Needy Cases 2023: Martin Luther King Youth Center gives children better futures
For 50 years, the Martin Luther King Youth Center in Bridgewater has devoted itself to area children and helping them better their futures. And Executive Director Rajni Chopra has been there for 32 of those years.
The facility on Prince Rodgers Avenue serves underprivileged kids ages 5 to 13 in the Somerset County area, with hopes they gain academic and professional skills. The goal has always been to ensure children in their care are learning and doing well in school, so they can "become something when they grow up and they can have successful careers," Chopra said.
She has seen firsthand the challenges the children face every day and has had the pleasure of witnessing many bright futures coming true.
"I have children come back to me years later and tell me of their lives," Chopra said. "And their successes. There was a child who stood in front of me in full uniform, and he said, 'Miss Chopra, do you recognize me?' It was a moment. And he said, 'I'm 36 years old.' I've been here 32 years − and he would have been seven or eight when he started.
So, he started when I started and now, he's grown up and he was telling me about his life and where he served. It's so rewarding, such a pleasure to see our children become such successful people. They are in a variety of industries; they work in corporations. When you see success like this, you feel so good − you've raised these kids like your own."
In the early 1970s, a few Bridgewater residents got together, an idea sparked, and they requested land from the township to build a youth recreation center for underserved children. After funds were raised, MLK was originally opened as a recreational youth center in August 1972, serving as a safe haven for diverse children in the neighborhood to keep them off the streets.
The group wanted to do more.
The center expanded over time to include the educational and summer camp programs on a sliding income scale as it was meant for low-income families.
Every school year, MLK "is filled to capacity," enrolling approximately 55 school-age children − and there is always a waiting list, Chopra said. The facility offers services such as homework help, mentoring, tutoring, enrichment activities as well as cultural, social and developmental experiences. This year and next, thanks to Snapology and ConstructU, two STEM workshops are offered on Fridays.
Needy Cases Fund 2023: How to help your neighbors in need during the holidays
Through educational programs which emphasize character development and leadership skills, the facility creatively engages the children, Chopra said.
"We have so many people in coming and getting involved, doing internship for the kids," she said. "This is a great thing. We're very excited about it."
The facility boasts a team of certified teachers for each grade level. Children are tutored individually and in small groups by both teachers and volunteers, and MLK collaborates with local school administrators to continually enhance the curriculum, especially in the areas of math, reading and language.
Many Raritan Valley Community Center students volunteer to assist MLK students with homework and tutoring. Volunteers from the Somerset County Youth Commission mentor children every Monday through the Grades4Life program that supports educational achievements, social responsibility and youth development at the center. Several Bridgewater Raritan High School students also come to tutor children, mainly in math.
A goal of MLK is to make sure all the children pass their classes.
"We have literally a 100% success rate, and that includes one or two kids that are in special programs that we help them with," Chopra said. "So, even our special needs children have never repeated a class so far. And that's a good thing. We do help them on one-to-one basis as well and our volunteer helps us get that done."
During summer breaks, MLK hosts 10-week camp programs for more than 100 children. The camp's focus also is educational, Chopra said. Along with summer assignment help, campers are exposed to music, science, computer and cooking instruction as well as sports, games and swimming. Special field trips also are planned in order to broaden campers' experiences.
According to Chopra, her goal also is to make sure the kids are safe. MLK provides a door-to-door comprehensive program, picking children up from various schools, giving snacks and dinner, providing a full program until around 6 p.m., and then transportation to their homes. It's the same for the summer program, only the day is longer, includes snacks, breakfast and lunch, and more off-site trips are on the agenda. To and from transportation also is included.
There is no cost to parents or guardians, Chopra said.
"We raise funds, and we spend close to $50,000 on trips, which include places such as Liberty Science Center, Sesame Place, museums, zoos, bowling, skating, swimming," she said. "We spend a lot on the children and the cost is always on the center."
Fortunately, Copra said MLK receives "a lot of community support." In good and bad times, she always knows who she can rely on to make sure the program continues, and the children have what they need.
In its 50th year, the MLK Youth Center received a makeover inside and out. A $16,000 donation from Chubb Corporation gave the facility coats of fresh paint and new flooring.
That alone gave the facility a big boost, Chopra said. But that was not all.
Funding from a Community Development Block Grant was used to replace the playground. That project, which is almost complete, includes play equipment, a rubberized color floor, basketball hoop and swings.
Along with the new improvements, MLK Youth Center houses a library, computer room, classrooms, computer lab and indoor play area. Extra-curricular activities crafted for rainy days are on the schedule as are workshops with professional speakers and hands-on learning.
Chopra added the center is always grateful for the support they receive from Somerset County and organizations such as the Dombal-Vogel Foundation, Jersey Cares, National CACFP Association, Ethicon and Financial Resources Federal Credit Union. This year, Jersey Cares came with a vital emergency donation to replace the boiler when the water tank started leaking.
"They help keep us afloat," she said. "They have been consistently supportive to the center every year and that helps us greatly."
The MLK Youth Center is always looking for donations and volunteers to assist the children, who come from low- to middle-income homes in Bridgewater, South Bound Brook, Bound Brook, Manville, Hillsborough and Somerville.
For more information about the MLK Youth Center, go to mlkycenter.org or call 908-526-3688.
How to support the Needy Cases Fund
From Nov. 26 to Dec. 3, the Courier News, the Home News Tribune and MyCentralJersey.com are focusing on 11 organizations serving Central Jersey as part of the annual Needy Cases Fund program.
The Needy Cases Fund is a Central Jersey holiday tradition, stretching back more than seven decades. The community-service project has been sponsored by the Home News Tribune and its predecessor, the Daily Home News, working with the Lions Club of New Brunswick. The Courier News has joined the Home News Tribune in sponsoring the charity since 2020.
Send donations (checks made out to the Needy Cases Fund or cash) to: Needy Cases Fund, Home News Tribune/Courier News, 92 E. Main St., Suite 202, Somerville, NJ 08876. Please indicate with a note whether you wish to be acknowledged in a wrap-up story about the program, or whether you wish to remain anonymous.
Donations will be gratefully accepted through the end of December.
email: cmakin@gannettnj.com
Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or @CherylMakin. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Martin Luther King Youth Center gives children better futures
