Jada Simone Sampson
With peaceful hearts, we honor the life of Jada Simone Sampson — a radiant soul whose creativity, kindness, and compassion shaped everyone she encountered. Jada was a devoted volunteer and visionary at Great Joy Community Development Corporation, working alongside her mother, Founder and Executive Director, Dr. La'Tesha, to create spaces for healing, expression, and connection.
Donations to Great Joy CDC support programs that reflect Jada's legacy: creative expression, compassionate care, and embodied healing. Her spirit continues to guide our mission — calling us to serve with joy, lead with heart, and live fully.
Jada Simone Legacy Scholarship
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In Partnership with the MAAC Foundation The Jada Simone Legacy Scholarship is a collaborative initiative established through a partnership between Great Joy Counseling and Consulting Services, Great Joy CDC, and the MAAC Foundation — created in loving honor of Jada Simone's life, legacy, and lasting impact.
Rooted in compassion, resilience, purpose, and community empowerment, the scholarship seeks to transform grief into opportunity by investing in the future of deserving students who may otherwise face barriers to higher education.
The scholarship reflects a shared belief that legacy lives on through service, healing, education, and the intentional uplifting of others.
About the MAAC Foundation
MAAC is a nonprofit offering holistic education programs, college readiness support, social-emotional learning, and community engagement to empower academic success — based in Montclair, NJ.
Who This Scholarship Honors
Students who demonstrate perseverance, leadership potential, strength of character, and a desire to create positive change within their communities.
"Legacy lives on through service, healing, education, and the intentional uplifting of others."
Jada Simone Legacy Scholarship
for Performing Arts
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The Jada Simone Legacy Scholarship for Performing Arts is an annual scholarship established in loving memory of Jada Simone at Union County Vocational-Technical Schools Academy for Performing Arts.
Awarded annually to a deserving student who demonstrates exceptional talent, dedication, perseverance, artistic expression, and a commitment to personal growth.
This scholarship serves as a lasting tribute to the power of art, purpose, and legacy — reminding students that their gifts, voices, and creativity have the power to impact the world around them.
🏫 Union County Vocational-Technical Schools
Academy for Performing Arts
Scholarship Criteria
- Exceptional artistic talent
- Dedication & perseverance
- Artistic expression
- Commitment to personal growth
Jada's Legacy in the Arts
Jada's vibrant spirit lives on through this initiative — empowering students to pursue their dreams with courage, passion, and authenticity.
"Her story becomes a source of inspiration."
Jada Simone's Legacy Series
Jada Simone Legacy Programs
The Jada Simone Legacy Series honors Jada's vibrant creativity, profound compassion, and enduring love for artistic movement and animal welfare. Designed to provide safe, inclusive, and nurturing environments, these community initiatives uplift local youth by transforming grief into purpose. Through creative healing, authentic self-expression, and deep community connection, we empower the next generation to find their voices.
Creative Writing Lab
A therapeutic and imaginative space where youth learn to safely navigate, process, and release complex emotions through the power of poetry, journaling, and collaborative storytelling. Students build inner resilience, find comfort in sharing their lived experiences, and cultivate their authentic voices as instruments for healing and positive change.
Stretching & Body Movement Series
A trauma-informed program bridging emotional wellness with physical health. Participants are guided through grounding body movement, intentional breathwork, and artistic rhythms designed to reduce stress, increase self-awareness, and release stored tension — developing lasting mindfulness tools and fostering physical confidence.
Animal Care & Compassion Program
Inspired by Jada's deep tenderness for living creatures, this program offers hands-on learning experiences in partnership with regional shelters. Youth build essential life skills in empathy, responsibility, and civic duty while caring for animals in need. Supports both community welfare and personal emotional healing.
Jada Simone Legacy Program
× The Barnyard Sanctuary
A compassionate initiative led by Great Joy CDC in partnership with The Barnyard Sanctuary
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Jada Simone embodied love in action — compassion, creativity, and showing up for those who needed care and healing. Her legacy lives on through the Jada Simone Legacy Program, which uplifts youth and communities through healing-centered programs rooted in creative expression, emotional wellness, and compassion for all living beings.
This fundraiser is dedicated to supporting 300 rescued animals at The Barnyard Sanctuary in Hope, New Jersey — a safe haven that has operated for over 15 years and rescued more than 3,500 animals.
This campaign specifically raises funds to provide hay for an entire year — literally life-saving support that ensures animals are fed, warm, healthy, and cared for every single day.
About the Partnership
The Barnyard Sanctuary provides daily care for more than 300 animals in Hope, New Jersey, relying on generous donors and partner organizations to sustain its life-saving work.
This campaign supports the Jada Simone Animal Care & Compassion Program — dedicated to fostering meaningful connections with animal shelters and sanctuaries.
Jada Simone Legacy Project Merch
Leopold Jacobs 1983 — Support the Legacy Project with the latest merch!
Shop Now →Donate in Jada's Name 💛
Your gift provides life-saving nourishment for over 300 rescued animals and turns compassion into action.
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