A life and legacy preserved in photos and memories by her daughter and longtime Githens Center Board Member Gail Slack

Gail Slack, a longtime Board Member of Githens Center in Mt. Holly, New Jersey, passed away in November 2025. But in her passing, Gail left behind a rich collection of photos and memories, preserving her mother’s legacy and the founding of the Githens Center. Read how during her tenure, Githens Center transformed into an agency that now focuses on helping adults with disabilities live fuller, more independent lives.

The Inspiration of Jimmy Githens

The story of Githens Center traces back to the early 1950s, when a young college student, Helen Maurer Githens, authored a master’s thesis titled “Burlington County Children Excluded from School.” At the time, many children with cerebral palsy in New Jersey had little to no meaningful access to public education—a reality that would shape the course of her life’s work. As the parent of a child with disabilities, Helen’s commitment was both deeply personal and profoundly purposeful. She began her pioneering efforts by teaching several children in her own home, creating opportunities where none existed. Helen and her husband, Howard, soon welcomed a young child named Jimmy into their home, ultimately adopting him as a toddler. Helen recognized in Jimmy a bright, curious mind and a genuine eagerness to engage with the world. Read how Jimmy's spirit became a catalyst, strengthening Helen's resolve to ensure that children like him would not be overlooked or underserved.

The Emergence of Githens Center

For many years, the organization was referred to by its legal name, the Burlington County Cerebral Palsy Association. Over time, however, the name “Githens Center” was introduced as its public-facing identity—both to honor Helen’s legacy and to reflect an expanding scope of services that reached beyond cerebral palsy alone. The organization’s earliest days were marked by modest but meaningful progress. In May 1951, its first Diagnostic Clinic screened just six individuals. By September of that same year, physical therapy services had begun, offered for a half-day each week. Read how these small beginnings would soon give way to steady and purposeful growth and the evolution of Githens Center.

Githens Center is a provider of resources and services for people with special needs in our community. 

If you'd like to take a tour, or would like more information about Githens Center, please call us at (609) 261-1667 or email John O’Leary, Executive Director - joleary@githenscp.org