Autumn Years Winter 2023/24

“We had to start from scratch to build the center we have now. It’s been an incredible journey and now I am focused on how to carry it forward,” Anna says. “There needs to be more MarbleJam Centers.”

MarbleJam Kids, instead working with her team to manage the nonprofit as a business and do fundraising. Singing a few lines from a California production she did years ago with the theme “Yes we can!,” she says “That prepared me for this. You have to use real world experiences.” The real world throws obstacles in the way; however, Anna feels blessed to be doing God’s work. Raised a Catholic, she says, “So many times this could have failed. I ask God to help me: If this is the path, show me the way.” She smiles with a clear faith in the future success of MarbleJam Kids, hoping to expand with centers in Passaic, Hudson and Essex counties. She has a business model available for anyone wanting to start those centers. They might begin by dropping by. Anna welcomes visitors, saying “We do a 15-minute walk-through. We are always looking for an endowment and always developing a new pitch.” She is very proud of the Platinum Transparency rating by Guidestar. Funding from the state and from donors goes to paid professional staff, programs and materials. Many of the students’ creative works are sold at the center and online. At first, the program used a borrowed area in Tenafly, then moved to River Edge and moved to Hackensack in 2018. There are 22 staff members serving the 167 students and clients. “We had to start from scratch to build the center we have now. It’s been an incredible journey Anna performing a Fiddler on the Roof musical number in Jerome Robbins’ Broadway .

change.Generally, people don’t recognize those signs.” However, at MarbleJam Kids, the problems are addressed via established protocols or new adaptations. Enrichment and learning are the focus of the staff, which uses the nurtured heart approach. “We meet people on their level,” Anna says. The exceptions are when they find a student or client’s needs exceed what they can offer, but reducing stress while working toward success means there are no exams, no pass-fail. “In these experiences, people grow at their own pace. This is a no-judgment zone,” Anna says. However, sometimes there are problems. “We have boundaries and we intercede before there is violence,” she says. They do have to file incident reports and follow New Jersey rules. To help nonverbal MarbleJam Kids express themselves before acting out, they can point to a face on a poster in the music room that shows emotions

Anna teaching dance to pre-k students.

and now I am focused on how to carry it forward,” Anna says. “There needs to be more MarbleJam Centers.” Describing what goes on at the center, she says the staff does medical and physical history assessment, as well as evaluating the family situation. Anna notes that a lot of students are in group homes. “We have agencies we work with. We support care managers and adults,” she says. “There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work that no one sees. Students and clients lead the way. It goes from them, letting them build their self esteem. It could start with scribbling and we make something out of it,” Anna says. She cites one student whose

success at MarbleJam Kids improved his whole family dynamic. The staff guides improvements by interpreting behavior and intervening when needed. Anna says, “Problems with a child or client become apparent through unusual attention seeking and behavioral

32 AUTUMN YEARS I WINTER 2023/24