Cheers erupted and applause echoed across the site of The JESPY Center on the Cooperman Family Campus Sunday in South Orange as an exhilarated crowd gathered — shovels in hand and joy on their faces — united by a powerful message: Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities are vital members of our communities, and their future truly matters.
The groundbreaking wasn’t just a celebration, it was a declaration of unwavering support, connection and hope. With the ceremonial turning of the earth, a new chapter began: one that expands opportunity, strengthens community, and brings lasting promise for those forging self-directed lives.
More than 300 JESPY clients, families, board members, and supporters heard from South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum, philanthropists Toby and Leon Cooperman, State Sen. Renee Burgess, Assemblywoman Garnet Hall and others.
JESPY has provided vital, comprehensive services in the heart of South Orange for nearly five decades.
About JESPY House
JESPY House is a nonprofit organization that has provided comprehensive services and programs to help adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to live independently in South Orange for over 45 years. More than three hundred clients, age 18 and older, are supported in various areas along their journey to independence and leading fulfilling lives.
JESPY’s services and programs include Day Habilitation, Engagement & Enrichment programs, Young Adult Transitions Services, Clinical & Behavioral Support Services, Athletics & Fitness, Case Management, Community-Based Supports, Residential options, Aging in Place, and Work Readiness and Employment Engagement services. For additional information about JESPY House, click here.
The JESPY Center will add 20 aging-in-place suites and 26 affordably priced apartments, alongside new space dedicated to vocational training, health and wellness, clinical and behavioral supports, and more, all of which will be accessible. This expansion will enable longtime clients to remain in their homes and community as they grow older — with the right care in place — and provide stability for those at risk of displacement due to rising housing costs, a challenge facing families across New Jersey and the nation.
JESPY House Executive Director Audrey Winkler summed it up this way.
‘This is not just about buildings, it’s about building lives,” she said. “For too long, adults with IDD have been left out of conversations about affordable housing and aging services. The JESPY Center changes that. It says loudly and clearly: You belong, and your future is important.”
Toby and Leon Cooperman, whose generous $13.25 million matching gift helped launch the project, proudly shared why The JESPY Center means so much to them: it gives JESPY clients the chance to pursue the American Dream.
“The JESPY Center is an investment in the future,” Leon Cooperman said. “These adults need a place they can call home — a place for recreation, support, and stability after their parents are gone. Toby and I have great hope that our matching challenge will inspire others to step forward. Everyone here has a role to play. JESPY clients are working hard to be independent and give back to the community. So, I ask — what will you do to make the world a better place?”
Looking ahead, JESPY envisions expanding housing and services for clients across a wide age spectrum — from young adults just starting out to seniors in their 70s.
Plans are underway for The Hub, a complementary project that will offer 20 units of housing designed specifically for young adults, along with a training kitchen to develop job skills and daily living independence, plus a library and technology center to support ongoing learning and growth.
South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum expressed her support.
“The JESPY community doesn’t just live here, they contribute to our community in so many ways,” she said. “As volunteers, as activists, as people who work in our many businesses are spending money in our downtown and our commercial districts, and most importantly, the smiles that they share with our residents.”
