Irvington Teen Renovates Youth Lounge at Local RTF

In honor of her bat mitzvah, Rebecca Strauss, 13, of Irvington, renovated the youth lounge at the Sally & Anthony Mann Center in Hawthorne, a residential treatment facility (RTF) for girls ages 12 to 21 with severe emotional challenges, run by the Jewish Board.

Through the project, created with the help of UJA-Federation of New York’s Give a Mitzvah — Do a Mitzvah program, Strauss prepared design ideas that she presented to the girls living at the center, which included vibrant purple walls, furnishings, and decorative touches such as stuffed animals and throw pillows. She then set about designing the space, selecting samples, and raising funds. Strauss also recruited friends to create a colorful underwater-themed mural.

“Rebecca’s passion for helping others was clearly reflected in her enthusiastic devotion to this project,” said Donna Divon, UJA-Federation’s manager of community and volunteer services. “I was delighted to help guide her and her family through the process of working with our partner agency, the Jewish Board, in creating a special and safe space for the young clients at the Mann Center. Rebecca voiced her hopes that the lounge would be a place for these young women to relax, build friendships, and flourish.”

Inspired by the new space, the residents named it the “Empowerment Lounge” and started their own mitzvah club to give back to the community.

Photo: Rebecca Strauss, 13, stands in the Mann Center lounge that she furnished and decorated as part of her bat mitzvah project.

About UJA-Federation of New York:

For over 100 years, UJA-Federation has inspired New Yorkers to act on their values and invest in our community for the biggest impact. Through UJA-Federation, more than 50,000 donors address issues that matter most to them, pooling their resources to care for Jews everywhere and New Yorkers of all backgrounds, respond to crises close to home and far away, and shape our Jewish future. Working with hundreds of nonprofit partners, synagogues, and other Jewish organizations, UJA-Federation is the world’s leading local philanthropy; our reach extends from New York to Israel to nearly 70 other countries around the world, touching 4.5 million people each year. For more information on how to donate or volunteer, please visit our website at www.ujafedny.org.

About the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services:

For more than 140 years, the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services (The Jewish Board) has been helping New Yorkers realize their potential and live as independently as possible. We promote resilience and recovery by addressing all aspects of an individual’s life, including mental and physical health, family, employment and education. Across the five boroughs and in Westchester, we serve more than 43,000 New Yorkers from all religious, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds each year. For more information, click on www.jewishboard.com.