EDISON — A township resident who has given nearly two decades of her life to volunteering with the YMCA of Metuchen, Edison, Woodbridge & South Amboy (MEWSA) will be honored with the Charles S. Edgar Award at the organization’s May 6 annual dinner.
Maria Tomaro sits on the YMCA of MEWSA’s board of directors. She has served as chair of the Board Governance Committee since 2003, and is on the Strategic Planning Committee. During Maria’s time as a YMCA volunteer, she served on the CEO Search Committee, Financial Development Committee, Steering Committee to raise funds for capital campaigns, Edison Branch Committee and a Joint Committee of the Community Campus.
“One of my first responsibilities as a board member was to sit on the Charles S. Edgar Memorial Award committee, so it’s special to me to think that I would be grouped with the individuals who have received this award,” Tomaro said. “It’s an honor to me, and I never thought it would come my way.”
Tomaro works as a dental hygienist in Metuchen and is extremely active in the community, according to the YMCA. She is a lector in St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral in Metuchen, a committeewoman for the Middlesex County Democratic Organization, a member of the Federation of Democratic Women and a former member of the John F. Kennedy Medical Center Auxiliary.
“The YMCA helps so many people in our community, and the work the organization does is so incredibly important,” Tomaro said. “So many families need assistance, and we are there for them when they need us the most. The YMCA really does strengthen the foundations of our community by focusing on mind, body and spirit.”
Among the criteria for the Charles S. Edgar Award recipient is demonstrating leadership and integrity, exemplifying community spirit and showing a record of longterm community service, according to the YMCA.
“The YMCA has an open-door policy,” Tomaro said. “No matter what stage you’re at, the YMCA has a program to help you achieve your goals. It’s a safe place for children to learn and be cared for. It’s a place where both children and adults can learn to swim. It’s a place for survivors of cancer to continue to get well and make friends with other survivors.
“The YMCA reaches out to those who are in need of its services.”
The 2015 annual dinner of the YMCA of MEWSA will celebrate 94 years of community service at 6 p.m. May 6 at the Pines Manor, 2085 Route 27, Edison.