New Jersey City University Athletics

 

 

The GoodWorx Foundation was founded in 2003 by Jeffrey Jordan, and is based in New Jersey and Florida.  Mr. Jordan earned his Business degree from New Jersey City University in 1991. He was a four-year standout on the NJCU men’s basketball from 1987-91, and graduated as the school’s all-time leader in career three-pointers with 125, and scored 934 points.  He is currently earning his Master’s degree in secondary education from the University of Phoenix.  He currently owns several businesses and has enjoyed coaching Girls basketball in a Community Athletic Association in the State of New Jersey.  It has long been his desire to create an organization, which can provide assistance for today’s young people as they navigate through their youth.  Mr. Jordan has worked with various non-profit organizations, including a foundation benefiting Pediatric Aids.  He has donated his time to other non-profit organizations, which include inner-city basketball camps and other instructional activities.  In 2000, Jeffrey Jordan was a part of an organization which produced several high-profile events generating over 1 million dollars in donations.  Mr. Jordan will bring this experience in the non-profit world, along with his business and educational experience, to lead The GoodWorx Foundation into the future.

 

Jeff Jordan’s career basketball statistics at NJCU:

                                 Total         3-Point                    Rebounds

Year      GP-GS   Min/Avg    FG-FGA   Pct   FG-FGA   Pct   FT-FTA   Pct Off-Def  Tot  Avg  PF-FO Ast  TO Blk Stl  Pts/Avg

1987-88   29-0      0/0.0    51-135  .378   20-62   .323    6-8    .750   ---     27  0.9   0-0    0   0   0   0  128/4.4

1988-89   26-5    601/23.1  101-237  .426   42-111  .378   57-72   .792   ---     44  1.7  30-0   82  54   1  36  301/11.6

1989-90   27-2    453/16.8   72-152  .474   24-68   .353   24-28   .857   ---     42  1.6  35-0   75  30   1  29  192/7.1

1990-91   27-0      0/0.0   100-243  .412   39-114  .342   74-92   .804   0-43    43  1.6   0-0   80   0   0   0  313/11.6

TOTAL    109-7   1054/9.7   324-767  .422  125-355  .352  161-200  .805   ---    156  1.4  65-0  237  84   2  65  934/8.6

 

Born in Syracuse, NY, Keith Rhodes acknowledges that sports, basketball in particular, have opened many doors for him throughout his life.  Because of these blessings, he has always tried to give back to those less fortunate as a small way of saying “Thank you” for his blessings.  In the early 1980’s, after returning from the University of Wyoming, Mr. Rhodes volunteered at the YMCA.  He helped to revitalize the Youth Basketball League (YBL).  It began with sharing basketball knowledge as well as sharing life experience with young men.  It blossomed into having a profound impact in the lives of many successful adults.  By the early 1990’s, Mr. Rhodes was a founding member of the Capital Region Youth Tennis Foundation (CRYTF) or “15 Love” program.  He was fortunate to be able to work with the great, Arthur Ashe.  Arthur’s strength and humility are forever emblazoned in the mind of Mr. Rhodes.   CRYTF is in its 15th year and continues to reach thousands of youth in the capital region of Albany, NY each year.  Keith was a founding member of the New York City Inner-City Games Foundation (NYCICG), which is the New York chapter of the Inner-City Games Foundation, originally founded by the now Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Daniel Hernandez.  As Executive Director, Mr. Rhodes was able to raise more than 4 million dollars in a four-year period.  That translated in tens of thousands of New York City youth benefiting from worthwhile programming.  Mr. Rhodes looks forward to working with everyone connected with GoodWorx and encouraging youth to take ownership in their role in the world.

 

Frances Ramirez, a 2005 graduate of Sayreville War Memorial High School, is currently enrolled in Kean University working on her Bachelor’s degree in Business Management.  While attending The George Washington University during her freshman year, Frances joined Jumpstart as an AmeriCorps member to help develop the literacy, language, and social skills of disadvantaged preschoolers to better prepare them for elementary school education.  She was actively involved in several programs during her high school career, some of which include Student Council, holding officer positions of Treasurer and Vice President, Spanish Honor Society President, a member of the National Honor Society, Peer Leadership, and the Talented & Gifted Program.  In the summer of 2004, she attended New Jersey Girl’s State at Rider University in New Jersey, a Leadership Training Conference camp through the NJASC (New Jersey Association of Student Councils) and attended a CSLC Leadership Conference for Crime Scene Investigation with LeadAmerica at Bentley College in Boston.  Her experience, dedication, and tremendous love for helping others succeed make her a great asset to The GoodWorx Foundation.

