My Time at JCCA - Jewish Child Care Association

My Time at JCCA
Monday, February 16, 2009
By: Christian Balseca

My Time at JCCA

How I feel about JCCA

My social worker Alex (short for Alexandra) was looking to bring me back home and as I refused, she started to look for places. There was this agency that I remember going to. It was far, I remember going on a long trip on a train with Alex. It was a large facility with a school on grounds. It was beautiful.
Upon my arrival to this unfamiliar place, I had met with a guy in a office along with Alex. He was Mr. Michael Spindler, director of Edenwald at that time. He had talked to me and he had someone show me around the place. There were houses all over. I remembered the counselor who gave me the tour. His name was Tony Catalano. I remember he came to me and introduced himself with a large cup of coffee. I loved this place I had said to myself. Mr. Spindler had asked me if I liked the place and I said yes, I liked it. I was accepted into the facility The facility was Jewish Child Care Association of New York.
My arrival at JCCA on December 13, 1984, was the mark of the beginning of new life for me. Yeah, I was scared, I was scared because I was in a strange place with unfamiliar faces and I had no one I knew to talk to. I had times that I threw temper tantrums. There were times that I misbehaved, but it also was a place that I felt safe. No one could hurt me, no abuses of any kind. I had teachers and counselors and administrators that helped me -- that gave me the time of day -- someone to teach me the good and bad. My honor goes to Michael Spindler, who gave me the chance to have a better life. Marc Ditman, the Unit B administrator, who on weekends just sat and gave me advise, stood with me at my times of sadness and loneliness. Shirley Spencer, the secretary who gave literature to read. Lisa Cohen, Jean Tolbert, Marie Botler, teachers that taught me how to read, how to count money, how to love myself. Mary Grace (the nurse )also gave the time of day, who also on weekends, sat and chatted with me, took me out for my birthdays, took me with her on Thanksgiving day, on Christmas too. All my love and honor goes to all the other staff that worked with me and/or had contact with me.
My time at Edenwald was short: say three years. It was on December 17, 1987 that I had departed JCCA Edenwald to JCCA-Hillcrest Group Home in Flushing Queens. I had also made good friends and had me four extraordinary childcare Workers: Susan Cumberland, David Washington, Sandy Brooks and Sean Mebain. My time there was one year and a half. I had left on 5/4/1989. I was no longer in care and I went back to the same situation that had brought me into care. But I had kept in touch with a JCCA worker that gave me the power and courage to carry on with my life and had succeeded.
I am now 36 years old and I volunteer at JCCA's Edenwald Center. I work with a 15 yyear old boy for 2 years and I give him the advice and encouragement that JCCA staff has given me. I will always remember my times here and I will always cherish JCCA for what it has done for me. JCCA was my sanctuary and I love them for it!

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