JEWISH ASSOCIATION FOR RESIDENTIAL CARE (JARC) MITZVOT
Now entering its 20th year, JARC, under the leadership of President Peter S. Sachs, Esq. and Executive Director Dr. Debra Hallow, provides group homes, apartments and vocational training for adults with developmental disabilities. It services 70 clients in a residential setting, and a growing number, now over 100, who attend JARC’s Adult Day Training program and return to their families at night. With clients from ages 19 through 75, JARC makes its care commitments for life. As newer clients are being added at younger ages, those commitments may now be for 40 years or more. JARC reports these significant events for the year and for the future: The Essig Culinary Center is expanding. This program was of great help to residents of campus senior housing after Hurricane Wilma when they were unable to replenish their food supplies. Plans for a Supported Employment Department, which will help clients find competitive work in the community, were being finalized. And perhaps most important, plans continued for four more JARC group homes, bringing the total to 10, as well as for an expansion of the Living and Learning Center, with an additional apartment complex and specialized training for clients with challenging behaviors.
DONNA KLEIN JEWISH ACADEMY During Donna Klein Jewish Academy’s 25th anniversary year, the school’s parents, students, teachers, administrators and Board of Trustees spent many months reflecting and examining DJKA’s identity, mission and goals for the future. The work resulted in a strategic plan, titled “Atid – Visions of the Future,” which will ensure that the DKJA students of today, who will be the Jewish leaders of tomorrow, will understand global connections and celebrate learning and the values of Torah in a school with an international perspective – one that is, and that will continue to be, a model of academic excellence in a state-of-the-art facility. Significant student accomplishments this year included a member of DKJA’s Class of 2005 qualifying as a National Merit Finalist. This was the first student who attended DKJA from kindergarten through high school to achieve such status in this rigorous national competition. Several high school students also earned the designation of Advanced Placement (AP) Scholar by the College Board for exceptional achievement on the college-level AP Exams.
WO R D S o f W I S D O M There should be key Federation people involved in the agency boards. Also, when allocating, weigh the priorities at the time. – Jim Nobil
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