Some of the children arriving at the J for a fun-filled summer camp experience may never have met Violet Uretsky, but thanks to a fund created by her daughters, they will benefit directly from her legacy of helping others.

The Vi Uretsky Camp Scholarship Fund was established by sisters Francine Uretsky Beranbaum and Susan Uretsky Strauss to honor the legacy of their mother Violet “Vi” Uretsky. Originally established as The Vi Uretsky Coffee Corner Fund in 2003, the fund provided ongoing financial support for Vi’s Coffee Corner, which existed for years under Vi’s volunteer leadership.

Vi Uretsky loved helping people and serving the public came naturally to her, having worked in her family’s Springfield-based retail store since she was a child. Initially, Vi’s Coffee Corner served cold drinks, coffee, bagels, and pastries. As the popularity and the demand of the coffee shop increased, the menu expanded to serve the JCC community with a warm meal, homemade soups, sandwiches, and other concessions.

“Our Mom had a big heart,” says Susan. “Everybody knew Vi, she was always serving the people of the JCC.” Susan says. “If she wasn’t playing Mahjong, she was feeding people. She never refused to serve anyone, regardless of whether they could afford to pay.” After their mother passed away, they wanted to do something to honor her.

A gift to support the JCC felt right. Francine and Susan have fond memories of their time spent as children and teens participating in programs, dances, and many activities at the J. “I have friends today, who I met at the Center when I was six years old,” Susan says. “The connections there are strong.”

In 2020, due to the pandemic, the JCC had to close. When it reopened, due to safety restrictions, Vi’s Coffee Corner was unable to reopen. After talking with Francine and Susan, the decision was made to use the income from the Vi Uretsky Coffee Corner fund to provide meals for summer campers who had financial need. After seeing the success of how the funds were appropriated that first summer, Francine and Susan decided to amend the fund and to create the Vi Uretsky Camp Scholarship Fund. The monies from the fund continue to provide meals to need-based JCC summer campers.

The Vi Uretsky Camp Scholarship Fund perpetuates Vi’s memory by providing children in need with meals affording them with a fulfilling camp experience in the spirit of how Vi lived her life by helping people. “Every child deserves to have a camp experience. To learn to share, to get along, to be with other people. Springfield has a diverse population. My mother would be happy.”

Please click here to learn more and make a gift or contact Bonnie Cox, Philanthropy Director via email or by calling 413-739-4715.