The Colors Love Each Other

YSP super-volunteer, Jack Egan, released his latest book and the proceeds of its sales will benefit our programs.

(From the article,“Preschoolers Inborn Wisdom Inspired Former Priest As He Continues Lifelong Mission for Social Justice,” by Margaret Schmidt. The Jersey Journal, www.nj.com, September 26, 2019)

Jack’s fourth book is inspired by his more than 17 years of volunteer service with York Street Project. “The little children here teach us probably as much or more than we teach them,’’ he writes. “And, perhaps, the greatest thing they teach us, or re-teach us, is what we have forgotten. They light up our eyes and souls again so that we see, through their eyes and intuition, the wonder and delight in the lady bugs and night crawlers, in the butterflies and birds, in all the countless and colorful life forms traveling with us on this green and blue earth of ours.’’

The artwork in the book is all by the children, and the title is taken from an observation during a lesson on traffic light colors that 4-year-old Eneizer shared.

“The teacher and I were astounded,’’ Egan writes. “I dwelt all day on ‘the colors love each other,’ my eyes welling up with joyful tears each time I thought of it. Soon after, I thought of the poetic connection lingering on the edge of my consciousness. ‘And the flowers pick themselves’ from e.e. cummings’ wonderful poem about the moon and we earth inhabitants.”

“The Colors Love Each Other” is available for $25 at www.yorkstreetproject.org/jacksbook.

The Nurturing Place Receives a 4 Star Grow NJ Kids Approval Rating

Grow NJ Kids is a State oversight program to raise the quality of childcare.

The YSP child development center was awarded 4 stars from Grow NJ Kids after our initial rating – the highest rating we were eligible to receive. Grow NJ Kids is a State-sponsored initiative to raise the quality of childcare and early learning. This program gives child care and early learning programs resources to assess and improve their programs, while providing parents with information that allows them to evaluate the quality of programs and make the best choices for their child. The goal is to create a system that encourages ongoing improvement. Our Director of Education, Victoria Hayes, is excited to share this accomplishment with our families. “We at The Nurturing Place are looking forward to continuing to provide the highest quality childcare for all who walk through our doors. Together, we can share in the mission of The Nurturing Place to assure that each child leaves our Center with a love for learning.”

Job Fair hosted at YSP receives big turnout

YSP recently hosted a job fair as part of our on-going efforts to improve the employment opportunities of the families we serve. More than 20 employers participated and 77 clients visited their respective tables. Overall, it was a very productive day. Katerra Construction Company even hired a client on-the-spot! Our Manager of Employment Services, Kelly Rossiter, said, “It was great to see 24 local businesses be so willing to help our clients/families. The response was better than we expected and we will definitely be making this an annual event.”

20th Annual Golf Outing Raises over $150,000

Friends and YSP supporters alike gathered at Arcola Country Club in September to play golf and raise money for York Street. The amount of generosity leading up to the event, and especially that day, were incredible to witness. Our testimonial speakers, Detras and Nijah, did a fantastic job of explaining to everyone how the programs of YSP make a difference in not just their lives, but all the lives of the families we serve.

Hudson County Workforce Leadership Academy

Executive Director, Susanne Byrne, is accepted to serve on the cohort.

The inaugural class will improve local workforce development efforts and create innovative solutions to the challenges faced by workers and businesses. To read more about their efforts, visit the Academy’s information page at https://www.hccc.edu/Hudson_County_Workforce_Leadership_Academy/

YSP Volunteers Corner

Please visit our Volunteer Page to learn where you can contribute your time to the mission of York Street Project.

https://yorkstreetproject.org/ways-to-do-more/volunteer/

YSP Holiday Giving Tree is Here!

Today marks the grand opening of the annual YSP Holiday Giving Tree. Each year, we try to spread extra joy by fulfilling the wish lists of our families. If you want to create a local, community drive to support the needs of our families, contact Nelly Tabora at ntabora@yorkstreetproject.org.

You can see all the items our families our wishing for this year and sign up to purchase a gift(s) for our families by visiting our website, https://yorkstreetproject.org/events/virtual-giving-tree/