--- title: Working to Make Philadelphia Accessible to All description: The Jewish Federation is proud to partner with JCHAI by welcoming Office Scanning and Shredding Assistants Cara Whellan and Alex Lesse to the team. image: https://blog.jewishphilly.org/hubfs/jchai-employees.png --- [![Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia](https://blog.jewishphilly.org/hubfs/JewishFederation_May2019/images/logo--color.svg)](https://jewishphilly.org/) - [Philly Stands With Israel](https://go.jewishphilly.org/philly-stands-with-israel) - - [Donate to Philly Stands with Israel Fund](https://donate.jewishphilly.org/page/66252/donate/1) - [Community Resources](https://jewishphilly.org/philly-stands-with-israel-resources/) - [Emergency Allocations](https://jewishphilly.org/ways-to-give/donate-emergency-response-fund/emergency-allocations/) - - [Advocate](https://jewishphilly.org/philly-stands-with-israel-resources/advocate/) - [Israel in the News](https://go.jewishphilly.org/israel-in-the-news) - [Sign up for Israel Emergency Emails](https://go.jewishphilly.org/israel-emergency-emails) - 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JCHAI's participants who want to work have a 77 percent competitive, integrated employment average, compared to the national average for people with disabilities of 30 percent.   Whellan and Lesse began working with the Jewish Federation in January, 2023 to assist in digitizing and shredding documents for Endowments, Finance and Human Resources.   ABOUT ALEX LESSE ![alex-lesse](https://blog.jewishphilly.org/hs-fs/hubfs/alex-lesse.png?width=700&height=394&name=alex-lesse.png)   Lesse is thrilled to join the team at the Jewish Federation! Lesse brings great administrative experience to his new position. Lesse has most recently been working in an administrative capacity at Bethel Church. He also worked in the past as a data entry specialist for 9th Street Internal Medicine, as well as MediScribe, Inc. His previous employer indicates that Lesse has a very positive work ethic, and that he rarely ever made mistakes in his work. Lesse also previously held a job as a mailroom clerk while he was a student through Arcadia University’s REAL certificate program.   Outside of work, you can catch Lesse playing one of many sports he enjoys, including softball, volleyball and bowling (he has been on 3 different bowling leagues at the same time!). Alex is also a huge Disney aficionado, a travel connoisseur (he loves California!), a Philadelphia sports fan, and he knows various types of dance including tap and jazz.   ABOUT CARA WHELLAN ![cara](https://blog.jewishphilly.org/hs-fs/hubfs/cara.png?width=700&height=394&name=cara.png)   Prior to joining the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, Whellan completed the Project SEARCH internship program at Main Line Health where she held internships in the Human Resources department at Lankenau Medical Center, Community Program department at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital and the Outpatient Laboratory at Lankenau Medical Center. In all of these roles, Whellan assisted the departments with various clerical and office needs such as data entry, document transcription and digitization, filing, alphabetizing, and organizing.   On Sundays, Whellan works as a front office support clerk at her Synagogue - Beth David Reform Congregation in Gladwyne, PA. Whellan still actively volunteers at the Outpatient Laboratory at Lankenau and participates in a horsemanship program in Malvern, PA.   Whellan graduated from Lower Merion High School and attended New York Institute of Technology’s Vocational Independence Program. Outside of these experiences, Whellan is involved in JCHAI and enjoys playing tennis and horseback riding, as well as watching football on the weekends with her Dad.   \*\*\* To learn more about JCHAI services, please contact [questions@jchai.org](mailto:questions@jchai.org) or 610.922.2480. To learn about how the Jewish Federation is investing more than $8 million in 2023 to care for those in need, [click here](https://jewishphilly.org/our-impact-caring-for-those-in-need/).   Share [Share on Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://blog.jewishphilly.org/working-to-make-philadelphia-accessible-to-all&title=Working%20to%20Make%20Philadelphia%20Accessible%20to%20All) [Share on Twitter](http://twitter.com/home?status=Working%20to%20Make%20Philadelphia%20Accessible%20to%20All+https://blog.jewishphilly.org/working-to-make-philadelphia-accessible-to-all) [Share by Email](mailto:?subject=Working%20to%20Make%20Philadelphia%20Accessible%20to%20All&body=Working%20to%20Make%20Philadelphia%20Accessible%20to%20All%20-%20https://blog.jewishphilly.org/working-to-make-philadelphia-accessible-to-all) ### Sign up for the *Jewish Philly* E-Newsletter [Back to The Latest](https://blog.jewishphilly.org) # Related Posts ## Blog June 30, 2026 # From Local Jewish Federation Real Estate Grants to Federal Investment: What Needs to be Done for Jewish Communal Security ## Blog June 29, 2026 # Upcoming Jewish Federation Events in July ## Blog June 26, 2026 # The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia Mobilizes Community Members for Advocacy Day in Harrisburg [Tweets by JFedinPhilly](https://twitter.com/JFedinPhilly?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) ## Find us on ![JFGP_KO_rgb](https://blog.jewishphilly.org/hs-fs/hubfs/JFGP_KO_rgb.png?width=300&height=84&name=JFGP_KO_rgb.png) Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia Two Commerce Square 2001 Market Street, Suite 2300 Philadelphia, PA 19103 [215.832.0500](tel:1-215-832-0500) | [info@jewishphilly.org](mailto:info@jewishphilly.org) *The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia welcomes the participation of Jews across the religious spectrum, interfaith couples and families, and people of all abilities, backgrounds, gender identities, and sexual orientations. 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