Scarsdale Women Launch Freebird Initiative

UJA-Federation of New York’s Scarsdale Freebirds, a new initiative launched by Stephanie Brody, Vivian Sklar and Rochelle Waldman, all of Scarsdale, held their first Day Mission to benefit the residents of the Jewish Board’s Jerome M. Goldsmith Center, a core partner of UJA-Federation, on Wednesday, December 5, 2018.

The Scarsdale Freebirds, a group of vibrant and caring women who choose to devote their time and talent outside the home, spent the day brightening the living space of the Goldsmith Center, a residential treatment facility that serves emotionally vulnerable adolescent boys, ages 12 -21.

Prior to the event, Brody, Sklar and Waldman met with some of the residents to find out what kind of enhancements they would like. The day of the event, nine women rolled up their sleeves and helped refresh the space by decorating the walls in the common areas of the cottage with sports decals, organizing the kitchen with new supplies and setting up the game room with several new games, all purchased and donated by the Freebirds, The women also wrapped gifts and wrote cards for the boys to enjoy this holiday season. The group revealed the spruced up cottage when the boys returned at the end of the school day. The boys were excited by the new look of their space and were grateful for the gifts and generosity of the group.

In addition to the Jewish Board, UJA-Federation supports a network of more than 75 core partners and hundreds of other nonprofit organizations, large and small. These nonprofits provide food for the hungry, shelter for the homeless, independence for the elderly, jobs for the unemployed, as well as stimulating education programs for people in New York, in Israel, and in nearly 70 countries.

Photo captions:

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(From left) Front row: Janette Gee, Deborah Cherki; Back Row: Samara Rader, UJA Westchester Senior Development Executive, Robin Ellenberg, Wendy Gendel, Rochelle Waldman, Vivian Sklar, Stephanie Brody

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(From left) Rochelle Waldman, Stephanie Brody, Vivian Sklar

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Vivian Sklar and Wendy Gendel work on decorating the living space at the Jewish Board's (a UJA-Federation core partner) Goldsmith Center.

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Pam Frankel-Stein, Rochelle Waldman, Michele Silberberg and Samara Rader write cards and wrap gifts for the residents of the Jewish Board's (a UJA-Federation core partner) Goldsmith Center.

About UJA-Federation of New York:

For more than 100 years, UJA-Federation has brought New Yorkers together to solve some of the most pressing problems facing our community. Through UJA-Federation, more than 50,000 donors impact the 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 a network of hundreds of nonprofits, UJA-Federation extends its reach 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.