YMCA For All

To fulfill our purpose of strengthening community for all, the Y is committed to being an inclusive, anti-racist, multicultural organization and leveraging our collective impact to address social inequities.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility (DEIA)

The Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA is an inclusive organization committed to advancing equity for all. Together, we work side-by-side to strengthen our community and to ensure that everyone, regardless of ability, age, cultural background, ethnicity, faith, gender, gender expression, gender identity, ideology, income, national origin, race or sexual orientation has the opportunity to reach their full potential with dignity. Our core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility guide everything we do, and we believe that individuals thrive in environments that are affirming.

DEIA Within Our Y

The Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility Committee is dedicated to creating an environment where everyone feels welcome, included, safe and free to be their authentic selves.

The Committee, which is currently composed of FSPY team members, reviews and assesses all aspects of DEIA at our Y. This includes:

• Celebrating the diversity of our staff, members and community;
• Advancing our marketing to be reflective of our community and promoting our DEIA initiatives and values;
• Making our building more accessible for all;
• Ensuring we are an equal opportunity employer;
• Creating opportunities for DEIA focused trainings for our team members;
• Exploring ways to advocate for social justice within our community, and
• Enhancing the sense of belonging that individuals feel at our Y through our programs and initiatives.

DEIA Within Our Community

We work with a number of community partners to address or advance diversity and social equity. They include:

Scotch Plains Fanwood Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service: Each year, our Y co-sponsors this event, along with other local organizations such as the JCC of Central New Jersey, Scotch Plains Fanwood Ministerium, and Social Justice Matters. The event brings together our community in the spirit of unity and service through activities and projects that support our neighbors. Members of our staff team sit on the event planning committee, and in coordination with the JCC, we alternate hosting the opening ceremony at our buildings.

Scotch Plains Fanwood Ministerium: The Ministerium is an active group of community leaders that meets each month to discuss the current activities, needs, and challenges in our communities. The group includes clergy from various faith communities, along with representatives from local non-profits, the School District, government, businesses, and more. Our CEO is an active participant of the Ministerium.

The Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Center at Rutgers University – Newark: Our YMCA has worked with other community leaders and Rutgers University to bring Truth and Racial Healing Circles to Fanwood and Scotch Plains. The goal of the healing circles is for diverse individuals to come together and explore their common humanity, and to build the relationships necessary to create a more just and equitable world.

The Diversity Council on Global Education and Citizenship at Kean University: We have partnered with the council to offer courses to our team members focused on teaching prejudice reduction by examining topics such as race, ethnicity, discrimination, bullying, and preconception, as well as those focused on Holocaust and Holocaust-related themes.

Safe Place Designation

The Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA is a dedicated “Safe Place” in Scotch Plains, a partnership with the Scotch Plains Police Department. The Safe Place logo is now on our building, letting victims of hate crimes or harassment know our Y is a safe place to call 911 and wait for police to arrive. This program is for ALL hate crimes which include: race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, mental, physical, or sensory disabilities, homelessness, marital status, political ideology, age, or parental status. The “Safe Place” concept was developed by the Seattle Police Department in 2015 to assist the victims of Hate Crimes and Student Bullying. The initiative is designed to help make communities safer places to live, and has been adopted by over 275 law enforcement jurisdictions throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. It helps stop the victim mentality, and says to any victim: That you will be heard, you will be treated with care, dignity and respect from the business you enter to find help in, as well as from the Police Officers who respond out to investigate. There are currently just over 7,000 Safe Place Locations within the City of Seattle standing up to hate.