As the JCC of Staten Island celebrates its 90th anniversary, one theme has stayed consistent throughout our history—we are committed to helping children in our community. We developed our Kids in Need programs to help children and their families across our borough. For thousands of Staten Island children and young adults, these programs provide a lifeline—whether it is helping them deal with disabilities, cancer, or severe economic hardship.​

For children with developmental disabilities, we offer special education for preschool children and afterschool activities for children and teens. We also run a day habilitation program for young adults with developmental, cognitive, and physical disabilities.

Many Staten Island children and their families face food and financial insecurities for a variety of reasons. The JCC is here to help, offering a Kosher Food Pantry where individuals can schedule appointments to ensure personal and confidential one-on-one services. We also assist families in enrolling in public health insurance programs, including those designed specifically to cover children.

For children in our community in need of out of school time activities, we offer several school-based programs in neighborhoods throughout the borough. These programs offer academic support while also encouraging kids to grow healthy social and emotional skills, pursue fulfilling careers, and become leaders in our community. These programs takes place in the evening, on weekends, and during school holidays.

All children should be able to enjoy summer camp, and our programs ensure that no child is left out of the fun. For children with disabilities, we offer Marvin’s Camp for Children With Special Needs as well as an inclusion program at Lillian Schwartz Day Camp.  Children with cancer and their siblings can attend Sunrise Day Camp completely free of charge. We also offer free camp programs at through our Beacon and Cornerstone programs.

Every year, the JCC serves over 1,500 children and their families. These programs would not be possible without the generosity of our donors, and we are so incredibly grateful for their commitment to helping these children. We want to extend our thanks to all of our community partners who have given back to help give back to Kids in Need—we couldn’t do it without you!
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​Check out these short videos highlighting our programs!

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