 

Rachel DiGiacomo, a new member of The GoodWorx Family, graduated from Sayreville War Memorial High School in 2005.  During her years at Sayreville, she was Vice President of the French Club and an active member of the French Honor Society.  Also a former Peer Leader at the high school, Rachel has always been drawn to helping others and strives to set a positive example for the youth around her.  Although she originally attended Rowan University with intention of becoming a mathematics teacher, she has recently changed her path and would like to pursue a career in child psychology.  During her time at Rowan, she was also a part of iMPACT, a program that consisted of students that focused on setting an example for their fellow peers and helping new students get better acclimated to an unfamiliar environment.  She is also a full time assistant manager in retail and her company is also affiliated with Keeping Kids Warm.  With this charity, she has traveled with other managers in the company to provide winter coats to underprivileged children.  Having high hopes and expectations for the company and for The MTC Program, Rachel intends to grow with GoodWorx and continue to make a positive impact on the lives of generations to come.

 

 

Mr. Jacobs grew up in the culturally diverse community of Lakewood, NJ.  After completing his Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Monmouth University; he began to pursue a career in law enforcement.  However, life would take him down a different path.  His passion in nutrition led him to work for a number of nutrition companies, traveling throughout the country and working in various capacities.  He temporarily left the industry to work for Verizon Telecommunications as a business consultant; ultimately, however, his passion for nutrition led him to leave Verizon after only two years.  His desire to make a difference on a larger scale resulted in his enlistment in the United States Navy Reserves as an Intelligence Specialist in January 2006.  He is currently in the process of creating a non-profit nutritional information web-site and also volunteers with Big Brother, Big Sister of Ocean County.  His intense passion, creativity, and dedication are all extraordinary qualities that contribute to the GoodWorx team.

 

Brooklyn native, Marc Youngblood, upon the completion of study at the prestigious Packer Collegiate Institute, attended Ithaca College where he obtained a B.S. in Communications with a concentration in television production.  He promptly began working at the Showtime Networks as a clerk in the Creative Services Department.  Marc rose through the ranks at a steady pace earning 4 promotions to the level of writer/producer in five years and winning the two service awards that Showtime offers.  As a producer, he worked on commercials that ran on and off the channel for original and theatrical movies, original series campaigns, image spots, concerts, and sporting events, specifically boxing.  Marc has produced field news stories as well as 10 to 30 minute countdown shows in support of the programming on Showtime.

In 2002, Marc embarked on a freelance career that has allowed him to engage a variety projects for several different entities.  Some of his clients have included Sci-Fi Channel, ABC Sports, Sideshow Productions, Disney Channel, Hum This Music, Showtime, and Betelgeuse Productions.  While at Betelgeuse, Marc was the feature/segment producer for “Dangerous Curves” a weekly half hour lifestyle/pre-race show about the Champ Car World Series that aired on Spike TV.  Currently, he has various other projects in development. Mr. Youngblood is dedicated to service at his church and his community in Brooklyn. He brings a creative force and extreme loyalty to the GoodWorx Foundation.

 

After completing his B.S. from Syracuse University, Mr. Blanks went on to receive his Masters in Health Services Administration from the New School University.  With over 12 years of service to various community health service organizations, Mr. Blanks is currently a N.Y.C. Teaching Fellow (A program that recruits, selects and trains talented individuals to become teachers in New York City public schools.)  Mr. Blanks will use his diverse experiences, knowledge and achievements to positively affect the lives of students while working toward a Masters’ degree in Education.  Mr. Blanks has worked to create several youth development initiatives and will use his knowledge and experience to enhance the mission of The GoodWorx Foundation.

 

Judith Jordan moved to NYC from Indianapolis in 1972 with her young son and hopes for a wider perspective. After twenty years of a successful career in restaurant management, she felt a calling for a more emotionally fulfilling livelihood. Judith returned to school to become a licensed Certified Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor, and continued on to receive a Masters of Social Work from Fordham University. After ten years as a clinician at Smithers Alcoholism Treatment and Training Center, she now has a thriving private practice in Greenwich Village. Her area of expertise continues to be working with families affected by alcoholism and drug addiction. Her work is driven by her belief in the potential for change in all human beings, and their entitlement to a second chance in life. Ms. Jordan is currently applying to PhD programs and hopes to teach at the university level. Judith currently serves on the board of EPRA (Employment Program for Recovered Alcoholics), and is a participant in Save the Children, an organization helping needy children in the United States. Her most valued accomplishment is bringing her son Jeffrey into the world and facilitating his development. Ms. Jordan brings all of her experience, insight, and stabilizing impact to The GoodWorx Foundation.

 

***The GoodWorx Foundation family consists of 15-20 other individuals.  However, these eight will be directly related to The GWx MTC/NJCU/NCAA CHAMPS Life Skills Program 2007.