Newsletter for the JESPY Community | | It’s been quite a year so far! Celebrating successes, marking milestones, and honoring client achievements. We’re sharing some of the highlights here with you in our Mid-Year 2025 JESPY Newsletter. Enjoy! | | Culinary Graduates - Cooking with Class | | |
Enhancing their culinary skills was the accomplishment of seven JESPY clients who participated in the Pathways to Success program. Their participation culminated in a recent celebratory graduation that was held at Felina Steak South Orange Restaurant + Event Venue.
The collaboration for the program was between JESPY (Work Readiness & Employment Engagement department) and Art of Hospitality Workers Alliance/Landmark Hospitality.
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The program is part of a two-year grant funded by the NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The 12-week training enabled clients to learn about the culinary arts, creating and building delicious recipes, and food safety under the direction of chef Josh Murrell. Clients will also receive a ServSafe certification for food handling safety. A goal of the program is to find job placements for clients and to strengthen their workplace skills.
Special thanks to Leslie Steele, Executive Director of Art of Hospitality Workers and Jeanne Cretella, President of Landmark Hospitality.
| | What a Great Spring Fundraising Campaign - Thank You! | | |
JESPY received an overwhelming amount of support for our Spring Fundraiser totaling $378,161! We are immensely grateful to the 384 donors who contributed a personally meaningful gift to support our JESPY clients.
The goal of the Spring Fundraiser was to help fund the purchase of two accessible vans, provide one year of Friday Night Community Dinners, and underwrite one year of physical fitness training. Thanks to our generous community we can accomplish these goals and more this fiscal year!
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A Historic Day for JESPY!
Breaking Ground - The JESPY Center
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There was a tremendous outpouring of support on June 1, 2025, at the groundbreaking and celebration of The JESPY Center on The Cooperman Family Campus. More than 300 JESPY clients, families, board members, and supporters attended the event to celebrate the upcoming facility that will provide clients with affordably-priced housing, fully accessible residential opportunities to age in place, enhanced services, and expanded program spaces.
A generous $13.25 million matching gift from philanthropists Toby and Leon Cooperman helped launch the Go Big for JESPY Campaign to raise funds to establish The JESPY Center and The Hub for Young Adults. These facilities will help clients continue to thrive, live independently, and pursue their dreams. For more information about Go Big for JESPY or to donate to this matching Campaign, visit www.jespy.org/gobig.
Photo by Elise Campbell.
| | Meet Matt A. - JESPY's STAR | | |
This year, JESPY selected client Matthew A. as our New Jersey Association of Community Providers (NJACP) STARS Award recipient! Matt’s enthusiastic engagement in a wide variety of JESPY programs and activities, growth in his work skills (as an employee in the bakery department at Shop Rite), and consistent approach to each day with a positive attitude earned him the nomination. Matt also has a willingness to connect with others and is often willing to try new things. Matt’s growth, perseverance, and engaging spirit have made him a role model among his JESPY peers.
| | Matt, second from right, is shown with Valerie Sellers, former CEO of NJACP, JESPY Executive Director and STARS Awards Co-Chair Audrey Winkler, and STARS Co-Chair Terry McKeon - CEO of Avidd Community Services of NJ. | | Our Fiscal Year in Review | | For JESPY House, Fiscal Year 2024-25 (July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025) was filled with accomplishments and milestones. From making strides in the Go Big for JESPY Campaign to strategic partnerships and collaborations within the community to client accomplishments and program & services developments – JESPY continues to grow and clients continue to thrive. For a video recap of the many milestones this past FY, please click the video below. | | Clients once again attended a Mad Hatter outing at the home of JESPY Board Member Sophia Gershman. The fun day, based on the fictional character The Hatter in the classic books Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, included games, food, and the donning of creative hats. The event was sponsored by The Judi House Fund, which was created by Arthur Schechner in memory of his wife and former JESPY Board President Judith. | | A Winning Special Olympics Summer | | JESPY athletes excelled at Special Olympics NJ’s Summer Games in Ewing Township, competing in softball, track & field, and tennis. Our athletes took home a total of fifty-three medals (10 Gold, 12 Silver, 18 Bronze, 8 Fourth Places, 3 Fifth Places, 1 Seventh Place, and 1 Eighth Place). Congrats team! | | Elected Officials Meet JESPY Clients | | |
To share information about the work JESPY does to support adults with Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities, we recently hosted visits by several government officials.
During Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo’s visit, he learned about JESPY’s valuable programming and discussed the Go Big for JESPY Campaign which will establish The JESPY Center and The Hub to provide JESPY clients with additional residential and programmatic options. His visit concluded with a lively discussion with a group of JESPY clients (shown above).
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Congresswoman LaMonica McIver (shown far left) also learned about JESPY’s future plans to provide more residential and program options for clients during her visit. In addition, she spoke with several clients in our residential program as well as Day Program clients who were participating in a variety of activities.
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Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill, who represents the 22 towns in Essex County as Commissioner-At-Large on the Essex County Board of Commissioners, visited JESPY as well. He spent time gaining insight about JESPY's vast array of programs and services and spent time at the Day Program speaking with clients.
| | The JESPY community came together to take a stand against Medicaid cuts. During a Medicaid postcard writing event hosted by JESPY, clients were joined by family, board members, and community supporters to write messages to statewide representatives to stress the importance of keeping Medicaid funding. | |  | This past spring, Senator Cory Booker invited clients from JESPY to join him at a press conference at University Hospital in Newark to discuss the impact of federal Medicaid cuts on people with disabilities. JESPY House client Debbie D. stood with Senator Booker and shared her personal story of how Medicaid funding allows her to live a fulfilling life. | | | |
Elementary School Students Supported JESPY
Students at Delia Bolden Elementary School in Maplewood made a heartfelt show of support by raising over $1,000 in donations for JESPY House. The students collaborated to create posters and make school wide announcements to support JESPY House. In turn, three JESPY clients – Christine M., Andres G., and Deondre W., - paid a visit to their classroom to talk to the youngsters about their JESPY experience and to offer some words of advice and encouragement.
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Partnering with JESPY To Enhance Safety
Prior to the demolition of several JESPY properties on Prospect Street in South Orange, the South Essex Fire Department used the vacant JESPY buildings to conduct fire drills. The exercises included attaching hoses to fire hydrants; running hoses from the fire trucks along driveways and up three stories of stairs into JESPY buildings; and carrying ladders to the rear and placing them several stories high onto the structures. Chief of Department Joseph M. Alvarez shared that the opportunity to train in a real-world environment was invaluable to the firefighters and enhanced their ability to better serve the community.
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| JESPY Events - Coming Soon! | | |
Mark your calendars for two of JESPY’s yearly highlights! JESPY clients will once again walk the runway in the South Orange Downtown Fashion Show on October 9, 2025. The event will take place at 6pm in Spiotta Park in South Orange.
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Join us, as well, to put your trivia knowledge to the test at our annual Trivia Night! The evening of November 9th will feature great prizes, delicious eats, and lots of fun. The event will be held at Felina Steak South Orange. Stay tuned for additional details!
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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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