At 16, Taz (not her real name) looks like the likeable, bright teenager she is—a little shy, but smart and well-spoken. It’s hard to reconcile the Taz of today with the 14-year-old who spent two years on the streets in New York, the property of a violent pimp who...
At 17, Jennifer has had to deal with a lot of family problems that she’s not eager to remember or talk about. In treatment at JCCA’s Avenue H office, she was one of the first members of Teen Council. Talking about her experiences, her face lights up as she puts into...
Valerie Rosen, Compass coordinator, has been running marathons for many years and has helped Achilles program runners, who are athletes with special needs. “Training for and ultimately competing in and finishing a marathon is undeniably an extraordinary achievement....
We were all at different levels, but we had one thing in common – loads of questions about the use of computers and other digital devices. How do I turn on a computer? What is email? What is Facebook? Twitter? How do I use an iPad? Which computer should I buy? We...
JCCA’s Two Together Tutoring Program has been providing low-income youth with free, individualized tutoring and mentoring for 41 years. Ashley Petersen, an employee of Deutsche Bank and in her second year of tutoring with the program, has been working with her...
Moshe, 16, a first-generation American son of Israeli parents, has been going to JCCA’s Kew Gardens Hills Youth Center for two years. It is a safe gathering place for Orthodox young men, who feel marginalized by the community, to regain self-esteem and direction...
Today, Damitry Stallings is a poised teenager. However, he was not always that way. His JCCA social worker, Allison Bonesteel, says, “When Damitry first arrived in foster care, he was very quiet and had trouble communicating when he felt upset.” Now, after working...
Noah Weissman and David Peikon, best friends from Chappaqua and Temple Beth El, were weekly volunteer tutors last year at Edenwald Center as part of their bar mitzvah requirement. Noah is a fourth-generation JCCA volunteer. It is a tradition started by his...
In many ways, Preston is a typical young adult. He is pursuing his Masters of Science in Special Education while teaching, dancing, and singing on the side. He also finds time every day to see his friends and family. But his progress has come with challenges. Preston...
More than 250 Campus supporters made this year’s A Tree Grows in Pleasantville cocktail party a resounding success. The annual benefit, now in its eighth year, raised $350,000 for The Cottage Schools. The crowd was moved by the touching words of Cottage School...