Millburn-Short Hills Magazine Spring 2017 | Page 18

First Person

Southern Hospitality Helps Fulfill Dreams

For 20 years , Lynda Wachsteter has been a driving force in support of the Jewish Service for the Developmentally Disabled

Last November marked the 20th anniversary of the Jewish Service for the Developmentally Disabled ( JSDD ) in West Orange . To celebrate this milestone , JSDD held agala atthe Morris Museum tohonor Lynda Wachsteter , two-term past president and Short Hills resident , and Lois Rose , another past president who lives inLivingston . The event was aspectacular success ; Peter Yarrow , of Peter , Paul & Mary , sang to asold out crowd ofmore than 300 guests and the event raised $ 300,000 . Wachsteter has been part of the organization since its inception in 1996 . JSDD supports both aresidential component and the WAE Center , which offers alternative learning to developmentally disabled adults through wellness , art and enrichment .

From Atlanta to Short Hills
I ’ m from Atlanta , Georgia , so when my husband ’ s career uprooted our family from North Carolina to the New York area , I came with trepidation . With two young sons in tow , we chose Short Hills because of its close-knit reputation and proximity to the city . That was in 1976 and we have been in the same home ever since . With one connection to the Jewish community through a friend in North Carolina and a membership at Temple B ’ nai Abraham in Livingston , I formed the building blocks to what is now a community I cherish .
In My DNA
Ihavealwaysbeen adoer – it ’ sinmyDNA . Mymaternal grandparents were immersed in philanthropy in Savannah and they instilled in me a life of giving to others – it ’ s what makes me tick . My sister , Diane , is developmentally disabled and now at 66 years old lives in a Jewish homein Atlanta . Through love for my sister and my humanitarian interests , I began my journey with JSDD . What started with the first home in Millburn , todayhas growntoelevenprograms in nine communities in three counties . JSDD residents have hopes , dreams , special gifts and spiritual connections , but need assistancewith daily living . In 2004 , theWAE Center came to fruition with a $ 110,500 seed grant from The Healthcare Foundation of NJ . The Center , originally housed in rented space at B ’ nai Shalom in West Orange , today serves 150 adults per year , with programmingincluding cooking , jewelry making , print making , yoga , weaving and meditation . After six years , we outgrew the space and found a larger rental home across from our officeon Pleasant Valley Way in West Orange . The growth of the program has led us to embarkonaCapital Campaign to securea larger , more permanent facility within the next fiveyears .
Using Southern Hospitality to Develop Relationships
Using my southern hospitality , I find the most effective way to bring JSDD to the forefront is by developing relationships . After two terms as president , my focus is on growth and fundraising . Because we make lifelong commitments to the people we support in our residences , we need an endowment to assure that the quality of our programs is sustainable into the future . For the past two years , we have actively pursued Legacy commitments from members of the Boardof Trustees , family members of our residents and friends of the agency . To date , we have secured 38 commitments from donors who remember JSDD through their estate planning . We have big plans for the future – the organization is literally bursting at the seams . ■
– ASTOLD TO NANCY COHEN
COURTESY OFROBERT SCHNEIDER
16 SPRING 2017 MILLBURN & SHORT HILLS MAGAZINE