JCC: touching on everything

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At the Friedberg JCC in Oceanside, four special needs young adults are melting crayons with hairdryers over a tape outline of the first letter of their names. An iPod plays classical music through makeshift plastic cup speakers.

This is an art class, and one of many programs for special needs children and young adults offered by the Friedberg JCC through its Ezra Center for People with Disabilities.

“We’re the only full-service agency on the South Shore of Long Island that serves children and young adults with disabilities in all areas,” said Marcy Hallerman, the program director for Support and Social Services. “Not only recreational, but educational, social — we really just try to touch on everything.”

“Touching on everything” includes an adaptive swim team, Hebrew school, yoga and social skills classes. These classes are free of charge thanks to a grant from the New York State Office of People with Developmental Disabilities’ Family Support Services.

“We also have a young adult membership program where young adults with disabilities can come to the JCC,” said Hallerman. “They get membership, it’s reimbursed through their Office of People with Developmental Disabilities budgets. They can bring support staff with them to workout next to them and help with machines and just be a presence for them. And that’s called Community Connections.”

The programs are led by a mix of paid positions and volunteers. There is an internship program for high school students where they can receive college credit from C.W. Post.

“A lot of our programs have come out of parents coming to us and saying, ‘There’s no place else that we can find this, and can you do it?’” said Hallerman. “We have just put things out and see what goes, kind of like look what the interest seems to be, and we also look for partners.”

A partner in one case is SULAM-LI, an organization that offers Hebrew school classes for children with special needs. The adaptive swim team came from a suggestion from the parent committee. “Because swimming is such an individual sport it’s really good for children with disabilities, because they’re not competing against anybody but themselves,” said Hallerman. “So we started the team – think it was about three years ago – and we have like 15 to 20 individuals who swim. They go to the Special Olympics, usually in the spring.”

The Friedberg JCC also offers a preschool program called “Bright Beginnings” — which has speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy.

Back at the art class, the parents are pleased with the melted crayon artwork when they come to pick up their children. “We did the same thing last year and the year before, and it was a huge success,” said art teacher Yesica Panora of the project.

The Freidberg JCC will have a show to display the student art in April.