Montclair Neighborhood Development Corporation (MNDC) and Council Member Peter Yacobellis Teaming Up Again for Project Oasis Fundraiser
(Write “Project Oasis” in the “Additional Note” section)
The Montclair Neighborhood Development Corporation (MNDC) and Council Member Peter Yacobellis are teaming up again to raise funds online to sustain and expand Project Oasis, MNDC’s signature summer program for local youth.
Project Oasis aims to eliminate gaps in opportunity and achievement for students of color. It offers a range of educational classes, with an emphasis on building young people’s leadership skills, readiness for employment and wellness, as well as opportunities for mentorship and participation in athletics. Originally focused on basketball, the program now also includes soccer and tennis.
“I know first-hand the impact of Project Oasis, including on the friends and peers I had growing up near Glenfield Park,” says the Rev. A. Craig Dunn, executive director of MNDC. “It puts young lives on track for a brighter future. We intend not just to keep this program going, but keep it growing.”
“Supporting summer enrichment programs for kids like Project Oasis is one of the best investments any of us can make, in our young people and in society, and I’m happy to do this through Facebook for the second year in a row,” says Yacobellis, who participated in Police Athletic League summer camps as a youth. “Kids need community and camaraderie and mentors to look out for them during the summer,” he added.
A similar collaboration between MNDC and Yacobellis in 2022 netted more than $10,000 for Project Oasis. The new effort aims to collect at least $20,000 to continue the program’s post-COVID comeback. Before lockdowns and cancellations, Project Oasis was helping 90 to 115 students per summer. In 2022, it bounced back to a total of 69, while adding a new soccer coach and three new facilitators for girls’ programs. Now, it’s looking to enroll more participants, hire new program coordinators and student counselors and develop new courses. This summer, Project Oasis will add classes in computer training, music, and possibly filmmaking, according to Dunn.
MNDC was incorporated in 1970 by Montclair community activists to empower and support vulnerable individuals and families. The 2023 fundraiser is part of an ongoing effort by the agency to expand its financial capacity as its responsibilities have grown. “We are now helping more than 100 students at Buzz Aldrin, Edgemont, Glenfield and Nishuane in our after-school programs, which includes providing them with meals,” says Dunn. “We are managing the Wally Choice Center at Glenfield Park, which is about to re-open. We are finding support for folks who walk into our office and ask for emergency financial assistance. More than 90 percent of them are women who are pregnant or have young children. The need is great. Our portfolio is broad. Every contribution from our community makes a difference. And we appreciate it.”
There are three ways to contribute:
or
or
Mail a check to:
MNDC
228 Bloomfield Ave.
Montclair, NJ 07042
Write “Project Oasis” on Check Note
Let’s help some kids have a special summer. Thank you in advance for your help in making this another successful year for this program!
-Peter
Our mailing address is:
41 Watchung Plaza, Suite 318
Montclair, NJ 07042