(above) IYC donated masks to the Warren Police Station.
IMPACT Youth Club Makes an “Impact” in NJ
Submitted by Alan Wang
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, one organization has stepped up to take initiative to help out local communities all throughout New Jersey.
Founded in 2012 in Warren, NJ, the International Musicians’ Performing Arts Cultural Troupe (IMPACT) Youth Club (IYC) is a 501(c) student-run community service organization based in New Jersey with additional new branches in Connecticut and Taiwan. IYC serves local communities throughout all three of their branches through the promotion of performance, arts, and education with all kinds of charity events and fundraisers, concerts, and more.
When COVID-19 spread to New Jersey in early March and quarantine began a week later, the student leaders within IYC were quick to think of new project ideas to stay connected with and help out local communities despite the stay-at-home orders.
In lieu of in-person concerts at senior centers, IYC came up with the idea of doing virtual concerts to stay connected with the senior centers. All of the members who were interested in participating sent videos of themselves performing and then compiled all of the acts into one YouTube playlist to be sent to the senior centers. Two concerts have already occurred, one in April and one in June, both of which were positively received by the senior centers who listened in. Because of the success of these two concerts, another virtual concert in July is being planned out, along with two more live concerts via Zoom in August. Check out IYC’s YouTube Channel, named “Impact Youth Club”, and go to “Playlists” to view all of the past and upcoming concerts.
In addition, IYC collaborated with a Taiwanese fashion design university to donate hundreds of masks to police stations, one of which was the police station in Warren. The masks that were donated were specially designed by the fashion design university students to have two layers, a fabric layer that is breathable and an insertable layer for a regular mask. The police officers showed the utmost gratitude towards the IYC members that participated in donating the masks to them. IYC also organized a GoFundMe to raise money for PPE for hospital workers on the front line.
To spread positivity and joy throughout these past couple months, IYC initiated an art project called “Love in the Chaos”, involving IYC members creating all kinds of artwork, like painted rocks, drawings, and origami, to be placed in public places like parks and sidewalks. This project was created to help motivate and inspire individuals within local communities to continue to push forward and find joy in these difficult times.
IYC has also recently organized a Coffee Sale fundraiser to raise money for frontline workers, selling HWC Arabica Drip Coffee from Taiwan. The coffee grounds come in a special pouch that can balance over the cup that you’re using, with colorful packaging and fun coffee puns. The price is $20 per pack, each pack containing 5 individual coffee bags. IYC has already sold a total of 87 packs, and is only 73 packs away from reaching their goal of 160 packs! If you would like to buy some coffee, order at https://forms.gle/gJnxsLpxESU1XN6N7.
For more information and future project updates, check out IYC’s website at impactyouthclub.com, like them on Facebook at “IYC Impact Youth Club”, and follow their instagram @impact_youth_club.
(above) Pictures from the IMPACT club’s “Love in the Chaos” art project
