A Shoulder to Lean On

The Special Children’s Center and You! Together, Making a Difference One Special Child at a Time

Have you ever heard someone say, “It really is all about you.” Well, its true. Now more than ever, it’s up to you to make a difference. It is up to you to care, to give and to act. On July 11th, at Linda and Harold Ebani’s beautiful home in Deal many of you showed up to do just that.

The Special Children’s Center (SCC) was born 13 years ago from the hopefulness and dreams of then-teenagers Jenine Shwekey and Chaya Bender. Determined to help better the lives of a few special-needs children in their neighborhood, they helped mothers after school, during the craziness of bathing and feeding time. They took the children for outings and entertained them. As the amount of kids needing company grew, so did the girl’s ideas, and as more and more people heard about what these girls were doing, ideas became reality.

With the help of a few very special people, random visits turned into Sunday and after school programs, which evolved into Shabbatons, Disney winter vacations, and summer camp. Any moment these kids were not occupied in school they were entertained by the ever-growing volunteers empowered by Jenine and Chaya. These respites gave the mothers, the families and the special children an opportunity to flourish.

Last summer brought new celebrations as a dream center campus and building were opened, thanks to an outpouring of love and help from our community and especially from individuals like Richie Dweck, Jennifer and Elliot Tawil, Harry Adjmi, Gabe Chehebar, Gayle Krost, Alie Cohen, Jeff and Rachel Sutton, Marilyn and Joukie and the Chehaber family. These individuals have given so much of themselves, Harry Adjmi personally enjoyed a Friday morning with the children and you can see from the pictures how the love went both ways. Elliot and Jennifer spent their mid-winter break with the kids in Disney and friendships were built that will last forever.

And yet, as fast as the smiles on the faces of the kids grow, so do the ideas for more, even better care. This year, the goal is to build an all year round pool with a solarium and a complete handicapped accessible aquatic center as well as an outdoor playground complete with its own water park. Here, the children can thrive and therapy can bring on startling results. At the Ebani home, with thanks to the Nakash family, the project has begun with the sponsoring of the pool, we look forward to be able to adding the solarium and adaptive equipment, and that’s not all.

New at the SCC is a 0 to 3 program—baby care at its finest, starting from the moment a special child is born. Normally a child does not start school or camp until their third birthday. The SCC realized that this is not enough. Parents need to know they can count on us from day one. Ten to 12 hours of therapy weekly begins immediately, with volunteers and specialists working hand-in-hand with parents to provide the strongest care and the highest chances for these wondrous kids. At two years old, they are integrated with regular children, bringing out the best in both of them. Chaya explains, “At two years old they have no inhibitions and no shyness; the day care is amazing, and the kids push each other so far—borderline children make tremendous progress!”

Another new program at the SCC is one that touches the heart while solving practical problems. School ends for these kids at 21 years old. What then? When Jenine encountered a special young lady in Deal who was at home with nothing to do she had to take action. Creating a program around this young girl, the SCC has now added “adult care” to their roster, a life skills program that brings self-confidence and courage to young men and women that have found themselves without purpose.

Jenine explains, “We give them independence. We teach them how to make decisions, create lists, prepare simple meals, and do laundry. They learn to write down their personal information and how to sign their names. We provide computer training and teach them about personal hygiene and money management—these are only some of the skills they learn. We want them to have the social skills they need to be productive in the community, because without that they have zero self-worth. These are young adults that are high functioning enough to want to do something, but are held back by their physical disabilities. They are bright and motivated and they want to become productive individuals. This is a new dimension and a crucial part of the process!”

At the Ebani home, the sun was shining and the day was hot and humid but that didn’t deter the hundreds of people that showed up to hear about the amazing efforts of the Special Children’s Center. Norma Cohen, once again, used her talents to help create a magnificent atmosphere resplendent with the joy and happiness that is synonymous with the cause.

Our events are always a success thanks to the help of Avenue J Florists, Morris Antebi Photography and Esther Faham Invitations and Rickie Esses, Reisa Cohen and Shirley Mamiye, Marc Franco, Adele Hamway and Ike Maleh. When the program began, you could hear a pin drop. Harry Adjmi entertained while he highlighted Jenine’s efforts over the years and the beauty of the children and the SCC itself. Harold Ebani welcomed the crowd with powerful words, “This organization isn’t black and it isn’t white; it is the color of compassion!”

Elliot Tawil described the needs of the kids and the center. “We have 150 children that come to us every day—keep in mind that handling these special needs children is the equivalent to a school of 600 children…” He went on to describe his visit to Disneyworld, “What really blew me away was the love, loyalty, dedication and caring of the volunteers. Twenty-four hours a day, for seven days, the children were never left alone. The volunteers fed them, took care of them, showered them and put them to bed—with zero downtime—never a break, and always with a smile.” Asking for everyone’s help, he concluded, “the center sees a need and they move to fill it; they are a lifeline.”

Fredd Baranoff, mother of Michael, age 13, who attends the center, then took the stage, commanding the attention of every person there as she described her struggle to find the right place to send Michael to camp eight years ago, “With one-on-one skilled attention, I could teach his counselor about his needs and tell her exactly how to care for him. My anxiety was squelched with phone calls throughout the day, reassuring me that he was fine, in fact, she almost made it look easy! The counselors at The Special Children’s Center are some of the most incredible people I’ve ever met. They are the definition of selfless—not intimidated or fearful of taking on the challenge of caring for our children. Daily, they put their heart and souls into making our special kids have very special days.”

Next on the agenda Dr. Gayle Krost introduced  a group of young women who spearheaded a camp art program that is treasured by the kids. Led by Adele Laboz, the women Carol Chera, Cookie Dweck, Alex Chehebar, Effie Harary, Tami Morano, Hiedi Russo, Laurie Sutton and Jennifer Tawil  stood before us. Adele was brought to tears, saying “When I get home from volunteering I so appreciate the little things in life—what my children can do, and how much the special children push and struggle for the smallest things.” We in the audience were moved to tears as well. The volunteers truly are “special.”

All year long Jenine, Chaya, Elliot, Harry, Richie and the committee meet to ask the question, “How can we serve these kids better?” They brainstorm ideas and give so much energy and effort towards the growth of the center—but it doesn’t happen overnight. Often it comes down to a fundraiser like this, because ideas can’t build themselves.

Throughout the Ebani home, the smiling faces of the children were larger than life on posters that depicted the loyalty and love showered on them at the SCC. Each photo was accompanied by a different phrase; one said: “You love me, you play with me, you feed me, you bathe me, you are my friend.” On a poster that was simply a mirror, it said, “It really is all about you. How will you make a difference?” Be a shoulder for these children to lean on. Help us create miracles. Make a difference. It really is all about you.

The Special Children’s Center (732) 367-0099; Email: caring@thecenternj.org.