BORDENTOWN – The New
Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission (JJC)
recently accepted a donation of exercise
equipment from local entrepreneur, Nancy
Menchin. The owner of two area Curves women’s
fitness centers donated 26 pieces of exercise
equipment to the JJC’s Female Secure
Care and Intake Facility located in Bordentown.
In May 2007, a fire at the Princeton Meadows
Shopping Center in Plainsboro forced Ms.
Menchin to close the doors of her Curves
fitness center. This unfortunate event led
Ms. Menchin to also close a second fitness
center located in West Windsor at the end
of her lease and begin the pursuit of a
new career.
In an effort to bring something
positive from this difficult experience,
Ms. Menchin contacted the State of New Jersey
and inquired about donating the used gym
equipment. She was directed to the JJC,
which decided to place the equipment at
its Female Secure Care and Intake Facility.
The donated equipment includes 26 pieces
of Curves circuit equipment designed to
provide a 30-minute total body workout including
cardio and strength training.
“The JJC is pleased
to accept this wonderful donation. The young
ladies at the JJC’s Female Secure
Care and Intake Facility will use it regularly
to supplement their physical fitness education,”
said Veleria N. Lawson, Executive Director,
Juvenile Justice Commission. “In addition
to educational, vocational, and social services
instruction, the young ladies receive instruction
in physical education, nutrition and healthy
life styles. This generous donation will
help the JJC deliver these services. On
behalf of our young ladies and the staff
at the facility, I would like to thank Nancy
Menchin for her kindness and her generosity.”
“I am so happy to
know that the equipment will be used to
help in the rehabilitation of young women
who are seeking to turn their lives around,”
said Nancy Menchin. “It is nice to
know that something good came out of something
that at first seemed so devastating and
overwhelming.”
Ms. Menchin and Curves regional
representative, Claire Sherlock, recently
visited the residents and staff of the JJC’s
Female Secure Care and Intake facility and
provided instruction on how to use and care
for the equipment.
The
New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission is
the state agency responsible for providing
juvenile rehabilitation and parole services.
Established in 1995, the JJC serves to coordinate
services and policies affecting delinquent
youth throughout the State. From prevention
to parole, the JJC is a partner in the entire
juvenile justice system, working with communities
to help redirect the lives of young people.
The JJC operates four secure facilities,
fifteen residential community homes and
six day programs.
The
JJC’s Female Secure Care and Intake
Facility serves as the intake and secure
care unit for all juvenile females sentenced
to terms of incarceration in New Jersey.
It provides education and treatment for
up to 48 juvenile females. The primary goal
of the program is to prepare the juveniles
for a less restrictive environment. The
JJC strives to empower the young women,
many who have been victims of some type
of abuse, to live responsible, productive,
and law-abiding lives. The Female Secure
Care Unit provides a gender-specific, comprehensive,
culturally diverse curriculum designed to
address the special needs of this population.
Program components include a wide variety
of academic instruction, physical fitness
and health classes, vocational training,
including cosmetology and graphic arts,
and counseling.
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