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Applications are now open! Deadline to apply is February 25, 2027.

Younity invites compassionate and dedicated individuals to join our Response Teams of Mercer County as Volunteer Advocates. This is more than just a volunteer role—it’s an opportunity to be a beacon of hope for individuals in crisis. Together, we are stronger than abuse. By offering your time and care, you can help create a safer, more supportive community. As an advocate, you will be a vital part of providing immediate assistance to victim-survivors of domestic and sexual violence, ensuring their safety and well-being during the moments when they need it most.

Why Volunteer with Younity?

Volunteering with Younity is a chance to make a meaningful difference in our community. As part of our Response Teams, you’ll receive professional training to provide compassionate, informed support to individuals in crisis. Working closely with law enforcement and other community partners, you’ll play an essential role in a coordinated effort to bring safety, hope, and healing to those affected by domestic and sexual violence.

What Does the Role Involve?

As a Response Team Volunteer Advocate, you will:

• Provide Immediate Support: Offer emotional care and critical information to victim-survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
• Collaborate with Law Enforcement: Work alongside police officers to ensure individuals in crisis receive the resources they need.
• Offer Resource Guidance: Help victim-survivors understand their options and connect them with Younity’s comprehensive services, such as emergency shelter, counseling, and legal advocacy.
• Be Present During Critical Moments: Respond to calls and provide vital support during some of the most challenging times in someone’s life.
• Receive Professional Training: Complete 64 hours of free training provided by Younity’s experts and other leaders in the field of domestic violence and sexual assault intervention.

The Critical Moment in a Victim’s Journey

Your role as an advocate is critical in helping victim-survivors take the first step toward safety and recovery. Statistics show that, on average, a victim attempts to leave an abusive relationship seven to eight times before succeeding. Your compassion, training, and presence can be the turning point that empowers someone to break free from abuse and begin their journey to healing.

Training and Support

At Younity, we understand that this role requires preparation and ongoing support. Our extensive training program equips you with the tools and knowledge to handle complex situations with confidence and empathy. You’ll learn about domestic and sexual violence, crisis intervention, and Younity’s range of services. Additionally, you’ll receive continued guidance and resources to support you throughout your volunteer journey.

How to Apply

If you are compassionate, empathetic, and committed to creating a stronger, safer community, we encourage you to apply to join Younity’s Response Teams of Mercer County.

• Application Deadline: February 25, 2027
• Training Dates and Location: March 9 – April 24, 2027, Tuesdays & Thursdays (6:00-8:30 pm) via Zoom & Saturdays (9:00 am-1:00 pm) at various Police Stations

If you have questions or want more information about this opportunity, please email Varonda Kendrick at responseteamstraining@younitynj.org.

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Mark your calendars for Tuesday, August 4, 2026, as neighborhoods across Mercer County come together to celebrate National Night Out—an evening dedicated to community, connection, and public safety.

This annual, family-friendly event brings residents, community organizations, and law enforcement together to strengthen relationships, build trust, and create safer, more connected neighborhoods. From block parties and cookouts to games, music, and activities for children and families, National Night Out offers something for everyone.

Younity is proud to participate each year by hosting tables at National Night Out events throughout Mercer County. In 2026, our staff and advocates will join community celebrations across the county to share information about our services, provide resources, answer questions, and connect with residents of all ages.

Whether you’re learning about Younity for the first time, picking up resources, or simply stopping by to say hello, we hope you’ll visit us. National Night Out is more than a community event—it’s a celebration of the partnerships, relationships, and shared commitment that help make our communities stronger.

At Younity, we believe that everyone deserves to live free from violence and fear. Events like National Night Out remind us that when communities come together, support one another, and look out for their neighbors, we can help create safer and more welcoming spaces for all.

Where to Find Us

Younity plans to participate in National Night Out events throughout Mercer County, including:

• Trenton: Cadwalader Park, West State Street & Parkside Avenue | 5 to 8 PM
• Hamilton Township: Veterans Park (South Side), located at the Kuser Road entrance in Hamilton, NJ | 5 to 8 PM
• Lawrence Township: In front of Town Hall, 2207 Lawrence Road, Lawrence Township, NJ 08648 | 5:30 to 8 PM
• Ewing Township: Ilene Black Soccer Fields (9 Jake Garzio Drive) | 5:30 to 8 PM
• Hopewell & Pennington: Stony Brook Elementary School, 20 Stephenson Road, Pennington, NJ | 6 to 8 PM
• Princeton: Community Park Pool, Parking at 400 Witherspoon Street, Princeton, NJ | 5 to 8 PM
• West Windsor Township: West Windsor Community Park | 6 to 8 PM
• East Windsor Township: East Windsor Police Athletic League (P.A.L.) Complex, 30 Airport Road, East Windsor, NJ | 5:30 to 8:30 PM
• Hightstown Borough: Association Park, Grant Avenue, Hightstown, NJ | 6 to 8:30 PM
• Robbinsville Township: The NEW Robbinsville Township Police Department Headquarters at 2300 Route 33, Robbinsville, NJ | 6 to 9 PM

Additional details and event times will be shared as they become available.

