Free Book Giveaway

This week, the Y hosted a free book giveaway to all of our Literacy Program participants and local families. Thanks to the generous donation from Sussman Sales (see post below), the Y will be giving away over 2,000 books and supplies this year. Want to get in on the action? Come be a part of our free Family Literacy program today!

Here are some pictures from the event.

A very special gift

Thanks to the generous gift from Sussman Sales, the Y is now the proud owner of thousands of books and literacy materials. In continuing with our efforts to help spread the love of reading, these items will be distributed by our Literacy Program to children all over the community.

For over 40 years, Sussman Sales has been an education partner to schools - providing the highest quality supplemental educational materials and expert guidance to teachers and administrators." You can learn more about Sussman Sales at http://www.sussmansales.com, or follow them on Twitter at @SussmanSales.

To learn more about this amazing project, contact our Literacy Program director Andrea at ASchnee@ywashhts.org.

Thank you!

Wien House ice-cream party

By: Francisco Concepcion

Wien House tenants celebrated the end of summer with an ice cream party, courtesy of our Tenant Services Coordinator. With staff ready to serve ice cream of all flavors, tenants lined up with ice cream cones in their hands eager to eat. While the tunes of Mariah Carey blasted through the speakers, tenants danced and rejoiced the end of the summer, while thinking back on how fast the summer came and went.

Speaking about the party, one tenant reminisced about her childhood and how much she was enjoying her ice cream, just as she did as a child.  Indeed, it was a euphoric environment for all involved and certainly makes us all look forward to next years end of summer bash at the Wien House.

The Y at the Fort Tryon Medieval Festival 2013!

Our awesome Booth!

Our Jewish Program Director Cyndi, dressed in full Medieval garb, chats with Y families

Sports specialist Julian poses with Y kids dressed as knights

Cyndi paints children's' faces

Our photographer Roj takes a moment in front of the cameral to pose with Cyndi

Members of our youth staff (LtoR): Julian Diaz, Stephanie Ladenhauf, Stephane Cespedes, and Jon Zeftel

Our Youth Director Alan spends a relaxing day with his family in the park

Reading at the Y

Due to the generous grant from the Brooke Jackman Foundation, the Y is the proud home of the After School Literacy Program, and the Family Literacy Program. Both of these programs strive to give neighborhood children a chance to spend more time reading books and working on their literacy skills outside the classroom.

The Brooke Jackman Foundation was founded by the Jackman family in honor of Brooke, who sadly died in the World Trade Center attack on September 11th 2001. Brooke loved to read and to share her love for reading with children, and the Jackman family could think of no better way to honor Brooke's memory than to establish this Foundation.

Thanks to their efforts, thousands of underprivileged children across the city are able to attend weekly readings and literacy events. These programs help to foster core educational values and habits that are important to a successful future. With the help of the Brooke Jackman Foundation, these children are able to develop the skills they need to improve their lives in a loving and nurturing environment.

The Y is humbled to be able to take part in these program. Thanks to funding from the Brooke Jackman Foundation, we are able to supply children and families an outlet for reading and literacy skill-building. We offer programming twice a week, free of charge, with a healthy dinner included. Come be a part of this special program with your children, and help keep Brooke's legacy alive.

You can learn more about the Brooke Jackman Foundation here:http://brookejackmanfoundation.org/

For more about the Y literacy program, click here: http://ywashhts.org/youth/children-k-6/family-literacy

The G-Next Program

The Y is proud to take part in the G-Next program. G-Next is an innovative literacy program designed to help teen girls start on the path towards financial independence, as well as physical and emotional well-being. 
 
Led by a professional serving as a mentor and a role model, groups of 15-20 girls meet with their peers weekly during the school year. These young women have the chance to discuss some of the difficulties of their adolescent and teenage years in a safe space.  G-Next members participate in a web-based game to complete missions through community- based activities and share experiences with their group.  

The Y recently participated in this year's G-Next award ceremony. The G-Next group from the Y joined other groups from around the city to meet each other, share stories, and celebrate with an award ceremony.

Read more about G-Next on there website at http://gnextgirls.org/ . For more information about how you can participate or get involved with G-Next at the Y, contact Abraham at APalma@ywashhts.org

Laugh a little!

Have you heard about our Laughter Yoga program? Hear more about it from our very own instructor and guest blogger Francine Shore!

Let’s Unearth our Mirth!

Have no fear… your Laughter Stylist is here.

As a devoted Laughter Yoga Coach and Geriatric Counselor for over 10 years, I have developed creative and compassionate avenues for gen xers, baby boomers and older adults in expressing themselves. Aside from my individual coaching and counseling, my laughter groups are designed to teach us to unleash our own joyful spirit and sense of play, giving us permission to laugh in the face of adversity, trust your instincts and to be downright silly. Life can become challenging as an older adult, and aside from the good news and the milestone celebrations, there are many losses and age related illnesses that older adults face.

Laughter Yoga was created in the mid 1990’s by Dr. Madan Kataria in Mumbai, India. He was looking for a way to stave his patients off of their medications. Remembering the old adage that “laughter is the best medicine”, he started a laughter club. The club grew, but he found humor was subjective, and therefore developed his therapy into non-humor dependent. Hence, laughter yoga was born.

Ten years ago, I ran a Care -giving Program for Caregivers at The Educational Alliance. It was there that I started the first weekly laughter yoga club for seniors in the USA and had an opportunity to present Laughter Yoga in Washington DC at the ASA Conference on Aging for the first time. Prior to becoming a Laughter Yoga Coach and Counselor, I worked for 8 years in the entertainment industry as a Talent Agent and in Casting. My experience working with many comedians and actors, as well as a geriatric counselor have both given me the perfect platform as a Laughter Yoga professional.

You can imagine how delighted I was when I received a call from Patti asking me to start a weekly Laughter Yoga Club at the YM&YWHA of Washington Heights & Inwood, an area so rich in culture and diversity.

 

Laughter Yoga is the latest cardiovascular fitness craze which anybody at any age can participate. It involves laughter exercises with movement or while seated, intermittent deep breathing and stretching, and playful clapping to stimulate our circulation. We close with a seated laughter meditation and healing circle, and we may pick a topic to discuss.

Laughter Yoga’s health perks: strengthens the immune system, releases endorphins, decreases depression and anxiety, lowers blood pressure, enhances creativity, natural pain analgesic, alleviates asthma and arthritis, burns calories, deep connectivity factor.

Group members have reported the following: sense of empowerment, less stressed, fewer aches and pains, less depressed and anxious, more hopeful, feeling connected, sense of joy, happiness, calming factor, living in the present, less angry, feeling centered. With testimonials as these, who needs enemies :)

 

Come down to the laughter club and experience Laughter Yoga yourself. You can’t miss us, we’ll be roaring with laughter!

 

-Francine Shore, Laughter Yoga instructor at the Y