Helping the Community
How You Can Help
We are proud that members of NCJW BCS enrich the lives of women, children and families in Bergen County by volunteering at our community service programs. Most of our agencies are now accepting volunteers once again, and we invite you to step forward to make a difference in our Bergen County community.
Children’s Programs
HIPPY
HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Pre-school Youngsters) trains parents to be their children’s first teachers. Volunteers participate monthly at early evening virtual meetings via Zoom. They read stories to the parents and children, play games and do craft projects with the children. Contact: Joan Schnuer, polten@optonline.net or Edie Kaplan, ediekaplan@gmail.com.
Bergen Family Center
After School Tutorial Program
Bring out the teacher in yourself and have fun. Volunteers needed to tutor children in first and second grades in Math and Language Arts at an elementary school in Englewood, under the auspices of the Bergen Family Center. One to one tutoring, 40 minutes a week is all that is requested. Training will be provided. Face masks and vaccinations are required. Contact: Phyllis Grossman Kaplan hawphyllis@aol.com.
Children’s Court Care Center
Located at the Bergen County Court House in Hackensack, the CCCC is a supervised play area for children of litigants. The Center is attractive and well equipped with toys, games, books, a TV and arts and craft materials. Volunteers interact with and supervise infants and young children while their parents attend court in the morning between 9:30 am and 12:30 pm or afternoon between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday.
ON HOLD
Summer Campership Program
The Bergen County Campership program is a unique public-private program that provides scholarships to children from lower-income working families to go to local day camps and to have a safe and meaningful summer. Two NCJW members participate on the Coordinating Committee, one of whom serves as the chair. Contact Joan Cooper, grammyjoan18@gmail.com or Marian Kugelmass, makugelmass@gmail.com.
Youth Consultation Services (YCS) Holley Birthday Cakes
YCS provides services to thousands of New Jersey children with special needs. NCJW BCS supports the Holley Childcare & Development Center, a treatment facility for emotionally and/or physically abused children in Hackensack. Volunteers order and deliver personalized birthday cakes for each child who lives at the Holley Center. Contact Beth Pascarello, BMPIM60@gmail.com.
Youth Consultation Services
Club NCJW
On the third Tuesday of the month from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm, volunteers do arts and crafts projects with the children in order to develop trusting and friendly relationships with them. Contact Evelyn Masheb, cemasheb@aol.com.
Feed the Hungry
Center for Food Action
The Center for Food Action (CFA) provides food, rental assistance and utility assistance for Bergen County to families facing food insecurity and is the largest such agency in the county. Each January NCJW participates in an annual Snack Packing event which coincides with CFA’s annual MLK National Day of Service Weekend Snack Pack Volunteer Initiative. In 2022, 25,000 Snack Packs, which contain supplemental weekend foods to area children in need, were provided by the agency. NCJW is now creating a new Dinners4 Seniors program which adds 4 additional, high-quality dinners to seniors’ packages. Many of these are home delivered. Contact Marcia Levy, mllevy0648@gmail.com.
Family Promise Walk-In Dinner Program
For more than 30 years, NCJW BCS has participated in the Family Promise Walk-In Dinner Program. Volunteers prepare meals four times per year, for approximately 150 folks, and deliver them to the Bergen County shelter in Hackensack. All food is prepared at home and brought to the shelter. However, the shelter has been closed since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, so we currently cook and deliver but do not serve the dinners inside the dining room as we did in years past. Volunteers are reimbursed for their expenses as requested. Dates for volunteering in 2024 are March 28, June 27, August 22, and October 31. For more information or to volunteer, contact Lois Katz Brown, lkbrown125@gmail.com.
Empowering Women
Center for Hope and Safety (CHS)
The Center for Hope and Safety provides a safe house, counseling and a myriad of services to help women and children, victims of domestic violence, start life anew. Volunteers actively run the Holiday Gift Wrap program for major holidays at the Malls. The “Making Meals Together,” where volunteers plan and prepare dinner with CHS shelter residents for a fun mother/child cooking is currently ON HOLD. Contact Flora Perskie, fwperskie@gmail.com.
