10 Bayonne Nonprofits and Community Groups to Know

Bayonne may be a peninsula, but its neighbors never feel far apart, thanks to the nonprofits and volunteer groups that feed families, coach kids, screen for cancer and rescue cats across the city. Our team at Shop Hudson County, NJ rounded up 10 Bayonne nonprofits and community groups worth knowing, supporting and volunteering with this season.

Every detail below comes from each group’s own website, so follow the links to donate, sign up or lend a hand.

1. Bayonne Economic Opportunity Foundation (BEOF)

Bayonne Economic Opportunity Foundation has served the community since 1965 and says it helps more than 107,000 Hudson County residents each year. Its programs include Meals on Wheels, senior nutrition sites, Stepping Stone Academy (formerly Bayonne Head Start), housing and energy assistance, weatherization and senior transportation. BEOF looks for volunteers for Meals on Wheels, its nutrition sites and its food pantry, and its office is at 555 Kennedy Boulevard.

2. WTCARES

WTCARES, the Wallace Temple Community, Activity, Resource, and Enrichment Site, is a 501(c)(3) founded in 2017. It runs an after-school program for elementary and middle school students on weekdays from 2:30 to 6 PM, September through June, plus a summer youth camp. Its Living Faith Food Pantry at 26 W 16th Street holds distributions on the second and fourth Fridays of the month, along with a diaper and hygiene distribution on the third Wednesday.

3. Madeline Fiadini LoRe Foundation for Cancer Prevention

The Madeline Fiadini LoRe Foundation works to give people access to cancer screenings they might otherwise be denied, including colonoscopies, mammograms and oral and skin screenings. It partners with local hospitals such as Bayonne Medical Center, Jersey City Medical Center, Hoboken University Medical Center and Christ Hospital. Chair Madeline LoRe is a three-time cancer survivor, and the foundation raises funds through its annual gala, golf classic and casino night, with volunteers welcome.

4. Bayonne Youth Center

The Bayonne Youth Center is a 501(c)(3) that has served local young people since 1945 from 524 Kennedy Boulevard. It focuses on practical life skills along with music and theatre. Recent programs shown on its site include a production of SpongeBob the Musical, a tennis clinic, a crime science investigation camp, a Black History Month oratory competition and a student entrepreneurship tent at the Bayonne Hometown Fair.

5. The Artists Avenue

The Artists Avenue calls itself Bayonne’s only musical theatre program unaffiliated with a school. Sisters Larissa, Melissa and Melody Enriquez founded it about a decade ago, and it operates as a project of Blessed to Bless CDC, a 501(c)(3). The program promises never to turn a student away because of financial hardship and offers scholarships to young performers.

6. Hand in Hand Bayonne

Hand in Hand Bayonne is a community music school that has taught lessons since 2010 as a joint ministry of Trinity Parish in Bergen Point and Grace Lutheran Church on Avenue C. Instructors teach piano, violin and voice, and need-based scholarships are available. Students show off their progress at an annual music recital, and The Meddling Amateurs Theatre Company meets on Tuesday evenings.

7. Furvana Cat Rescue

Furvana Cat Rescue, founded by Nicole Welna, focuses on two goals: TNR (trap, neuter, return) and adoption. It offers free TNR transport between its Bayonne recovery space and a partner clinic in Mount Arlington. Cat lovers can help by fostering, volunteering or donating supplies from the rescue’s wishlists.

8. Bayonne Heritage Association

The Bayonne Heritage Association celebrates the many cultures that shape the city, with the motto “Because what makes Bayonne Unique is all of Us.” It took over the Bayonne Hometown Fair in 2025 and also organizes the Italian Heritage Parade and the Heritage of Pride Festival. The group invites residents to share ideas for new heritage celebrations.

9. Bayonne Youth Soccer Association

The Bayonne Youth Soccer Association runs both recreational and competitive soccer programs based in the city. Its School of Soccer offers age-appropriate, player-centered training, and this fall the School of Soccer PLUS program is moving indoors to Soccer 5 Bayonne. BYSA also runs a travel program and welcomes volunteer coaches and sponsors.

10. Bayonne Little League

Bayonne Little League, based at 200 West 1st Street, bills itself as the home of the 2026 Little League Metro Champions after a Bayonne team won the Metro Region title in August and earned a trip to the Little League World Series. The league keeps busy in the off-season too, with practices and softball clinics on its calendar this fall. Families can find registration info, team standings and sponsor opportunities on its site.

More Ways to Get Involved in Bayonne

Lace up on Thanksgiving morning at the Bayonne Turkey Trot, or honor a beloved pet at the Santa Paws Tree in Bayonne. Refuel afterward at one of the best restaurants in Bayonne, and see our list of 10 Jersey City nonprofits for more groups to support next door. For more plans, check things to do in Hudson County this weekend.

Celebrate the Groups That Make Bayonne Home

These organizations keep Bayonne fed, healthy, active and creative, and every one of them can use more volunteers and supporters. Know a Bayonne nonprofit we should feature next? Let us know, and subscribe to the Shop Hudson County newsletter for weekly local stories and events. You can also nominate your favorites in the Best of Hudson County 2026 ballot.

Featured image: Bayonne Youth Center / website.