feature story / 11 falling through the cracks. Profeta, who wrote its organiza- tion papers and was its first chairman, agrees. “One of the most important things I did was to lead the board in hiring Diane Malloy,” he says. “She is fantastic. She is creative. And she has devoted so much time to this. Youth- Net succeeds largely because of her.” Malloy certainly had the business chops: an MBA from Columbia Uni- versity and a background on Wall Street working on financing for community health centers. But perhaps more im- portantly, she had the mom chops, hav- ing successfully raised three graduates of CHS, including a set of twins. She was a PTA mom, an HSA mom, as well as a lacrosse and field hockey mom. She’s also a realtor who has recent- ly joined the Victoria Carter team at Weichert, Realtors as a buyer’s agent. “I really care about the children in our towns and what they do and what supports what they do,” she says. “That’s really what drew me to it and it’s still my passion. I want to see this organization succeed and continue.” For the first two years, YouthNet offered its programs for free, thanks to a Department of Justice grant. Now, it’s a $40 registration fee per session, and middle school students can sign up for any number of academic, social or athletic clubs. (There are usually three sessions per year.) Scholarships are available for those who are unable to pay the fee; about 55 percent of the students receive assistance. Middle schoolers can also sign up for after care school enrichment programs that include both clubs and homework assistance from teachers. All clubs are run by teachers, who come up with the ideas, typically in areas in which they have a personal interest. They receive a stipend for each club they run, plus in- valuable real-life connections with stu- dents outside the classroom. At CHS, the organization is less of a club format and more individualized: The Youth Advisory Board allows stu- dents to fundraise and hold events for local causes. And with the Mentoring Program, students can learn to write a resume and apply for internships in which they are placed with local busi- nesses and organizations in town. One of the places where students can intern is the Maplewood Public Library. Talk about coming full circle. “The need for after-school enrich- ment cannot be minimalized,” Malloy says. “It’s always on the bottom of peo- Diane Malloy has been at the helm of YouthNet since its inception 10 years ago. A student plays ping-pong during a YouthNet after-school activity. SERVICE  KNOWLEDGE  EXPERTISE Broker / Sales Associate 973-214-4636 Susan.Blodgett@cbmoves.com Sales Associate 973-219-8865 Virginia.Spiegel@cbmoves.com Susan Blodgett, ABR Ginny Spiegel @WeKnowNJRealEstate 145 Maplewood Avenue Maplewood, NJ 973-378-8300 THIS IS HOME. THIS IS HOME. Saint Rose of Lima Academy 52 Short Hills Avenue, Short Hills 973-379-3973 www.SRLAcademy.org Visit our Open House Friday, Oct. 19, 9:45 - 10:45 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 21, noon - 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019, noon - 1:30 p.m. Faith Based Academic Excellence Since 1869 Respect, Love and Education through Christ PRE-K THROUGH 8TH GRADE