National Council of Jewish Women New York Section

Hunger programover one million New yorkers have difficulty affording food, including elderly people who live alone, the working poor who cannot afford to pay for both rent and food, and the homeless who live in shelters or on the streets. In response, monday food pantry provides a three-day supply of both fresh produce and shelf-stable groceries to families in need, and our twice-weekly community kitchen provides a hot, freshly prepared meal to all who need it. In fy'24, our hunger program served over 295,000 meals to more than 2,500 New yorkers of all racial and religious backgrounds. Our dedicated volunteers give our program an unmatched level of personal interaction and service, ensuring that the experience is warm, welcoming, and dignified for all of our clients. Our hunger program coordinator and caseworker learns about our clients' lives and connects them to programs, services, and benefits to help them break the cycle of poverty and food insecurity, addressing challenges like housing, employment, and health insurance and helping them reach a higher level of health and economic stability, ultimately reducing their reliance on emergency food support.

Children's programmingour children's literacy program works with economically disadvantaged public-school students to boost confidence in literacy skills and instill a lifelong love of books and reading, thereby helping to close the gap in school performance for these children compared to their more affluent peers. In fy'24, our reading tutors program operated in partnership with three after-school sites in manhattan, serving about 50 children in grades kindergarten through 5th. We recruit and train volunteers to provide weekly one-on-one reading sessions. Over the course of the school year, tutors work with the same children, building a strong, trusting relationship. Tutors carefully select books for each student, tailored to that child's interests and appropriate for their reading level. Students keep their books after they have read them with their tutors, building up a home library that instills pride and encourages reading practice on their own.back 2 school storeour annual back 2 school store debuted in 2015, and it provides children with everything they need to go back to school with pride, confidence, and enthusiasm. Every summer, ncjw ny's Council house is transformed into a very special "pop up" department store, where each child "shops" for a brand-new outfit (shirt, pants, sneakers, socks, parka, hat and gloves) as well as a backpack filled with school supplies, all entirely free of charge. B2ss is uniquely impactful because the children choose each item themselves, based on their own tastes and styles, with the help of their own "personal shopper" volunteer. The power of choice, without any worry about price tags, is an experience more affluent children take for granted but one these children rarely, if ever, have. B2ss also provides informational resources from public and private agencies to help parents support their family's health, learning, and growth. In fy'24, the b2ss served 215 children. The jackson-stricks scholarship programthe jackson-stricks scholarship program was established to provide grants to individuals with physical challenges to pursue academic study or vocational training that will enable them to meet their full potential and lead independent lives. In fy'24, ncjw ny gave out two scholarships of $10,000 each.

Council lifetime learningin fy'24, more than 300 seniors participated in a broad range of programming offered by Council lifetime learning (cll), which includes everything from art and exercise classes to engaging lectures and discussion groups. Our programming is based on the philosophy that arts and culture are a uniquely effective way to engage and empower older adults, building on their interests and strengths to maintain connection and vitality as the aging process continues. We help seniors to defy the stereotypes associated with growing old and to continue learning and growing into their 70s, 80s and well beyond. The current epidemic of loneliness has hit our oldest old especially hard in nyc. Ncjw ny's cll programming addresses this problem head on, helping seniors create community and connection and building their support network. Our cll social worker helps our clients deal with the inevitable challenges of aging as they arise such as the loss of a spouse, an illness, or a bad fall -- leading support groups and providing individual counseling, resources, and referrals and help with benefits enrollment. Cll helps seniors stave off mental and physical decline and remain living independently at home, where they most want to be. Lunch, interaction, nurturing, and companionship (linc)linc is an innovative day program that engages adults experiencing memory loss and dementia through art, music, and recreational activities in an intimate, controlled environment. The program operates three times a week, involving both elders and their caregivers. Far more than a respite care or daycare program, linc provides individualized attention and meets each client where they are, modeling positive interaction for caregivers. Linc stimulates participants and encourages positive self-expression, improving their mood and function throughout the day and the week. Linc is an intimate program by design, serving a roster of about 20 families.

Advocacy ncjw ny pursues vigorous and strategic advocacy to pursue and protect reproductive and economic justice for Women. In the spring of 2018, ncjw ny launched the pro-truth campaign, which works to expose and fight fake Women's clinics, ensuring that all Women have access to comprehensive and accurate information about their reproductive rights and choices. In 2023, we launched jews for repro ny, to reclaim the narrative around faith, religion, and abortion. In fy'24, our advocacy and education programming reached thousands of New yorkers and activated 1,000 people to speak out and take real action. We maintain strong relationships with our state and local elected representatives and invite experts to speak to our community about these issues and others that concern us and our community. On the National level, ncjw, inc. has a professionally staffed Washington office that advocates at the federal level and helps coordinate grassroots advocacy nationwide.pregnancy loss support programplsp utilizes professionally trained volunteers to provide telephone counseling and to facilitate in-person and virtual support groups for parents who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, or newborn death. All of our volunteers have experienced a loss themselves, so they can speak from experience to grieving parents, and at the same time continue their own healing process through service to others. In fy'24, the program served more than 200 families.