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Newsletter for the JESPY Community | |
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The talented athletes participating on JESPY Special Olympics teams had an outstanding summer season! Client Greg L., who received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Special Olympics, was selected as a Summer Games torch bearer. JESPY athletes won more than 50 Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals in tennis, bocce, softball, and track & field. Go teams!
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Clockwise: Clients on JESPY's basketball team celebrate their medal win; client Greg L. excitedly receives his Lifetime Achievement Award; participants on the golf team pose for a photo following their medal ceremony. | |
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JESPY clients and staff accompanied the New Jersey Association of Community Providers (NJACP) to the State House in Trenton to attend committee hearings and meet with legislators from throughout the State. In addition to advocating for the needs of JESPY clients and others with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, the visit served as an opportunity for public officials to meet their IDD constituents, as well as to educate the clients about the legislative process.
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Nature’s Best
JESPY’s Day Program clients used their green thumbs during a trip to The Urban Farm in Morristown, a one-acre learning and giving farm. They participated in a farming activity alongside members of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ. Clients also learned about how food at The Urban Farm is grown using sustainable practices.
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Enhancement and More
Teachers from New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Education (NJCIE) recently visited and worked with Day Program clients during interactive morning and afternoon sessions.
Workshops included a drawing game, where clients used drawing as a tool for communication and creativity; an exercise and nutrition activity, through which clients learned the importance of physical activity; mindfulness, which promoted mental well-being and stress reduction; All About Me, aimed at personal reflection and self-awareness, and current events.
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Sensational Singing
Members of the JESPY choir serenaded residents at Brookdale Senior Living in West Orange. Singing songs of their choosing, clients also spent time engaging with and learning from the seniors who greatly enjoyed their performance.
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GETTING PREPARED WITH PLANNED PARENTHOOD | |
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JESPY is partnering with Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan NJ to conduct health-related sessions for all clients. Scheduled to take place during September and October, the sessions will address personal and public safety measures; hygiene and self-care; consent & boundaries; and private/public behaviors.
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JESPY clients will once again strike a pose at the South Orange Downtown Annual Fashion show! Be sure to join us at Spiotta Park in South Orange on Thursday, September 26, 2024 to cheer our client models on! The event, which will take place between 6-7:30pm, will feature clothing courtesy of Sadie’s boutique, also located in South Orange. Rain date is September 27th. More information to follow.
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JESPY clients are undoubtedly ready to take center stage! | |  |
It's time to walk the South Orange Downtown runway! | | |
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Last year's JESPY Trivia Night event was a great success! Be sure to join us this year for interesting trivia, fun prizes, delicious eats, and more. The event will be held at Fox & Falcon Restaurant in South Orange on Sunday, November 17, 2024. Be sure to mark your calendars! More details will be available soon!
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JESPY IN THE NEWS:
Advocating for Affordable Housing
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JESPY has strengthened its advocacy efforts for affordable housing for one of the State’s most vulnerable communities.
“Lack of affordable housing threatens the ability of adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to maintain the independence that they work hard to attain. Housing is critical for adults with IDD. Escalating rents outpace salaries and increase this community’s demand for affordable housing throughout New Jersey,” said Audrey Winkler, the Executive Director for JESPY House. “Without significant political and societal change, the hope of independent living becomes more and more elusive for so many in need.”
To that end, JESPY House works extensively with statewide advocacy groups to raise awareness about the unprecedented lack of affordable housing for the IDD community. Winkler serves on the Board of the New Jersey Association of Community Providers whose primary mission is to advocate on behalf of its membership to elected officials, legislators, and the public. To read the complete article, click HERE.
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JESPY has launched its Go Big for JESPY initiative to respond to the urgent residential, service, and program needs of its clients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. This initiative will allow JESPY to create the proposed JESPY Center and The Hub. The JESPY Center is designed to be a fully accessible building that will offer expanded residential opportunities for adults with IDD including aging in place for older clients and affordably-priced units for clients of all ages.
The Hub is also designed as a fully-accessible building that will create residential units for young adult clients transitioning to living independently. Similar to the JESPY Center, The Hub will provide programs and services including education and training, a library and technology center, and more.
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LEARNING ABOUT SUMMERTIME SKIN PROTECTION | |
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The importance of protecting the skin from the sun as well as the various types of skin cancer were the topics of discussion during a ‘Summertime Skin Protection’ workshop with Dr. Franz Smith. Smith is the Chief Academic Officer and Medical Director for the Melanoma Center at the Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center.
During the interactive session, he spoke to clients about ways in which people expose themselves to skin cancer; preventative measures; and curability. Smith also discussed the three most common forms of skin cancer, which include Basal Cell, Squamous Cell, and Melanoma. Clients were engaged throughout, answering and asking questions related to information they learned during the session.
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Dr. Smith also discussed his education and medical training with clients. | | |
Dr. Smith (center) is shown here with JESPY nurse Pat Taylor and several client volunteers. | | |
A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY DONATION TO JESPY | |
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Birthdays are always a cause for celebration, and what better way to celebrate than to raise funds for the cause closest to your heart?
That’s precisely what Meryl, a JESPY parent did. As Meryl and her family began planning her 70th birthday party, she set out to raise $1,954 for JESPY House to represent her birth year. Meryl said, “I didn’t need any more moisturizers. A donation to JESPY helps our family and many others. I wanted to take the burden out of what to give.”
Meryl’s simple request (with the help of Evite’s Support a Cause You Care About tool) raised an incredible $4,770 from 61 friends and family members. Wow! Talk about a successful fundraiser.
As each donation was made, Meryl and her family were notified so they could thank each supporter – and each supporter received acknowledgment from JESPY House for their fully tax-deductible contribution.
Birthdays and anniversaries and even block parties, are great opportunities to hold a “Do It Yourself” fundraiser for JESPY House. For more information, please email Kelly McLaughlin at kmclaughlin@jespy.org.
| Meryl, center, is shown with her husband Lewis (left) and son Adrian (right). | |
FOLLOW JESPY ON SOCIAL MEDIA! | |
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You're invited to keep abreast of the latest JESPY news! What better way to do that than by following us on social media? Join our followers and supporters on multiple platforms by clicking the links below:
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Be sure to Like, Follow, or Subscribe to our pages and channel!
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Audrey Winkler
Executive Director
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Please visit us at www.jespy.org
for more information about JESPY House services.
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