Over the past week, the Joan and Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island has distributed nearly 5,000 meals to seniors in need across Staten Island.
 
Following the closure of JCC facilities to the public, staff members have been distributing frozen and shelf-stable kosher meals at the Bernikow Building as well as delivering meals to home-bound seniors. Meals were also distributed to the residents of Seaview Senior Housing, where the JCC operates the Social Services Office.
 
Staff members have also reached out to 300 seniors a day by phone, including those who attend the JCC’s three senior centers and individuals enrolled in the JCC’s Family Solutions to Memory Loss Programs. In addition to food, staff are providing resources and supplies to seniors isolated in their homes.
 
“Over the past 90 years, the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC has occupied various buildings and spaces throughout our community. No matter where we were located, our mission has never changed—to provide services to those in need across Staten Island,” said JCC CEO David Sorkin. “Now, we see a clear need, and we are ready to transform the way we offer services to help those in crisis. Even with our buildings closed to the public, the JCC has stepped up to do everything we can to help the community during this time.”
 
In addition to providing meals, the JCC continues to provide social services to those in need during this crisis. JCC social services have gone completely virtual, with staff members providing health insurance navigation, mental health services, legal support resources, and other COVID-19 resources over the phone and email.
 
“With each and every passing day, we will continue to listen, adapt, and deliver to those hit hardest by this crisis. Please know that if you have a need, we are here for you,” noted Sorkin.
 
The meal program for seniors is funded by the NYC Department for the Aging.

​For more information on our social service programs, click here.

At a time when it is so easy to feel isolated, our Virtual Senior Center is keeping members of our community connected! Through this program, seniors can engage in meaningful conversations with each other over video chat.
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When we reached out to check on members of our Virtual Senior Center, one participant explained that the program has been an important lifeline for her. Her son is currently hospitalized and, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, she is unable to visit him or other family and friends. The support of her virtual community is helping her get through this situation. As another participant put it, the program is “truly a blessing” that bridges our social distance and helps us lift each other up in these difficult times.

Feeling anxiety right now? Check out these tips from the New York State Office of Mental Health on reducing anxiety during this stressful time:

​The outbreak of COVID-19 around the world has led to the spread of fear and panic for individuals and communities. In addition to following physical precautions guidelines, individuals should be taking care of their psychological well-being. 
This guide includes tips for the following populations:
•      For Everyone
•      For Individuals Receiving Mental Health Services
•      For Parents, Including Parents of Children with Pre-Existing Anxiety Disorders
•      For Caregivers of Elderly Individuals
•      For Mental Health Providers

For Everyone:
•      Reduce anxiety by reducing risk. Ways to reduce risk include practicing good hygiene (e.g. sneezing and coughing into your elbow, sneezing into a tissue and immediately throwing the tissue away, wash hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, etc.). In addition, create a plan in case your regular routine is disrupted, such as setting up remote work and alternative childcare arrangements. Setting out a plan can help reduce anxiety by taking charge of the things you can control.

•      Manage your information flow by choosing reliable sources and establish boundaries on checking for updates. Getting regular, factual information is important. However, continuously scrolling through social media or constantly refreshing the news is likely to lead to increased anxiety. Pick a few trusted news outlets – such as the state and local health authorities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or World Health Organization – and commit to checking once or twice a day for updates.

•      Monitor your anxiety levels. Anxiety is a normal response to a stressful situation and can provide adaptive benefits in many situations. However, when faced with mounting uncertainty, your brain can go into an anxiety spiral that is no longer helpful. Knowing the difference between typical and atypical stress is important. Monitoring your stress level will let you know when you need to seek additional help.

o A typical stress reaction may include: temporary difficulty concentrating; irritability and anger; fatigue; stomachache; and, difficulty sleeping. o An atypical stress reaction may include a persistent and/or excessive worry that doesn’t lift and keeps you from carrying out your daily tasks. If you experience significant changes in your energy level, eating patterns, or sleeping patterns, difficulty concentrating on normal tasks, prolonged and overwhelming worry and hopelessness, or thoughts of self-injury or suicide, seek out immediate help at 1800-273-TALK (8255) or text Got5 to 741741.

•      Practice good self-care, including exercise, eating healthy foods, and sleeping an adequate amount at night. If possible, spend some time outside. Avoid staying up late to monitor the news.

