MLB partners with JerseyCares to pack 'You Matter' kits for underprivileged kids

NEW YORK -- Major League Baseball and its employees are known as guiding pillars of community outreach and youth advocacy in the professional sports world and beyond. And with the 2025 season right around the corner, that outreach and advocacy is in full swing.

MLB Together hosted its first employee volunteer event of the year on Wednesday, partnering with the nonprofit organization JerseyCares at MLB Headquarters in NYC. Volunteers packed dozens of “You Matter” kits for underserved and underprivileged youth in the local New Jersey area.

“What makes this [event] so special is that we're able to use the power of our sport to give back and to uplift all those youth who might feel down,” said April Brown, MLB’s senior vice president of social responsibility and diversity. “They will know that Major League Baseball and our employees and our fans and players care about them and are thinking about them.”

These kits are care packages that contain various mental health resources and hygiene products for the recipients. The resources include things such as handwritten notes of encouragement from volunteers and “inspiration jars” filled with positive messages. The hygiene products range from lotions and soaps to blankets and sleep masks.

Amelia DeCeanne, senior coordinator of community affairs at MLB, helped organize the volunteer event and shared why this form of outreach is so important to the league and its employees.

“A large part of MLB Together, one of our seven pillars, is youth empowerment with a special focus on mental health, so this project fits right into that,” said DeCeanne.

She also shared her personal feelings towards youth mental health advocacy.

“I worked a long time in schools, and I saw firsthand the effects of bullying on students,” she said. “So it really does mean a lot to me to be able to give back to those kids … and let them know that we're here and that they're loved and really support their mental health and awareness.”

As for some of the other employees who took part in the volunteer event, their reasons for participating were simple.

“Volunteering is awesome,” said Louis Fecha, who works in the customer experience department for MLB. “I love to give back. I love to show support to whatever the cause may be.”

Not every company will give its employees a free volunteer hour, especially during a workday, and Fecha shared what it means to him that MLB continually seeks to support these types of organizations and programs.

“It's awesome,” he said. “It shows you that MLB is willing to give back to the community. It shows you that MLB listens to what else is going on outside of the sport of baseball.”

JerseyCares, a partner of MLB since 2023, has a simple mission – to engage communities in meaningful and impactful ways through various volunteer events, collection drives and outreach programs. These programs include creating “You Matter” kits at MLB headquarters, or a recent clothing drive when they collected over 18,000 coats for New Jersey residents in need.

Michelle Schmitz, corporate relations manager at JerseyCares, spoke of the event and the impact it and others like it can have.

“I really like how it's not just creating a fun kit, but actually understanding the impact of where the kits are going and who they're impacting,” she said. “I'm really hoping that the kids will be excited and know that someone out there cares for them.”

Once completed, the “You Matter” kits are given to FamilyConnections, a behavioral nonprofit based in East Orange, N.J., for distribution. They specialize in support and outreach for families and individuals impacted by issues ranging from mental health to addiction to domestic abuse.

The battle for youth mental health and advocacy is never-ending, and Schmitz, JerseyCares and the entire MLB community are sure to continue their work to uplift and support the next generation of baseball fans.

“We have a calendar [on Jerseycares.org] which has a bunch of different volunteer opportunities, so anybody can get involved, not just in corporate service,” said Schmitz. “I encourage everyone to get involved in volunteering.”

MLB Together is continually partnering with nonprofit organizations and initiatives throughout the year. To learn more about MLB’s impact on the community and future volunteer opportunities, click here.