JCC MetroWest receives grant to fund social workers at camps

JCC METROWEST announces the award of a grant from The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey to employ social workers at the J’s day camps in collaboration with Jewish Family Service of MetroWest.

The camps include Camp Deeny Riback in Flanders and Triple Threat Theater camp, TEKI STEM camp, Exploration Camp, Early Childhood camp, and Teen Travelers located on the Leon & Toby Cooperman JCC campus in West Orange.

“Today’s children and adolescents face numerous pressures — pressures that arise from within families, from social media, and from the overall environment in which we live,” said Marsha Atkind, executive director/CEO of The Healthcare Foundation. “This initiative at the JCC Camps will help young people cope with those pressures and empower staff to identify and deal with problems before they become crises.”

The goal will be for the social workers to get involved in all facets of the camps, to develop relationships, and intervene when necessary. In addition, JCC MetroWest counselors and camp leadership will be trained to work with campers to be prepared as challenges arise.

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“The main outcome that we hope to achieve is to create an environment that provides our campers, counselors, and families with support and skills needed for them to be successful in camp and prepare them for life after camp,” said Sharon Gordon, chief program officer at JCC MetroWest.

“We want the social worker to become part of the overall camp leadership and be very approachable to all.”