•      Virtually reach out to different types of support networks, such as family, friends, colleagues, faith-based communities, and social organizations to strengthen your overall feeling of connection. Isolation and loneliness feeds anxiety.

•      Find meaningful tasks and roles within your support network to channel your anxiety, such as coordinating deliveries of groceries to those unable to leave home, curating kids’ activity ideas for parents working from home, or video calling or calling those who might feel socially isolated. Supporting others is beneficial to the supporter as well.

•      Find or create spaces that are not focused on COVID-19. Start a social media thread about other topics, ask friends to discuss other topics, or watch your favorite TV or movie.

•      Savor small positive moments, amplify positive stories, and stay optimistic. Try to cultivate a mental wellness practice, such as writing in a gratitude journal, or talking nightly with your family about moments during the day that were fun or enjoyable.

•      Take an opportunity to practice mindfulness when managing anxiety. Mindfulness tools like grounding exercises, sensory modulation, and deep breathing may be helpful.

For Individuals Receiving Mental Health Services:

•      As soon as possible, work with your mental health provider on a coping plan. Think about helpful coping skills you can practice daily and be mindful to those coping skills that you may turn to that are otherwise harmful to your safety and well-being. For example, if you know that music, walking outside, reframing your thoughts, and connecting with others are helpful, think about ways you can incorporate those into your daily life. If you know that you might struggle with ruminating, self-injury, substance use, or other strategies that might be harmful to your safety and well-being, identify alternative coping methods with your provider. Write out a plan to help prepare you for heightened anxiety.

•      Work with your mental health providers on specifically managing anxiety and ask them to help you come up with practical skills that you can rehearse.

•      Work with your mental health providers on alternative options if your routine services are disrupted. These might include using telemental health services, getting prescription medication, or engaging in supplemental mental wellness activities.

•      Seek positive peer support. Connect yourself to others who understand your experiences and can assist in problem-solving. If social distancing increases feelings of isolation, look into online peer supports or peer hotlines.

For Parents, Including Parents of Children with Pre-Existing Anxiety Disorders:
•      Think about and rehearse scripts for talking with your kids about COVID-19. Kids take cues from caregivers about how anxious they need to be about a topic. Seek out resources and media to assist in your preparation.

•      Talk about the situation openly. Most kids elementary-aged and up have heard about COVID-19 or coronavirus. Avoiding the topic or providing blanket reassurances is more likely to feed anxiety. If kids bring up the topic, let them know you are glad they brought it up. This increased the likelihood that they will come to you with further anxieties or questions. 

•      Don’t give more information than is requested. Part of a developmentally appropriate approach is to answer the question your child asks, but not necessarily more than that. Check to make sure they understood your response by asking them to repeat back what they heard, and let them know you are open to more questions. Reassure your child that it is normal to feel scared or anxious. 

•      Help your school-aged child and adolescent set boundaries on their information flow in the same way you are setting your own boundaries. Help them identify factual sources of information and set appropriate intervals to check in. Encourage them to use their media literacy skills to question the messages they are getting from various information channels. Consider limiting media exposure or consuming media with your child so that you can be available to interpret and explain information.

•      Keep as many routines intact as possible. For kids who may be out of school and/or have extra-curricular activities cancelled, it is helpful to keep other routines, like mealtimes and bedtimes. To the extent possible, for kids who are at home for longer periods of time, set up a structure. Collaborate with your child to come up with a loose schedule, such as an outdoor activity and lunch prep in the morning, and a movie and homework time in the afternoon. 

•      Find fun ways to maintain contact with individuals your child is separated from, such as elderly grandparents or classmates at school. Set up opportunities to maintain and even grow connections, such as reading a book to grandparents on video call or sending postcards to friends. 

•      Encourage physical activity and time outside, where possible. Both staying active and having opportunities to be in nature are helpful with mitigating anxiety and building resilience. 

•      Use this as an opportunity to teach distress tolerance skills that will be helpful to your kids in any situation. This is a great time to learn about purposeful breathing, guided imagery, distraction, and other skills.  
 
