Each year, our staff works hard to make JCC Day Camp the best it’s ever been. This means evaluating our programs and thinking about our campers’ needs and wants.

On January 26, we enjoyed a beautiful afternoon at the 4th Annual Sunshine Sunday Gala benefiting the Lucille and Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island.

At the event, we honored Marie DiTommaso; Rosemarie Stazzone, RN, MS, CNE; and the Sunrise Walk Basket & Event Committee: Dawn Petermann, Debbie Monello, Andria O’Leary, and Joanne Vitale. We are grateful to all six of these women for their devotion to Sunrise Day Camp and the children we serve. We also heard from Mercedes Rivera-Habib, the mother of two of our Sunrise campers, who spoke about what our camp has meant to her family. It was a moving reminder of why we work so hard to ensure that children with cancer and their siblings have a place to experience the joys of childhood each summer.
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Throughout the afternoon, we enjoyed musical entertainment by local favorite Cause and the Effects, who made sure everyone had a great time out on the dance floor. The event concluded with a live auction and over 30 raffles, donated by generous members of the community.

Thank you to all who attended and worked hard to make this event a wonderful success—thanks to your generosity, we can give our amazing campers a summer full of sunshine and laughter! 

​To see pictures from the gala, click here 

​Next up were Camp 365 and Middle School Madness, two monthly programs that allow campers to enjoy a variety of camp-like activities while their parents enjoy some quiet time on a Saturday night. Noting the chilly January weather, the kids made cute penguin crafts and some tasty penguin treats!

On January 19, the campers got together again for a Frozen-themed Sunday Funday. After watching the film, the kids were inspired by the catchy tune, “Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?” so everyone built their own edible snowman out of donuts!

An unfortunate reality of aging is the prevalence of memory loss. In the next ten years, it is projected that one in five Americans will either have Alzheimer’s Disease or will provide care to a family member with the disease.

At the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC, we provide services to those suffering from memory loss and their families. For those living with Alzheimer’s Disease/Dementia, Rosemary’s Place and My Place provide safe spaces for them to socialize and participate in low-barrier activities that help slow the progression of the disease. For people with early to mid-stage dementia, the opportunity to be part of a community that understands and supports them while still living at home is invaluable.

In addition to caring for those suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease/Dementia, we also recognize the enormous strain friends and family of the person with the disease experience. Caregivers often feel overwhelmed and usually prioritize their loved one’s needs over their own. That’s why we serve over 150 caregivers and their families through our Caregivers Support Center.

We provide all different types of support for our caregivers, who all have differing needs. For those who wish to express their feelings, we offer five support groups every week as well as individual counseling for those in need. We also offer a six-week evidence-based education program for caregivers to help them better maintain healthy relationships with their loved one. To relax, we host spa and wellness days for caregivers.

On a personal note, my family and I know the burden of being caregivers to a loved one with Alzheimer’s Disease and can really appreciate the value of these services.

In order to continue to provide these valuable services, we need to continually raise funds for our Family Solutions to Memory Loss programs. To help fund our programs, we will be hosting our #RememberMe Brunch on Sunday, February 23rd. We invite you all to join us as we celebrate our honorees, Cherine Hanna, Adele McMahon, LCSW-R, Jackie Reiter, LMSW, and Rabbi Stephen Stern, PhD.

You can buy tickets and sponsorships for the event here. 

Our Kosher Food Pantry serves over 450 households and distributes over 7,500 packages of food every year. We wouldn’t be able to do it without our incredible volunteers! We’d like to introduce two of them to you:

Frada Steinhaus has been volunteering with us for five years. When asked about why she’s so committed, she said, “It’s our job to give back to those in need."

Lloyd Lerner has volunteered for two years and notes that he does it because he enjoys helping others.

Our Food Pantry Coordinator, Sara Cohen, said, “I wouldn’t be able to run this pantry without the help of our volunteers. I am so grateful to them for all their work!”
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Thank you so much to Frada and Lloyd, who give their time to help the less fortunate in our community!

​The JCC family would like to congratulate Nikeiva “Ms. Nikki” Crawford, our lead daycare teacher at the Berman Early Childhood Education Center, on being named one of the top ten early childhood educators of the year! Nikki was selected for nomination among all of our wonderful ECE teachers—already a steep competition—and went on to receive the third highest number of votes out of all the nominees. We are so proud of her and grateful for the enthusiasm, passion, and care she shows for her students every day!