![Deborah Eckstein (left) and Joanne Woolich](https://thejewishweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Deborah-Eckstein-left-and-Joanne-Woolich-696x522.jpg)
Crohn’s and colitis charity Jewish Digest has announced its services are to be integrated into Camp Simcha.
Jewish Digest was founded a decade ago, with a focus on helping to raise awareness, remove the stigma and provide support for patients and families with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
Camp Simcha provides support to families coping with over 50 serious, life-threatening and chronic childhood medical conditions – including short-term help for families who have a child newly diagnosed with Crohn’s or colitis, while they stabilise their child’s condition.
The two charities have collaborated in the past on information events and co-referring, so providing the full breadth and longevity of support under one umbrella was an obvious next step explains Camp Simcha Chief Executive Daniel Gillis.
“JDigest @ Camp Simcha will provide long term assistance to children and families coping with this chronic illness in the form of support groups, information events with IBD medical professionals and practical support from when they are diagnosed.
“Despite being almost completely volunteer-led, Jewish Digest has been able to achieve incredible traction and impact in the community,” says Mr Gillis. “With many families they help also being supported by Camp Simcha, it feels like we are the natural place for them to expand and professionalise an organisation that already supports a lot of people.
“We are delighted to be able to house them and thrilled that Jewish Digest founders Yoni Jay and Deborah Eckstein will come on board to share their expertise and support with development and strategy.”
Deborah says: “Camp Simcha is the ideal partner for Jewish Digest, and we are very much looking forward to being able to provide a better quality of services for young people with IBD.”