Marble Jam continues providing services for children with Autism during COVID-Ep14

Kessler Foundation Podcasts

Read the transcript at https://kesslerfoundation.org/sites/default/files/2021-04/Marble%20Jam%20continues%20providing%20services%20for%20children%20with%20autism%20during%20COVID-Episode14-TRANSCRIPT.pdf In 2020, Kessler Foundation awarded nearly $1 million in COVID-19 emergency grants to nonprofits faced with new and sudden challenges to serving people with disabilities in New Jersey. The Foundation’s COVID Emergency Fund provided funding for 37 grantees of Kessler Foundation’s employment grant program. In this mini-series, we explore how our COVID emergency grants supported these nonprofits as they adapted to a new reality, enabling us to continue toward our common goal – helping individuals with disabilities reach their goals of independence and self-sufficiency. In this episode, I spoke with Anna Villa Bager, Executive Director of Marble Jam Center for Creative Arts Enrichment of Hackensack, NJ. Their arts center closed as of March 16th, 2020 and although they moved to remote classes, most of their students are unable to participate. This greatly affected the centers revenue and ability to manage expenses. They were also managing family support with no compensation or ability to bill the service. The Emergency Grant funding paid for extra time provided to families and caregivers who are unraveling due to the stay-at-home order. The learning curve for remote technology and additional cost licensing was also an expense they did not anticipate. Lear more about Kessler Foundation Center for Grantmaking - https://kesslerfoundation.org/grant-programs MarbleJam Center for Arts & Enrichment - https://marblejam.org ======================================================== Tuned in to our podcast series lately? Join our listeners in 90 countries who enjoy learning about the work of Kessler Foundation. Be sure and subscribe to our SoundCloud channel “KesslerFoundation” for more podcasts like this. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Listen to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, or wherever you get your podcasts. This podcast was recorded on December 10, 2020 remotely and was edited and produced by Joan Banks-Smith, Creative Producer for Kessler Foundation.