News Archive: December 2009

December 17, 2009: Annual Board Meeting

On Thursday December 17th, the Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services held its Annual Board of Trustees Meeting at the offices of Weil, Gotshal & Manges. A special guest, John S. Ruskay, Executive Vice President and CEO of UJA-Federation of New York, is pictured here celebrating John Herrmann's final meeting as President of the JBFCS Board of Trustees.

L-R: Paul Levine, John Herrmann, Jean Troubh, John Ruskay

December 5, 2009: Barnes & Noble supports Goldsmith Center

The JBFCS Goldsmith Center and Barnes & Nobles have joined forces to raise money towards a new Goldsmith library. Barnes & Nobles gave JBFCS credit for purchases made by its supporters on Saturday, December 5th. The store at 230 Main Street in White Plains, NY, featured a book signing by author Michael Balkind, writer of such popular mysteries as Sudden Death and Dead Ball. Lauded by authors James Patterson and John Grisham, Balkind is well-known for his unique blend of sports and intrigue.

The Jerome M. Goldsmith Center for Adolescent Treatment is a residential treatment facility in Hawthorne, NY for young men with complex emotional issues and challenging needs. Licensed by the New York State Office of Mental Health, the Center provides supervised living units and a program of therapeutic and educational services. The program provides a secure in-house acute-care unit as part of the continuum of care.

According to Lenny Rodriguez, LCSW, JBFCS Deputy Executive Director, “Growing the imagination is what healing is all about. Bringing a library to the Goldsmith Center will better prepare the boys for a brighter future. “

Fighting the Battle of Illiteracy

A recent study of troubled teens and concerned teachers, headed by the University of Chicago, shows that as reading levels improve anti-social and dysfunctional behavior is reduced. Since virtually all the residents of Goldsmith Center struggle with literacy, it is hoped that providing them with easy access to a library will not only raise their reading levels but will improve their outlook on life.