Sidebar: Tonight's the night

JESPY House, the South Orange-based agency that serves developmentally disabled adults, has received a $25,000 grant from the Laurie Foundation to expand its day programs.

Begun in 2002, the day program provides activities for those JESPY House clients who are unemployed.

"It's a structured program that gives them a reason to get up at 9 a.m. and fill their day until other things kick in," said JESPY assistant director Frank Bresnick.

Originally funded as a four-day-a-week program by two grants from the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey totaling $175,000, the fourth day had to be dropped when its costs were incorporated into the JESPY budget. The grant will enable the program, now running Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, to add Mondays beginning in August.

The Roseland-based Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation of New Jersey was established in 1983 and supports medical care, education, music and drama, and the needs of children, older citizens, and the Jewish community.

Bresnick said JESPY's goal is for all its clients to be employed. "But we always have clients who are temporarily out of work, chronically unemployed, or working two-three days per week. We wanted to have something for them to do so they are not sitting around watching television all day. That's the worst possible thing for them."

The day program runs from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. It begins with a walking group and offers a variety of programs from exercise with trainers, nutrition groups, and cooking classes, to social skills sessions, health and safety workshops, yoga, music therapy, computer skills, and art.

A core group of 10-12 people take advantage of the program on a regular basis, said Bresnick, but occasionally the number rises to as many as 20 and falls to as few as eight at any given time.

"Ultimately, we'd like to offer a choice of groups each hour instead of just one session," said Bresnick.

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