The Speech Pathology program at the Jewish General Hospital’s Child Psychiatry Services.

A school at the hospital

Since 2015, the Pomerantz Foundation partnered with the Jewish General Hospital Foundation to finance a very specific program within the school integrated to the Child Psychiatry Services at the Jewish General Hospital (JGH). “We believe that our family foundation has a duty to provide support to children who are different”, states Terry Pomerantz, the primary administrator of the Pomerantz Foundation.

Unique in Quebec and in Canada

Danyael Cantor, Director of Development at the Jewish General Hospital Foundation indicates that: “The Department of Psychiatry at the Jewish General Hospital is unique across Quebec and Canada because it offers psychiatry services to people of all ages, including children who deal with significant psychological challenges.”

More than a school, a place of healing!

“When the school educators, the social workers or the parents become aware that a child presents such serious problems that he or she isn’t able to attend a standard school setting, we invite them to lead the child toward the Day Hospital Program of the JGH”, says Danyael.

The Day Hospital Program offers multimodal treatment that can last for up to an entire school year for children aged from 4 to 12 years who present such issues as attention deficit disorders, aggressive behavior, conduct disorders or suicidal tendencies. This program includes among others 3 to 4 days per week of special education classes for groups of 7 students: individual sessions of play therapy, social skills training, occupational therapy and art therapy services as well as weekly sessions of family therapy. The school program is developed in collaboration with the English Montreal School Board.

In most cases, children admitted to the Day Hospital go back to their standard school system, or parents sometimes enrol them in a school that suits their particular needs. “Conducted in collaboration with McGill University, all our research indicates that our children rejoin their natural school environment with a very high rate of success. The odds of them leading successful social, professional and general lives are much higher than before they joined our program, which pairs schoolwork and treatments”, states Danyael Cantor.

An essential Speech Pathology program

The funds collected by the Pomerantz Foundation are invested in a very specific Speech Pathology program. The latter is offered to kids who experience major speech impairments. “The program financed by the Pomerantz Foundation is very important for all these kids, who’s parents mostly do not have access to such services, due to the very long wait or because the costs in the private sector are prohibitive. The Pomerantz Foundation’s generosity allowed us to establish this speech pathology program, to ensure its operation and to make it accessible to children who need it”, declares Danyael gratefully.

“Save a life and thus save the world!”

Danyael continues, “The collaboration of the Pomerantz Foundation and the Jewish General Hospital’s Child Psychiatry Services and, more specifically, their support to the Speech Pathology Program allows us to help with great success these kids, who are among the most vulnerable in our society, to secure a better future for them. ‘Save a life and thus save the world!’, goes the saying. With our program, we really save the life of these children”, concludes Danyael Cantor, Director of Development at the Jewish General Hospital Foundation.

The Pomerantz Foundation: over $5,000,000 for the children

Since its creation, the Pomerantz Foundation has donated more than 5 million dollars to a great number of organizations that, in multiple ways, help underprivileged or sick children, or children who have a condition that makes them different.

The Pomerantz Foundation is managed by volunteers who are not remunerated in any way. Their commitment and devotion completely free the Foundation from management and operational costs. Therefore, all funds collected by the Pomerantz Foundation are entirely donated to the non-profit organizations it supports.

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Entrepreneur and prominent figure in Montreal's real estate and manufacturing sectors, Terry Pomerantz approaches every aspect of life with heart and character. At the helm of Domfoam and T.R.A.M.S Property Management, he carries on his late father's legacy while dedicating his philanthropic commitment to the Pomerantz Foundation, which has been actively supporting children's causes since 1991.