Sandy Haft named new Director of Resource Navigation

We are proud to announce that we have named Sandor (Sandy) G. Haft, LMSW, the new Director of Resource Navigation. Mr. Haft will be leading the JCC’s Resource Navigator Program, which is part of the City’s contact tracing efforts. The program, which launched June 1st, helps individuals across the city who test positive for COVID-19 and those who have been exposed to the virus. Resource Navigators will reach out to those who are sick or in quarantine to provide them with resources and support, including access to food, mental health services, and legal and financial counseling.
 
“We are incredibly proud that the JCC was the only community organization on Staten Island chosen to be part of the program,” said JCC CEO David Sorkin. “In addition to helping those with COVID-19, the program will allow us to put people to work as Resource Navigators. We will be able to rehire many of the staff we furloughed at the beginning of this crisis, as well as hiring additional workers who are new to us, giving the economy of our borough a much-needed boost. With his professional background and gigantic heart, Sandy is the perfect person to lead us in this effort.”
 
Mr. Haft has worked at the JCC of Staten Island for the past four years as the Director of Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island, a free camp for children with cancer and their siblings. In that role, he coordinates and supervises camp operations, as well as Sunrise year-round programming.
 
A native New Yorker, Mr. Haft is a lifelong member of the Jewish Community Center field, having begun his affiliation as a child at the Washington Heights YM-YWHA in Upper Manhattan and as a camper at Henry Kaufmann Campgrounds in Pearl River, New York. He has been associated with the Ys and JCCs in the New York metro area for over 30 years in various capacities. Mr. Haft most recently served as Associate Executive Director at the Rosenthal JCC in Northern Westchester, and simultaneously as Director of Sunrise Day Camp-Pearl River. 
 
Mr. Haft is a Licensed Master Social Worker and is an active member of the Fair Lawn Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
 
Haft noted, “I’m proud to lead a team that will serve as a supportive voice in this time of chaos. I want to thank all the supervisors and navigators who are working incredibly hard every day to help connect New Yorkers to the services they need.”
 
Click here for more information on the City’s contact tracing program.

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