This Juneteenth, InMotion Fitness & Wellness will welcome the community for an evening of movement, connection, and giving back.

The studio’s Welcome Summer Event will take place on Thursday, June 19, from 6 to 8 p.m. and will feature a yoga class, local vendors, refreshments, raffle prizes, and opportunities to support Younity’s services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

For event organizer Noelle Whitaker, the evening is about more than fitness.

For Whitaker, community and healing go hand in hand. “Community is so important,” she said. “You never know what other people are going through.” Whether through dance, yoga, or simply gathering with others, she believes supportive spaces can help people feel less alone and more connected.

Whitaker joined InMotion Fitness & Wellness last year and now helps coordinate the studio’s social media and community events. She describes the woman-owned studio as a place where people come together not only to improve their physical health, but also to build relationships, find support, and connect with others.

She believes movement can play an important role in healing and self-care. Through yoga, participants are encouraged to slow down, focus on their breath, and reconnect with themselves in a supportive environment.

“I really think there is healing within yoga,” Whitaker said. “You have a moment to slow down and just be in that space with everyone.”

While healing looks different for everyone, practices that promote mindfulness, movement, and community can help reduce stress, build resilience, and create opportunities for connection.

Whitaker understands the importance of having a place where people feel welcomed and supported. Growing up, she found that sense of belonging through dance and later discovered it again through the InMotion community.

“Just being in a space where I could be myself,” she said, “was something that was very important to me.”

The Welcome Summer Event is designed to bring people together in a relaxed and welcoming environment while showcasing local businesses and introducing new visitors to the studio community. Guests can enjoy vendor tables, refreshments, raffle prizes, and an all-levels yoga class led by Kaitlynn Eli, a former Younity employee and longtime supporter whose dedication to wellness, community, and Younity’s mission reflects the spirit of connection and healing at the heart of the event.

Whitaker said the event reflects what makes InMotion special.

“We love getting our members together and having everyone come together,” she said. “It’s a community event.”

Younity is grateful to InMotion Fitness & Wellness for choosing to support survivors through this fundraiser. Proceeds from event registration and additional donations will benefit Younity’s programs and services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

Event Details

Welcome Summer Event Benefiting Younity
Friday, June 19
6:00–8:00 p.m.

Yoga Class: 6:30–7:30 p.m.

InMotion Fitness & Wellness
9 Emmons Dr F-50, Princeton, NJ 08540

Guests can enjoy refreshments, local vendors, raffle prizes, a yoga class, and opportunities to learn more about Younity’s services and support survivors in our community.

Join Us for the Wear Orange Gun Violence Awareness March

Beginning at Donnelly Homes
7 am: Registration & Words of Reflection
8 am: March begins
875 New Willow Street
Trenton, NJ 08618

Ending at Cadwalader Park | 36 Parkside Avenue | Trenton, NJ 08618

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Younity is proud to join Moms Demand Action, Isles, the Trenton Community Street Team, the City of Trenton, and community partners for the Gun Violence Awareness March on Saturday, June 6, 2026.

Held during Wear Orange Weekend, the national movement to raise awareness about gun violence, this annual march brings community members together to honor lives lost, support survivors, and stand united in the effort to create safer neighborhoods.

The day will begin with registration and words of reflection at Donnelly Homes before participants march through several Trenton neighborhoods and conclude at Cadwalader Park. Along the route, participants will demonstrate their commitment to reducing violence, strengthening community connections, and supporting those impacted by gun violence.

We invite residents, families, advocates, and community leaders to wear orange and join us in remembrance, solidarity, and hope as we walk together for a safer future.

Date: Tuesday, April 21
Time: 5:00–8:00 p.m.
Location: Hamilton Area YMCA JKR Branch

Join the Hamilton CAP (Child Abuse Prevention) Task Force for an interactive, family-focused evening designed to help children and caregivers build safer, more supportive environments. This community workshop brings together local organizations, educators, and community leaders to share practical tools, resources, and guidance around child safety and abuse prevention.