Plaintiff Waiting Room at Bergen County Courthouse
Plaintiffs’ Waiting Room at the Bergen County Court House in Hackensack offers a safe, welcoming haven for domestic violence plaintiffs awaiting court appearances. Volunteers sign in plaintiffs, make them comfortable, and answer the phone from 8:30 am to 10:30 am or 10:30 am to 12:30 pm, Mondays through Thursdays. Volunteers participate for one or more shifts per month. Volunteers who speak Spanish are appreciated.
Contact Henrietta Wolfeiler, b.wolfeiler3@verizon.net or Lois Katz Brown, brown44@optonline.net.
ON HOLD
Project S.A.R.A.H.
Project S.A.R.A.H. (Stop Abusive Relationships At Home) is a statewide program that provides domestic violence and sexual abuse counseling and treatment, community education and prevention to the Orthodox community. Volunteers assist in training staff and teachers in kids’ safety programs. Volunteers also make phone calls to rabbis and other NJ Jewish community leaders to raise awareness of the services provided. Contact Marcia Levy, mllevy0648@gmail.com.
Women Rights Information Center (WRIC)
This organization helps women learn and develop the skills they need to move toward economic self-sufficiency. Volunteers serve in a variety of ways including receptionist, ESL tutor, assistance with resume writing and career advice, career closet consultant, computer teacher’s assistant and more. Bilingual Spanish speakers are welcome. Contact Barbara Golub, barbaragolub@me.com.
Health and Wellness
Adler Aphasia Center
Located in Maywood, NJ, the center enables people who have lost the ability to use words to comfortably communicate. Volunteers work individually with stroke or accident victims to improve their communication and manual dexterity skills. Focus is on computers, writing and speaking, or jewelry making. Contact Hilary Eth, hilaryeth@hotmail.com.
Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative
This program provides free medical care to uninsured, low-income working families and individuals at the Health Center, located in Hackensack. Volunteers with healthcare backgrounds or with multilingual abilities (especially Spanish) are needed. Training is provided on a one-to-one basis. Contact Gladys Laden, Gladys.laden@gmail.com.
Swim-In
Swim-In is a therapeutic water exercise program for people with Multiple Sclerosis at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades in Tenafly and is supervised by a licensed physical therapist. Volunteers assist clients September through May on Wednesdays from 12:30 pm - 3:00 pm in the pool, the locker room and with wheelchairs in the pool area. A short training program is provided. You do not need to know how to swim to volunteer. Contact: Ina Miller-Silverstein, inams98@yahoo.com or Roxanne Reff, rkreff@yahoo.com.
Seniors
Bergen Family Center Seniors
The Adult Day Program offers visually impaired and frail older adults socialization in a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment. Volunteers play trivia games with attendees, read to them and celebrate their birthdays. Contact Ilene Wechter, Ilene5656@gmail.com.
Jewish Home at Rockleigh
The Jewish Home at Rockleigh is a skilled nursing and geriatric facility offering an array of services. NCJW BCS volunteers enrich the lives of Rockleigh elders by hosting three annual, uplifting social events – the Sweetheart Social, Coney Island or Game Day, and Chanukah. Ongoing volunteer opportunities to suit your schedule are Gift Shop Assistant, Library Assistant, Friendly Face Visitor and Bring Your Pet visit. New volunteer opportunities include the Jewish Holiday Meals on Wheels (phone or delivery) and the Opening Minds Through Art (OMA) program. Contact Roberta Lew, rmlew@aol.com.
Knit Wits
Do you want to make a difference without leaving your home? Knit-Wit volunteers enjoy knitting and crocheting scarves, hats, mittens, gloves, baby and lap blankets throughout the year. They are distributed to medical facilities, senior programs and the needy throughout Bergen County. Contact Sabina Sicklick, sabinasicklick@yahoo.com or Marilyn Friedman marisfried@aol.com.
Council Resale Shop
Council Resale Shop provides an unparalleled service to the community, offering quality household items and clothing at rock-bottom prices. Volunteer salespeople select their day and time for once a month or more. Our Resale Shop is a primary source of income for NCJW BCS and is located on Washington Avenue in Bergenfield. Contact Fran Einiger, franeiniger@yahoo.com or Marcia Kopeloff, mgkopeloff@gmail.com.
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