The arrival of late spring means it’s time for one of the most beloved traditions on JCCA’s Pleasantville campus, the annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner. The campus is blessed by a uniquely robust and committed volunteer community. Over 800 volunteers visit every...
Ed Hajim’s life did not get off to an auspicious start. Born into the Depression, kidnapped by his father at age three and told (falsely) that his mother was dead, Hajim lived in more than 15 foster homes and residential facilities before he reached age 18. When...
JCCA’s Pleasantville Cottage Campus is a special place. Once you get to know the oasis of healing and reprieve that lies beyond the front gate, it’s hard to forget. Countless volunteers tell a version of a familiar story: ‘I came here by chance one day years ago and...
(Click here to read Part 1: Growing Out of the Orphanage) It was the turn of the century and Samuel Levy, President of the Hebrew Sheltering Guardian Society, knew that “the glorious work of individualizing children” was due for a modernizing leap forward. A lawyer...
(Click here to read Part 2: A New Paradigm for Care) The age of the orphanage lives on in the popular imagination in works like Oliver Twist and Annie. We envision crowded mess halls and tightly packed beds lining cold, institutional rooms, where lonely children eked...
Zoe Kleinman first volunteered on the Pleasantville campus in 6th grade. Her experience was a common one: she loved it and looked for opportunities to come back. She did after school craft activities with residents and joined a lunch bunch when she was old enough....
After nearly two decades working with grieving families, followed by a period of hardship in her own life, Yessenia Gomez began a career at JCCA. We sat down with her to learn more. Tell us about your role. I’m a Family Support Specialist on the Pleasantville campus....
We sat down with the Pleasantville campus's Director of Child Care "Woody" Johnson to reflect on his 35-year career with JCCA. I started with JCCA in 1988. I was 24 years old and about to graduate from St. John’s University. My wife and I were excepting a child....
JCCA caught up with Roshon Martin, Pleasantville Cottage School alum and award-winning chef, to learn about his journey from a challenging childhood to a career filled with passion and purpose. You can follow Chef Roe's culinary adventures on his Instagram page,...
June has been a banner month at JCCA. From our magical, record-setting Tree benefit, to our Juneteenth Jubilee and Pride parades, the early summer has been filled to brim with festivity and celebration. To top it off, the last two weeks have seen graduation ceremonies...