The Mid-Island Y Jewish Community Center in Plainview was awarded a $950,000 American Rescue Plan Act grant delivered by Nassau County Legislature Deputy Minority Leader Arnold W. Drucker.
The grant was part of a larger grant gifted to Nassau County as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, signed in 2021. The bill aimed to provide additional economic relief to address the continuous impact of COVID-19.
According to Rick Lewis, the CEO of the JCC, the funds will be utilized for relief efforts after the pandemic required them to use additional finances to remain open under COVID-19 restrictions.
The Mid-Island Y JCC provides dozens of programs and services to individuals of all ages, including support groups and recreational programming. The center also runs a summer camp, an early childhood center, a center for individuals with disabilities and a food pantry.
The JCC was established in 1956 and currently serves over 20,000 members in Plainview and the surrounding areas. The grant was the largest the organization has received in its history, according to Lewis.
Elected officials presented a check at the JCC on Thursday, July 31. Drucker said the “JCC has grown, evolved and transformed itself into a hub of a multi-cultural, multi-faced and multi-ethnic community that is a beacon of light for all Long Islanders.”
“The opportunity to give back is very, very gratifying to me,” Drucker said.
Jason Blumkin, the current board president of the JCC, stated that on days such as this, he feels pride in the JCC and he is happy for the financial relief the grant will provide the JCC in the future.
“I can worry a little less in the moment knowing how far this will go for the community,” said Blumkin.
Ann Dorman Adler, a former JCC board president and current vice president, said she is proud of everything that the JCC does.
Senior Shaliach Dagan Cohen also highlighted the JCC’s welcoming spirit when his family moved to the United States from Israel back in 2023.
