The Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce turns its spotlight on the New Jersey Institute for Disabilities (NJID) this month.
The New Jersey Institute for Disabilities, a private not-for-profit agency best known for its Lakeview School in Edison’s Roosevelt Park, also has a network of 40 service sites in 4 counties.
NJID has served the state for over 70 years, providing specialized learning and support for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Without skipping a beat, this agency continues to serve its 1,500 consumers during today’s challenging times.
Venus Majeski, NJID’s director of development and community relations, says the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates NJID has the resources and resilience to swiftly adapt to today’s “new normal” as it provides early interventions, education, supports and round-the-clock care to people with disabilities at its residential facilities.
Majeski calls her coworkers “real heroes.”
For the safety of its adults and children, NJID has transitioned to remote learning, tele-medicine and virtual therapy sessions. So far, there has not been a single reported COVID-19 case at any of NJID’s 41 educational or residential facilities throughout the state.
Majeski says the current pandemic is unlike anything she has experienced during her 30 years with NJID: “No one has ever faced a challenge like this,” she said. “But NJID is always prepared and the management team quickly mobilized for a comprehensive response to this situation. The entire staff has been remarkable.”
NJID and its supporters plan to “Keeping It Moving” with the much-anticipated 12th-annual Lakeview 5K, which has gone virtual. Throughout the month until June 22, participants are invited to make their own 5K run; to walk around their yard; or to donate for one of NJID’s fundraisers.
“The community is responding well to the new virtual set-up for Lakeview’s 5K,” Majeski said. “We are making the best of this situation and we are thankful to our community for supporting us.”
More than $30,000 has been raised so far. To sign up for your own 5K or to make a donation, visit www.raceforum.com/lakeview5k.
Majeski says the Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce has provided NJID with “countless opportunities over the years” to make business contacts and cultivate valuable partnerships. During the pandemic, she says the chamber has been an “invaluable resource,” providing special programs and daily updates to benefit its members. “MCRCC keeps the business community connected and that is priceless.”
