Gural JCC, Five Towns Chabad awarded CARES Act money

The Marion  & Aaron Gural CC Early Childhood Center at the Harrison-Kerr Family Campus in Lawrence and the Chabad of the Five Towns' Early Childhood Center in Cedarhurst received $36,000 and $33,000, respectively to help defray the cost of Covid-related renovation while trying to maintain  safety for children and staff, while improving the  opportunities to learn.

“The grant funds helped the JCC reopen its highly regarded Early Childhood Center in September and helps to cover some of the additional Covid related costs to operate,” Gural JCC CEO Aaron Rosenfeld stated in a news release. “The Gural JCC Early Childhood Center has continued to provide top-notch early childhood education and care for hundreds of children throughout this Covid pandemic and it continues to be a tremendous asset to our community as it has been for the past 30 years,” 

The grant money is administered by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services through funding from the federal CARES Act. State Sen. Todd Kaminsky, a Democrat who represents the Five Towns helped in attaining the money.     

“Safe, quality child care for our kids is more important now than ever,” Kaminsky stated in the release. “I am confident that this vital funding will go a long way for children, teachers and parents alike at both Chabad of the Five Towns and the JCC’s Early Childhood Center, while ensuring they stay safe during this most difficult time.”

Chabad’s Early Childhood Center will use the money to cover staffing costs for the addition of more early childhood classrooms, to increase staff, buy personal protective equipment, including masks and hand sanitizer.