Helping the Jersey City Youth Community
The Police Athletic League of Jersey City (JCPAL) is an independent, non-profit crime prevention program designed for Jersey City youth. The program utilizes educational, athletic and recreational activities to create trust and understanding between police officers and young Jersey City residents. The vision of the Jersey City Police Athletic League is one of success and empowerment. Their goal is to foster a winning spirit through unity, cooperation, and hard work. Through athletics JCPAL seeks to:
- Build trust.
- Help students improve focus and develop life skills.
- Reinforce high standards and values.
- Establish a path toward excellence.
HealthierJC + Police Athletic League of Jersey City
For the Police Athletic League of Jersey City, building a Culture of Health means both educating the community about eating healthier, as well as providing resources to enable a “Health is wealth” lifestyle. JCPAL considers good nutrition a foundation for healthy living, improved quality of life, and community well-being.
In awarding the mini-grant, HealthierJC acknowledged the ongoing contribution of the Police Athletic League of Jersey City in advancing a Culture of Health for families throughout all Jersey City neighborhoods.
Results
JCPAL was able to host their 2023 Youth crime prevention program thanks to the HealthierJC mini-grant combined with contributions from several organizations including: EU’s Catering, Digese, Provident, Dominos, Halea, ABC News, and Smith Sondy.
This program was held July 6th, 2023 and August 12th, 2023 from 4:30pm until 8:30pm at the Skyway golf course. During this 2-day event, JCPAL was able to hold its first annual Det. Joseph Seals Community Award Fundraiser. To encourage participation, grant funds were also used to transport young members of JCPAL to and from the Skyway Golf course venue. Many of the youth involved had never been to a golf course, so this was truly a memorable experience for them. All the JCPAL Explorers in attendance were uniformed and ready for the cameras of ABC News – making it clearly evident that the last 5 months of training had paid off!
In addition to the Youth Crime Prevention Program, the grant was also used for needed building repairs and a series of informal events that brought together Jersey City youth with Jersey City municipal personnel. Through this interaction, the young people learned more about what it takes to operate and manage a city and gained insight into future career options.
The Police Athletic League of Jersey City is grateful for the support of HealthierJC and its ongoing partnerships to launch and deliver meaningful and successful programming for young people challenged by adverse life circumstances. Over the summer months of 2023, over 62 minority, low income Jersey City residents in Ward A were able to participate and benefit from JCPAL programs and events.
Moving forward…
Moving forward, JCPAL not only seeks to expand their own horizons as adults, parents, and public servants, but those of every child involved in PAL activities. In their pursuit of a complete program of growth and motivation, JCPAL will continue to establish academic and self-enrichment projects to help build character and strength. They will also continue to build relationships with community organizations and leaders to establish JCPAL as a committed nonprofit organization leading the effort to provide a positive environment and experiences for Jersey City’s youth.
JCPAL envisions an organization encompassing many activities, operating year-round, and working hand-in-hand with the community and the city to prepare our children for the biggest game ever… “Life”.
For more information about the Police Athletic League of Jersey City, please visit the organization’s website at https://thejcpal.org/