| A few months ago, a high school senior and competitive swimmer named Meredith found herself far from home, navigating circumstances no teenager should have to face. She and her mother, Sara, had traveled from Buffalo to Pittsburgh so Meredith could receive specialized care after being diagnosed with Wilson’s disease and liver failure. What followed was a long hospital stay, a liver transplant, and the slow, careful work of recovery. One of Meredith’s doctors, who is a JCC member, knew how central swimming was to her life. Without being asked, he arranged for Meredith and Sara to receive guest passes so Meredith could swim at the JCC as part of her journey toward recovery. There was no formal request, no program, no policy. This was simply someone in our community seeing a need and choosing to act. After 67 days out of the water, Meredith returned to the pool at the JCC. Later, she was invited to speak with our Sailfish swim team, where she shared her experience with illness, transplant, and the challenge of starting again. She reminded the swimmers that progress often comes one small step at a time, that there are days when strength feels easy and days when it does not, and that every lap and every effort matters. |
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| In April 2024, our Board of Directors and Leadership Team adopted a new vision statement for the JCC: activating community to create a stronger, more inclusive future. We knew then that this vision would be lived not only through programs and strategy, but through moments like this one. The JCC did not “do” anything extraordinary here. Our community did. A relationship sparked an act of care. A door was opened. A young person found her way back to something that brought her strength and hope. That is what activating community looks like. And it is how we continue to build a JCC that is not just a place, but a network of people who show up for one another when it matters most. Wishing you and your families a Shabbat shalom, Jason |
