This month, the St. Louis Jewish Community Center’s Life Enrichment program received funding from the St. Louis County Productive Living Board to continue their work in the St. Louis community. This funding allows the J to serve hundreds of children and adults with intellectual and physical disabilities in St. Louis County to participate in fitness, youth, adult and camp programs.
“We are incredibly grateful for the partnership of the Productive Living Board,” said Lynn Wittels, President and CEO of the J. “It is through the PLB that we are able to fulfill our mission to promote inclusivity and serve a diverse population. The J is stronger, in part, because of their support.”
The Productive Living Board ensures funding for a spectrum of high-quality services that create opportunities for St. Louis County residents with developmental disabilities to thrive in the home, community and employment settings of their choosing. The PLB grants funding to nearly 40 charities, programs, and organizations across the St. Louis area including the J. For more than 25 years, the PLB and the J have worked together to provide affordable life enrichment activities for children and adults with developmental disabilities.
Among the many activities in the J’s Life Enrichment program are Sunday Friendship Group, TeenSkills Camp, Fit-4-Life, and J Day Camps. Two additional participant favorites are Theatre Unlimited and the Sensory Studio at the Staenberg Family Complex.
Theatre Unlimited is one of the oldest barrier-free theatre programs in St. Louis and is specifically designed to allow adults with disabilities to shine on stage. Their most recent performance of The Wizard of Oz had 40 participants in the cast and crew, with as many returning for their Fall production of The Lion King.
The Sensory Studio, unique to the J and funded primarily by the PLB, opened in the Spring of 2022 at the Staenberg Family Complex in Creve Coeur. The space is designed to help those with developmental disabilities who may encounter sensory processing challenges when engaging with the world around them. It is available to all program participants at the J.
For more information about Life Enrichment, contact Kristen Conard, Associate Director of Life Enrichment & Adult Day Services at kconard@jccstl.org, or visit our Life Enrichment page for details.