​As part of its COVID-19 Connect to Recovery program, the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island is providing weekly donations of food to over 100 people who are affiliated with its soccer program.
 
After hearing from JCC Head Soccer Coach Alejandro Jimenez about how families in program were struggling due to the pandemic, JCC Director of Sports & Recreation Mike Reape knew he had to do something.
 
“Hearing the stories of what happened to our soccer families was heartbreaking,” said Reape. “Several of our kids lost parents. Other families have been out of work and are unable to afford basic necessities, like food. And many of these families have multi-generational households, so they are even more at risk of being negatively affected by this pandemic.”
 
Reape reached out to his coworkers in the JCC’s Social Services Department to arrange a donation to these families. Packages from the JCC’s Kosher Food Pantry—enough to feed each family for a week—now go out to these families once a week. Jimenez and other volunteers from the program deliver the food to 19 families across the Island.
 
“It’s part of our values at the JCC to help the community, and that starts with being there for our own participants and members when they need us. I’m so glad we are able to help these families,” Reape noted.
 
This donation is just part of the JCC’s overall response to the pandemic. Last month, we launched COVID-19 Connect to Recovery. The program allows Staten Islanders to access social services to help them recover from the effects of the crisis. All participants in the program have an initial comprehensive intake and assessment to see what services they are eligible to receive.

For more information on COVID-19 Connect to Recovery services, contact Carolyn Magliolo at COVID19@sijcc.com or 718.475.5264.

Since the coronavirus crisis began, the Joan and Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island has stepped up to ensure that Staten Islanders in need had resources and support during this difficult time.
 
Following the closure of JCC facilities to the public, staff members distributed over 5,000 frozen and shelf-stable kosher meals to seniors in need 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. The program is funded by the NYC Department for the Aging.
 
Additionally, the JCC has distributed meals to those in need through its Kosher Food Pantry, including special holiday meals. Thanks to the help of Borough President Oddo, the JCC was able to obtain 400 additional boxes of Kosher for Passover shelf-stable meals to ensure that no one goes hungry during the holidays.
 
“Usually, this time of year is celebratory,” noted CEO David Sorkin. “Despite the uncertainty around us, we want to maintain the spirit of the holidays by helping those in need access food for their families. This is something we do every year, but this year, we’re providing meals on a much larger scale.”
 
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.
 
JCC 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 began providing resources and supplies to seniors isolated in their homes.
 
Other community services, including ESL classes and community afterschool programs, have also gone virtual, with activities taking place over Zoom. The JCC has also begun to offer free classes and lectures on its social media pages to entertain and educate those stuck at home.
 
“Every year, the JCC serves over 6,000 Staten Islanders in crisis,” said Sorkin. “Unfortunately, this year, we expect that number to grow as more people experience loss of wages, food insecurity, and isolation. If you are in need, we are here to help. We encourage Staten Islanders experiencing hardships to reach out to us for assistance during this difficult time.”
 
To provide financial support for these programs, the JCC has established Families in Need, a special COVID-19 emergency fund. The money raised will support the JCC’s social service programs.
 
For more information on JCC social services click here. For more information on the Families in Need fund, click here.

​We are so proud to congratulate our own Frada Steinhaus on receiving two community awards for her work with the JCC’s Kosher Food Pantry. Frada was recently honored at the 9th Annual Anti-Hunger Legislative Breakfast. She will also be honored at the UJA Staten Island Community Breakfast later this year.

Frada has been part of the JCC family for over 25 years, having spent 20 of them as a pre-K teacher in our Early Childhood Education department. Five years ago, after her retirement, Frada decided to use her time to give back to the community by volunteering at the food pantry. As a volunteer, she schedules appointments for individuals in need, stocks the shelves, checks expiration dates, and ensures that the entire operation runs smoothly. Most important of all, she serves each and every client with the utmost respect.

Thank you, Frada, for all you do for our community and for inspiring us all to serve others with love and care!

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!

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This year, we’re celebrating the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island’s 90th birthday. As the JCC turns 90, we reflect back on the milestones the organization has achieved over the years.

Traditionally, the holidays are a time to gather round the table with the ones you love. But for some of our neighbors, food insecurity makes this an even harder time of the year. That's where the JCC steps in, offering food and other social services to those in need through our Kosher Food Pantry.

The pantry provides food to over 450 households in our community annually, regardless of race, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, ability, or ethnic background. We distribute over 7,500 packages of food every year to those in need!

What makes our food pantry unique is that is it set up "supermarket-style" and by appointment only. Those who need food receive personal and confidential service. They are able to "shop" up and down the aisles for the food they desire. Volunteers and staff also provide healthy recipes and explain how to cook items.

For many, the Kosher Food Pantry is a supplement to low or fixed income, loss of income due to illness or job loss, or loss of second income for single parents. For others, it is considered emergency assistance, assisting households’ transition through crisis. Our Kosher Food Pantry helps provide nutritious food to babies, children, seniors, veterans, and struggling families. The people who utilize our food pantry may be your friends, neighbors, or relatives. We treat all we serve with kindness, respect, and dignity.

We understand the special dietary needs of our participants and provide the appropriate food supply to maintain a healthy lifestyle according to individual need. On each visit, we provide enough groceries for a minimum of 3 meals per day for at least 3 days for each person in the household.

​The food pantry is run by volunteers and staff, as well as participants from our Day Hab program who have developmental disabilities. These young adults are responsible for stocking and packaging items. We also have five other volunteers who are trained to assist pantry participants. Some of our volunteers have also been food pantry recipients themselves and want to give back to the place that helped them when they needed it most. 

To supply our food pantry with enough food to feed the hungry and funds to address the growing need in our community, our program relies on support from Food Bank, UJA, Met-Council, RCSF, and ShopRite, as well as caring individuals and businesses. Without their support, we couldn't do the work to ensure that people in our community have access to fresh and healthy food.

This year, we were proud to receive the award for best food pantry on Staten Island from Food Bank NYC, the food pantry network and supplier to hundreds of pantries citywide!

With the support of the community, our volunteers, and the JCC’s incredible staff, we will continue to ensure that any hungry member of the Staten Island community is able to put food on their table this holiday season. If you or someone you know is facing food insecurity, please contact Devorah Weiss, LMSW, at dweiss@sijcc.com or 718.475.5245.

If you're interested in donating to help keep the food pantry stocked, click here.