Photo: Jaime DeJoseph, Sports Director at the James Family Prescott YMCA and Race Director for the Whiskey Row Marathon
Catholic Charities’ North Star Youth Partnership provides support to parents and schools by engaging teens in hands-on learning experiences that promote increased confidence. Programs include community service projects, opportunities to mentor and lead other youth, and exposure to new sports and outdoor recreation, to name a few. Over the past 26 years, North Star has established a strong network of volunteers and partnerships with schools, youth-serving organizations, and businesses in central and northern Arizona to provide youth with this high-quality programming. Integral to the success of the program, these individuals and partnerships enrich and improve the lives of youth in a myriad of ways, and their dedication makes communities stronger.
For the past 16 years, North Star has presented its annual Community Youth Advocate of the Year Award to recognize the outstanding contributions made by volunteers who positively impact youth. The 2023 award was presented to Jaime DeJoseph at North Star’s Celebration of Community and Youth Partnership’s Breakfast on May 3, 2023 at the Hassayampa Inn in Prescott. Aside from her work with North Star, DeJoseph is the James Family Prescott YMCA Sports Director and Race Director for the Whiskey Row Marathon.
The YMCA has been a long-time partner with North Star to present the annual Girls & Sports Day event, which empowers girls to make positive choices and live healthy lives. Since 2018, Jaime has played an instrumental role in planning the sports rotations for the event, as well as securing volunteers to lead them. She is involved in every aspect of event coordination, and her enthusiasm for sports helps ensure the participants have quality instruction and leave with an increased understanding of how physical activity impacts health.
“I am incredibly honored to receive the 2023 Community Youth Advocate Award. I love being able to bring quality sports programs to the Quad City Area. Seeing kids continue to develop their skills and even learn new sports is the highlight of my job. Being the YMCA Sports Director has been a dream job, as I have loved watching and playing sports my whole life. It has also been an honor to partner with North Star for Girls & Sports Day,” DeJoseph said.
DeJoseph has been a longtime fixture at the James Family Prescott YMCA. After receiving a degree in sports management in 2015, she completed an internship at the YMCA. She was then hired as the assistant sports director and later promoted to sports director.
“Jaime has dedicated herself to the Prescott community, working with kids and families, and putting together programs that promote a healthy love of sports. She is dedicated to helping youth learn the value of participating in sports, gaining confidence, and building positive relationships that lead to good sportsmanship and teamwork. She is most deserving of this honor,” said North Star’s Senior Program Manager, Diane DeLong.
For more information about North Star Youth Partnership, visit www.CatholicCharitiesAZ.org.
About Catholic Charities Community Services:
Founded in 1933, Catholic Charities provides care for the vulnerable of all faiths in central and northern Arizona through programs in foster care, early education, affordable housing, veteran services, refugee resettlement, and homeless outreach. Learn more by visiting www.catholiccharitiesaz.org. Social connections include www.facebook.com/CatholicCharitiesAZ and twitter.com/CCArizona.
