Alumna Works to Assist Nassau County’s Needy

Ms. Manjrekar, Deputy Commissioner for Public Assistance and Employment Services at the Nassau County (NY) Department of Social Services and an alumna of The School of Education at St. John’s University, is working to elevate the lives of the underprivileged while simultaneously reshaping perceptions of welfare recipients in Nassau County.  

A 30-year career in social services coupled with a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from St. John’s has taught Ms. Manjrekar the best way to ensure success and to help those living on the margins of society is to extend yourself.

“Nobody comes to the Department of Social Services willingly,” she said. “They come here when they are at the end of their rope—when they don’t have money in the bank to feed themselves or their families, or they can’t afford a roof over their head.”

“St. John’s gave me the foundation of my career in this country by giving me an education,” she continued. “But I also learned about the responsibility of giving back and the principle of helping others.” 

Her office develops initiatives to help the public-assistance population achieve economic independence through work opportunities, interview preparation, and continued rehabilitation services. It also assists low-income Long Islanders struggling with heating and day-care bills, supports the county’s foster care program, and manages the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, once known as the food stamp program.   

Ms. Manjrekar is a member of the Hicksville Public Schools Board of Education in Hicksville, NY, where she lives with her husband and two children. 

Ms. Manjrekar is also a partner in the Long Island-based nonprofit Children’s Hope India and was instrumental in securing a partnership with the Hicksville School District. Since 2014, the district has sent dozens of community children to an all-expenses-paid summer camp; most of them would not have been able to attend otherwise. The eight-week camp enabled some parents to obtain summer work free from the cost of child care.   

The organization also sponsors a Thanksgiving turkey giveaway, donates backpacks and school supplies to area children, and with help from the Vincentian Institute for Social Action (VISA) at St. John’s, organizes a holiday toy drive for children in need. VISA teamed with Catholic Charities to distribute the toys throughout the Diocese of Brooklyn, NY last year.     

“VISA was delighted to take part and help make the holiday season memorable for those served by Children’s Hope,” said Angela Seegel, Ed.D., Executive Director of VISA. “We were grateful for the opportunity to connect valuable community partners at the University. ”

Born in Mumbai, India, Ms. Manjrekar came to the United States more than two decades ago and immediately sought out schools for a second master’s degree. St. John’s was convenient to her home in Kew Gardens, NY, and her full-time job, but also offered a curriculum rooted in service, which appealed to her.

With the help of a fellow St. John’s graduate student who quietly circulated her résumé, Ms. Manjrekar completed the final piece of her graduate requirements, a practicum, at the human services agency Samaritan Daytop Village in Manhattan, NY, which quickly hired her to a full-time position. 

“I could not afford to not work. But I also did not know how I was going to get the required hours while working full time,” she recalled. “If she hadn’t given me a helping hand and taken my résumé, I don’t know how I would have graduated.”     

Other positions at the Odyssey House substance-abuse recovery center and the Disability Advocacy Program of New York State followed before Ms. Manjrekar moved to Nassau’s social services office in 2010. Initially hired as the county’s Director of Employment and Day Care Programs, she was promoted to her present position in 2020. 

“Our goal is to help those who temporarily need it, to get them work-ready and off of the public assistance rolls,” Ms. Manjrekar said. “Traditionally, my job is to help people with barriers to employment, including substance abuse and criminal histories, overcome them.” 

More than 1.3 million people live in Nassau County, and while the county’s current unemployment rate of 2.7 percent is lower than the national average of 3.7 percent, Ms. Manjrekar remains a powerful advocate for those out of work. Her office conducts job fairs, vocational training, and education. Working with New York State’s Office of Children and Family Services, her office supported a recent change in income eligibility requirements that made thousands more families eligible for day-care subsidies. 

Another source of pride is a career-readiness program she designed for 16–20-year-olds. More than traditional manual labor positions, students in Ms. Manjrekar’s program take hands-on roles in information technology, county services, the Department of Health, Office of Minority Affairs, and even work directly with lawmakers. Students are placed in positions that align with their future career goals and gain experience in crisis management and problem solving that accelerates their professional development and cultivates the discipline required to excel in college.

“The Vincentian charism is the basis for everything I do in the office, as a member of the school board, and with Children’s Hope India,” Ms. Manjrekar said. “When I see  families in need of public assistance, my heart breaks, I want them to have a leg up.”