Empowering clients, helping to serve employers

JCC's I-Space program helps special needs adults

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With her 19-year-old son William sitting home and doing nothing after the school year ended with no more BOCES training to attend, Sharon Diana decided to respond to the email she received from the Marion & Aaron Gural JCC in Cedarhurst about its newly established I-Space program.

I-Space (Inviting Special Populations to Access Community Environments) works to place high-functioning men and women with special needs in jobs in a variety of industries.

“He always gone to special education programs and can go until he is 21, but there is no summer camp and he is at an age (19) where he should filling out applications for jobs, but they ask for prior experience,” said Sharon, a Valley Stream resident. “All he needed was an opportunity to prove himself.”

Now William, who was “basically doing nothing, and isolated,” his mother said, is working at Panera Bread in Lawrence and has worked as many as 20 hours a week. “It’s so amazing, he feels so much better about himself,” Sharon said.
The program is an extension of work previously done helping special needs people through the JE & ZB Butler Foundation over the past 30 years, and includes the UJA-Federation New York, one of the JCC’s largest supporters.

“I-Space gives the clients a sense of acceptance, a sense of empowerment and it helps with their social skills,” said Cathy Byrne, the JCC’s associate executive director for adults, older adults and special needs.

Naomi Weisenberg, who sent the email to Sharon Diana, is the I-Space project director, and introduces the clients with the employer and regularly makes site visits to ensure that the employer/employee relationship is beneficial to both parties.

“Employers are hesitant at first, but then they make the commitment and develop a sense of trust with the client,” said Weisenberg, who added that a “stigma remains about special needs individuals.”

At the Lawrence Yacht & Country Club, Max Teller, 21, a Woodmere resident, is setting tables, taking drink orders, doing other prep work and working as part of a team for the Royalton Catering Company, the club’s non-kosher caterer.

“I worked in a warehouse before and this is better, I work with the guys here, I work at my own pace and Jorge let’s me do my thing,” Teller said, as he took a break from helping to set up for a party on Sept. 15. Andrew, 21, and James, 31, have also been placed with the Royalton.

Jorge, is Jorge Fernandez, the Royalton’s general manager at the Lawrence Club. Michael Einhorn, Royalton’s owner, was approached by the JCC about the program and Fernandez said at first there was a little nervousness about everyone being comfortable, but all three young men have been a boon to the catering company.

“It has been very positive, more positive for us, the staff and the regular members,” Fernandez said. “And Max just goes and asks patrons what they want to drink, he takes the initiative. He asks me, ‘do you need me to come in early,’ and he stays until everything is done.”

In all, I-Space has placed 10 people since May, including Michael, 25 at the Seawane Club in Hewlett Harbor, and Joshua, 25 and a 49-year-old woman at Montaj, a wholesaler of over-the-counter medicines in Oceanside. “Joshua started about a month ago and [the woman] a week ago, and it’s going pretty good,” said business owner Todd Morse. “They both come to work and do their work.”