For Caregivers of Elderly Individuals:
•      Facilitate ways for the individual to maintain social connections. As the elderly have been told to isolate as much as possible, it is likely that social isolation and loneliness may take a toll on physical and mental health. Set up and provide technological assistance for family and friends to stay connected to the individual. Consider coordinating a group of people to check in on a rotation so that the individual feels the support of a network. 
•      Encourage the individual to stay as active as possible, for both their physical and psychological well-being.
•      Help the individual find ways where they can help others, such as calling others to check in on them or entertaining grandchildren on FaceTime. Having a purpose and role can reduce anxiety. 
•      Consider practical ways you can relieve an individual’s anxiety, such as volunteering to order their groceries online or offering to walk the individual’s dog(s). 
•      In a time of high anxiety, it may be hard for the individual to select reliable sources to get information and updates on COVID-19. Curate a list of reputable media and write them down for the individual. 
•      Practice self-care and be compassionate to yourself. While caregiving is a demanding and rewarding role at the best of times, being a caregiver during a time of heightened concerned is particularly stressful. If possible, find a way to take small breaks, rotate responsibilities with others, and practice your own mental health strategies.
 
For Mental Health Providers:
•      Place a priority on self-care, including getting adequate rest and exercise, eating healthy food, maintaining social connections, and taking time away from service provision as possible. 

•      Prepare for heightened anxiety in the individuals in your care and prepare your own toolkit on skills and scripts that might be helpful.  

•      Work with your colleagues to prepare back-up plans for crisis management, such as telemental health or alternate therapeutic arrangements, so that you are prepared if there is a disruption in services. Work with your supervisor and colleagues to rotate functions and cross-train as much as possible 

•      Set up peer supports, such as peer supervision and consultation, to connect with others who are in a similar situation. Setting up spaces to discuss the toll of vicarious trauma and anxiety is an important part of self-care. 

•      Seek out professional help as needed. Remember that provision of mental health care during a crisis is challenging and it is critical that you address your own stress and anxiety. 

Our members and staff recently celebrated Purim at several fun events!

First was the Café Europa Purim Celebration for Holocaust survivors. Children from the JCC’s after school program performed Purim songs and made baskets for the survivors. Everyone also celebrated Rabbi Romi Cohn’s 94th birthday! It was a touching event dedicated to keeping the light glowing.

​​With a wide array of sports, aquatics, music, and other youth programs, there’s something for everyone at the JCC! Try something new this spring or stick with your favorite activity! ​​ 

SPORTS
We offer programs in a variety of sports, each intended to promote physical wellness, skill-building, good sportsmanship, and most of all, fun!
​
Volleyball
Our new program is led by seasoned coach Terence Simpson, who has 15 years of experience. He currently coaches Varsity Volleyball at Bay Ridge Preparatory School, and he’s excited to get Volleyball at the J underway! All classes will take place at the Bernikow building.
Thursdays, 10 weeks, April 16 - June 25

• Grade School: 4pm - 5pm
• High School: 5pm - 6pm

Get more information and sign up here
 
Soccer
Since joining us in the winter, Head Coach Alejandro Jimenez has led our soccer program to new successes! With classes for players at all levels, this program will help your child develop skills and passion for the game. All classes will take place at the Bernikow building.
*Note: There will be no classes on May 24 and May 25.

• Intro to Soccer 2015-16-17: Sundays, 9am - 10am   (April 19 – June 28)
• Soccer Academy 2013-14: Mondays & Wednesdays, 6pm - 7:15pm   (April 20 – June 29)    
• Soccer Academy 2010-11-12: Mondays & Wednesdays, 6pm - 7:15pm (April 20 – June 29)
• Soccer Academy 2008-09: Mondays & Wednesdays, 7:15pm - 8:30pm (April 20 – June 29)   
• Soccer Academy 2006-07: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 6pm – 7:15pm (April 21 – June 25)
• Soccer Academy 2002-05: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 7:15pm -8:30pm (April 21 – June 25)

Get more information and sign up here
 
Basketball
Mike Reape's Core 24 Basketball Academy, under the leadership of Sports and Recreation Director Mike Reape and Associate Director Bloochy Magloire, is a new program designed to help your child build skills and character on and off the court. Classes will take place at the Bernikow and Avis buildings.
*Note: There will be no classes on May 24 and May 25.

