JBFCS CELEBRATES ANNUAL SPRING BENEFIT

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HONORING

JULIE MENIN, CHAIRPERSON, COMMUNITY BOARD ONE

JOYCE B. COWIN,JBFCS TRUSTEE

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FRAN LEVY, JBFCS TRUSTEE

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Jean Shafiroff

Melissa Russo

Honorees Joyce B. Cowin With Fran Levy And Julie Menin

 David Everett With Anthony Mann, Brad Lerman, Paul Levine And David Rivel

The Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services (JBFCS) celebrated its Annual Spring Benefit honoring Manhattan Borough President Candidate Julie Menin, Chairperson of Community Board 1, Joyce B. Cowin, JBFCS Trustee, and Fran Levy, JBFCS Trustee; with Master of Ceremonies, Melissa Russo, News Anchor WNBC. JBFCS hosted a record-breaking 500 guests and raised an astounding $2.2 million for the agency. Some of the supporters included Tony Mann, JBFCS Board President, Alice Tisch, JBFCS Vice President, Tommy Tisch, Brown University Chancellor & NYU Medical Center Trustee, Carol Davidson, JBFCS Associated Executive Director for External Affairs, Paul Levine, JBFCS Executive Vice President & CEO, Jack Levy, Co-Chairman of Goldman Sachs Mergers & Acquisitions, Lloyd Williams, Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce President & CEO, Senator Roy Goodman, Former New York City State Senate, David Gellman, FdG Associates Managing Director, G. Oliver Koppell, NY City Council Member, District 11, Blaine (Fin) Fogg, Council, Skadden, John Finley, JBFCS Trustee, The Blackstone Group Chief Legal Officer, Lynn Korda Kroll, JBFCS Trustee, and Jules Kroll, K2 Global Consulting Chairman & Co-Founder and Kroll Bond Ratings, Inc. Chairman & CEO. 

The event was held at New York City’s Plaza Hotel and featured a cocktail reception plus seated dinner with proceeds benefiting JBFCS’ 175 community-based programs, residential facilities, and day-treatment centers that annually serve more than 55,000 New Yorkers-in-need of all faiths, races, and cultures. 

Adam Manson, Owner Distinctive Management

JBFCS has been a trailblazer in treating social problems for more than a century. Today, the organization is one of the nation’s largest and most respected nonprofit mental health and social service agencies—every night, more than 1,000 individuals call a JBFCS residence home. The work of JBFCS is built upon a network of more than 2,200 professionals, including social workers, licensed psychologists, and psychiatrists, as well as a cadre of clinical support personnel in continuing day treatment and residential treatment centers, and a corps of more than 800 dedicated volunteers.

  Joyce B. Cowin With Claire Goodman Cloud

And Senator Roy Goodman

The evening began with an introduction by master of ceremonies Melissa Russo who introduced President of the Board of Trustees Tony Mann. Mr. Mann delivered the record-breaking news of the over 500 person attendance and the $2.2 million dollars raised. Paul Levine, Executive Vice President of JBFCS then spoke about the great lengths that JBFCS goes to, to strengthen the New York City area. He mentioned how JBFCS will continue to service as, “there’s no end to what JBFCS can do in this city, because there’s no end of suffering.” Honoree Fran Levy was then introduced and delivered a touching speech about a family with a special needs child who gained strength and optimism through JBFCS’ programs. She mentioned how families are drawn to JBFCS programs because of the safe and nurturing environment the agency prioritizes. 

Julie Menin, the second honoree of the night spoke about how JBFCS “gives hope by providing a roadmap for recovery.” Ms. Menin spoke of a young man who faced severe depression and did not leave his home for over a year, with JBFCS’ help, the man received the right medication and cognitive therapy he needed to become a successful college student. Joyce B. Cowin was the last honoree of the night to address the room. Ms. Cowin raised over half of the $2.2 million dollars raised for the night and has been a JBFCS trustee for nearly 50 years. She spoke of a woman she met in Riverdale who lost her mother to cancer and fell into a deep depression. The woman turned to drugs and alcohol and attempted to end her own life; she then sought counseling with JBFCS and told Ms. Cowin that JBFCS saved her life

JBFCS provides a comprehensive network of mental health and social services to promote well-being, resilience, and self-sufficiency for individuals and families in need in the New York metropolitan area. As leaders in the field of human services, JBFCS’ mission is clear— 175 social service programs. 1 mission. To get help to those who need it.

 

For further information, please visit www.jbfcs.org.

Photos By: Ann Watt