunities. However, the World Service Committee provides financial support, offering scholarships up to 50% of the program cost for those who need assistance.

Our World Service Committee budget remains $20,000 as it has been for the last several years. Approximately $4,000 comes from the YMCA Board of Directors through a share of the Christmas Tree sale proceeds and then the Golf Outing. The rest of the budget comes directly from our fund-raising efforts, with $5,000 from the Bolger Foundation, as long as we raise at least $10,000.

If you take a minute to think about the very real needs of the people in the YMCAs we support, in particular, Senegal and Haiti, and of our own young people taking their time to toil in the sun this past summer, trying to make a difference, you will realize that this is a cause that you should certainly consider in your giving. The YMCA does so many good things for us in our community; this is the one area where the YMCA reaches out from our community to the rest of the world.

We very much appreciate the generosity of our givers each year, and encourage you once again, to do your part.

Best Regards,
Thomas M. Wells