• Core 24 Clinic: Monday, April 13 – Tuesday, April 14, 10am – 3 pm   
  • *One- or two-day options available*
• Core 24: Avis, Sundays (April 19 – June 21)
  • Pre-K – Grade 4: 10am – 11am
  • Grades 5 – 8: 11am – 12pm
• Core 24 Private & Semi-Private Lessons: Avis, Saturdays, 6pm – 10pm
• Core 24 Tune-Up (Grade School): Bernikow, Mondays (April 20 – June 22), 6pm – 7pm
• Core 24 Training (Pre-K – Grade 8): Bernikow, Tuesdays (April 21 – June 23), 3:30pm – 4:30pm
• Core 24 Reaching High Group Training: Week of April 21 – Week of June 9
  •  Bernikow, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, OR Thursdays, 7pm – 9pm
  • *Drop-in options also available*

Get more information and sign up here

​Tennis:
Our W20 Quick Start Tennis Youth program is ready to serve up a great season for kids at all ages and levels. Classes will take place at the Bernikow JCC and Staten Island Academy.
*Note: There will be no classes on May 24
Sundays, 10 weeks, April 19 – June 28

• Beginner players (ages 5 – 8): 11am – 12pm
• Beginner to intermediate players (ages 8 – 11): 10am – 11am
• Intermediate players (ages 11 – 17): 9am – 10am

We also offer a W20 Quick Start Tennis program for adults, as well as private lessons for any age and level. Please contact tennis@sijcc.com for details.
Get more information and sign up here

AQUATICS
Spring swimming lessons are a great option for swimmers at every skill level! If your child is new to the pool, you can be sure that they’ll learn the skills they need to have a safe and fun summer. And more advanced swimmers can continue having fun in the pool year-round! All classes will take place at the Bernikow JCC.
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• Parent & Me Classes: Sundays, beginning April 19
  • *Swim diapers are required*
  • Baby Nemos (4 months – 16 months): 10:15am – 11am
  • Baby Dolphins (16 months – 3 years): 11:15am – 12pm
• Levels 1 – 4: 6 weeks, 1 make-up class
  • Sundays, 10am – 11am OR 11am – 12pm, beginning April 19, OR
  • Wednesdays, 3:45pm - 4:45pm, beginning April 22

           
We also offer private swim lessons. Click here for more information, including details on class requirements and curriculum, and to register.

MUSIC
For 50 years, the Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute at the JCC has offered instruction to students at every level and interest. We have classes for parents and children to enjoy together, along with classes specializing in different instruments and music styles.
 
*Songwriting Workshop*
Join us for a special Songwriting Workshop--one session only--Sunday, March 15, 4pm – 5pm

• ​Harmony Road Music Program: Registration Ongoing​​
  • Music in Me: Ages 3-4
    • Tuesdays, 3:30pm - 4:15pm
  • Harmony Road: Ages 4.5 - 6
    • Tuesdays, 4:45pm - 5:30pm
  • Young Musician: Ages 6 - 7
    • Tuesdays, 6pm - 6:45pm

*Parent or caregiver must actively accompany child in all Harmony Road classes

• Music Together: Ages Infant - 5
  • 9-week session
  • Sundays, 10:45am – 11:30am (beginning March 29) OR Tuesdays, 9:45am – 10:30am (beginning March 31)
  • Join us for a Free Demo on March 15 at 10am!

• Group Violin: Ages 3 -7
  • 10-week session
  • Sundays, 2pm – 3pm (beginning March 22)
  • Join us for a Free Demo on March 15 at 2pm! (Parental involvement required)
• Intro to Musical Theatre: Ages 7 – 12
  • 10-week session
  • Thursdays, 4:45pm – 5:45pm, beginning March 19
• Ukulele Ensemble: Ages 8 – 14
  • 10-week session
  • Tuesdays, 5pm – 6pm, beginning March 17
• Jazz Workshops/Jams:
  • Have fun playing jazz at a series of jam sessions led by professional musician and educator Ray Scro! Learn new material and basic jazz theory while making music with other jazz enthusiasts. Open to students ages 14 and up and adults.
  • The sessions will be held on April 24, May 6, May 22, June 5, and June 19, from 5pm – 7pm

Get more information and sign up here

In honor of Healthy Heart Month, the JCC’s NORC presented a wonderful event, “Healthy Heart for Love,” on February 28.

The evening included dinner and dancing, along with cardiac health screenings provided by Richmond University Medical Center. It was a great opportunity for members of Staten Island’s first Naturally Occurring Retirement Community to mingle with others, while also receiving information that will help keep their hearts healthy for many years to come!

Check out some photos from the event below! To learn more about the JCC’s NORC, GO KOSSAH (Keeping Our Seniors Safe and Healthy), click here.