Eatontown Woman And Her Son Honored For Their YMCA Volunteer Work

EATONTOWN, NJ — On Jan. 13, Yulissa Gomez of Eatontown and her son Jayden were honored by the YMCA of Greater Monmouth County at the 34th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Breakfast.

The special MLK breakfast was held at the Sheraton Eatontown hotel; about 300 people attended.

Yulissa and her son received the first-ever YMCA Togetherhood Champion award.

It was during the pandemic that the mother-son duo began volunteering at the YMCA of Greater Monmouth County, located in Eatontown, which is where the two live.

Yulissa grew up at the YMCA in Perth Amboy, and she said she wanted her son to learn about the value of helping others.

Their volunteer work only grew from there: All throughout the pandemic and in the years since, the mother-son duo have collected and distributed food, served Thanksgiving meals and helped out at beach clean-ups and at the Red Bank 5K Classic road race.

A sophomore at Monmouth Regional High School, Jayden said he is grateful his mother introduced him to the idea of helping others, and showed him how important it is.

"That time (the pandemic) was a part of history that will never be forgotten by me and I knew I wanted to help in any way I could," said the Eatontown teen.

Also receiving awards at the MLK Breakfast were Kerwin Webb, pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Asbury Park, who received the YMCA MLK Human Dignity Award and state Senator Vin Gopal (D), who was presented the YMCA Social Responsibility Award. "Gopal has helped secure critical funding to expand the Y’s mental health work, and champions the rights of underserved populations in his district and throughout New Jersey," said the YMCA.

MLK essay contest winners Nathan Chertog, a sophomore at the Academy of Allied Health and Science, and Annabel Sparano, a freshman at Trinity Hall, presented their winning essays and were each awarded a $1,500 academic scholarship, sponsored by Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey Natural Gas and PorterPlus Realty.

Over the past five years, the YMCA of Greater Monmouth County has provided more than $5 million in financial assistance and subsidies to Y participants throughout greater Monmouth County. Their programs and services are anchored in eight communities: Health and wellness facilities in Freehold Township, Old Bridge and Red Bank; an outdoor day camp in Wall; counseling and social service centers in Eatontown, Matawan and Middletown; a childcare center in Freehold Township; and integrated in nearly 100 schools in Monmouth and Ocean counties.