From facing a family tragedy in her youth to raising her two children with special needs, Juby Shapiro-Charnowitz had significant hurdles to overcome. But with faith and tremendous hard work, she founded the organization she’d always wished for
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uby Shapiro’s life started out idyllic. One incident she fondly recalls illustrates her parents’ devotion to their family. It was Juby’s birthday, her parents had planned a fabulous party for her, and she’d invited all her friends. But it was snowing heavily. One by one her friends called to let her know they were unable to come to her birthday party. Her parents went out in the snow and picked up all the girls.
“That was typical of my early childhood,” Juby says. “My parents prioritized their family. I remember spending many Sundays with my family traveling from our home in Silver Spring to the museums in Washington, D.C., going on picnics, and taking walks in the woods near our home.”
When she was in ninth grade, her mother picked her up from school one day to take her to an orthodontist appointment. “It was a beautiful, sunny day in November,” Juby remembers. “When she dropped me back at school, my mother asked what I wanted for supper. I waved goodbye as the van pulled away. My 20-month-old sister was in there with her.”
About half an hour later, the school received a call that Juby’s mother was involved in a car accident around the corner from their home. She was rushed to the hospital, but died upon arrival. She was just a month short of 39 years old. Her baby sister, who was strapped in her car seat, survived without injury, baruch Hashem.
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