The evening includes separate, age-appropriate sessions for parents, caregivers, and children. Parents and caregivers will hear from professionals and community partners about ways to better protect and advocate for their children, while kids and teens can take part in engaging sessions that build confidence, awareness, and safety skills.

Younity is proud to be part of this important community event. At 7:15 p.m., Grace Flagler, Prevention & Community Educator, will lead a session for teens on Healthy Relationships, helping young people better understand respect, boundaries, and relationship safety.

Additional workshop topics include youth self-defense, child safety education for tweens, social-emotional learning, resilience-building for parents, and guidance on navigating technology and social media. The evening will also feature community partner resource tables, childcare support during parent sessions, and a visit from K-9 Sunny, courtesy of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.

Child abuse prevention begins with education, awareness, and strong communities. By working together, we can help ensure every child grows up in a safe, supportive environment.

SAVE THE DATE:
October 24, 2026
Registration 8:30 AM | Walk begins 9:00 AM
Cadwalader Park, Trenton

This Year, We Walk in Honor of Monica Wilson (Morris)

This year, Stepping Out of Darkness will honor the life and legacy of Monica Wilson (Morris), a beloved culinary arts teacher at Trenton Central High School, talented baker, mentor, and friend.

For more than 20 years, Monica brought warmth, encouragement, and care to her classroom. Students and colleagues remember the way her presence could make an entire room smile. Her influence reached far beyond the kitchen and continued in the lives of the young people she taught and supported.

Monica was killed in an act of domestic violence in April 2026 after reportedly taking steps to end her marriage. Her death reminds us why we must continue helping our community understand that preparing to leave an abusive relationship can be an especially dangerous time. Leaving is not simple, and responsibility for abuse always belongs to the person who chooses to cause harm.

As we walk in Monica’s memory, we will remember not only how she died, but how she lived. We will carry forward her light, her devotion to her students, and the care she shared so freely with others.

About the Walk

Stepping Out of Darkness is Younity’s annual Domestic Violence Awareness Walk. It brings together survivors, families, advocates, and community members to honor Monica, stand with survivors, remember those whose lives have been lost to domestic violence, and shine a light on the realities of abuse.

By walking together, we challenge silence and victim-blaming, raise awareness of the dangers survivors face, and let every survivor know they are not alone.

Held each October during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the walk is one of Younity’s two signature community events, alongside Communities of Light. Together, these events invite our community to honor those impacted by domestic violence and reaffirm our shared commitment to supporting victim-survivors.

As Younity celebrates 50 years of standing with survivors, this year’s walk reflects five decades of advocacy, support, prevention, education, and community action. Each step honors our past while strengthening our commitment to a future free from violence.

Continue the Journey

Stepping Out of Darkness begins Younity’s community observances for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. We invite you to continue the journey a few days later at Communities of Light, our annual candlelight vigil, where neighbors, community leaders, advocates, survivors, and supporters gather to remember those we’ve lost, celebrate the strength and resilience of survivors, and let every survivor know they are seen, supported, and never alone.

Who Should Come

Everyone is welcome. Survivors, families, friends, neighbors, and allies are invited to participate. Whether you walk in honor of a loved one, in solidarity with victim-survivors, or because you believe everyone deserves to live free from violence, your presence matters.

Register today and walk with us!

Together, we are stronger than abuse.

Social Workers: Uplift. Defend. Transform.

Each March, we recognize National Social Work Month — a time to honor the profession dedicated to enhancing human well-being, meeting basic needs, and centering the empowerment of people who are vulnerable or facing injustice.

The 2026 theme, “Social Workers: Uplift. Defend. Transform.”, reflects the depth and urgency of this work. Social workers across the country are strengthening individuals, defending rights, and helping communities move toward stability and resilience.

At Younity, social work is not confined to a single title. It is the foundation of how we serve.

Through counseling, advocacy, safe housing, transitional support, prevention and education, and administrative coordination, our team works together to ensure that individuals and families impacted by domestic and sexual violence are met with safety, dignity, and steady support.

Social work at Younity means walking beside someone in crisis. It means answering a hotline call. It means sitting in court. It means helping a child process trauma. It means teaching young people about healthy relationships. It means managing the systems that make all of that possible.

Under this umbrella of social work, we are deeply grateful for:

• Counselors and counselor advocates
• Response team and hotline advocates
• Safe House and Transitional Housing staff
• Prevention and education professionals
• Administrative team members who keep services running

Each role is distinct. Each is essential. Together, they uplift, defend, and help transform lives. Together, we are stronger than abuse.