Jewish Family Service Annual Report 2019

OUR VISION

No one in our community should suffer hunger, isolation, abandonment, emotional or physical distress, or lack of community support and caring.

OUR MISSION

Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley, guided by Jewish values, helps individuals and families to live healthier and more stable lives by providing social services, professional counseling, education and community programs.

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS

Boscov’s Jewish Community Center of Lehigh Valley Jewish Day School of the Lehigh Valley Lehigh Valley Synagogues

Monocacy Farm Project Wawa Wegmans Weis Markets

OH, HOW WE’VE GROWN! Dear JFS Friends and Supporters: This is not the same agency it was just a few years ago. JFS has grown significantly over the past several years as we expand to meet the growing needs of our community and plan to help more people in the future.

This Annual Report showcases some of our accomplishments this past year and the way in which we fund our excellent staff and programs. As you will see in this report, JFS piloted new programs and provided critical services to persons in need in our community. Dedicated professional staff and committed volunteers help JFS to increase its impact on the community.

As we celebrate our accomplishments, we continue to assess the needs of individuals and families throughout the Lehigh Valley community.

We strive to provide excellent services and look at innovative ways to improve our delivery.

Thank you for all the ways that you support JFS—by volunteering, donating to the food pantry and supporting our life-changing programs. We look forward to your continued involvement. JFS appreciates your belief in what we do because together we are able to help individuals and families who need us to improve their lives.

Sincerely yours,

Rabbi Allen Juda President

Debbie Zoller, MSW, LCSW Executive Director

WHAT’S NEW? In 2019, we…

• Completed reviewing our strategic plan and will soon commence work on a new one to continue to move JFS forward into the future • Underwent renovations to expand our Community Food Pantry and increase the accessibilty of our building • Completed our second Community Food Pantry survey and had 42 new clients enroll • Held 36 additional events this year for older adults in community residences—participation more than doubled • Hired a psychiatrist for 4 hours per month to consult with our clinical staff • Saw case management cases increase by 30% and clients improve on 14 quality of life measurements • Received special staff training on substance abuse • Launched new programs and expanded old ones: Ladies’ Luncheons, Schmooze & Schmear Series for Men, expanded Mazel Meals and Mazel J Café’s new pop-up format • Partnered with Jewish Federation, the Jewish Community Center and Congregation Brith Sholom on Jewish Disability Awareness & Inclusion Month programming

MIND, BODY & SOUL Focus on health JFS is there for everyone in our community—and we are committed to serving the whole person.

That’s why we held programming and offered services that prioritize healthy living in all facets of life, such as: • Counseling and case management • Community Food Pantry • Sponsoring a Community Conversation on Paying Attention to Disability for Jewish Disability Awareness & Inclusion Month • Hosting the Annual Phyllis Ringel Memorial Lecture, which this year featured Lecture “Shining a Light on Palliative Care”

FEEDING FAMILIES Community food pantry Our Community Food Pantry served an average of 125 families per month in the 18104 area. The pantry also serves Jews across the Lehigh Valley and offers a kosher option. Thanks to generous donations, the pantry is stocked with an assortment of foods and goods, including fresh produce and personal items like toilet paper, shampoo and diapers, and is maintained by dedicated volunteers.

• Food Pantry Expansion – Over the course of several months, during which the JFS Board Room served as its temporary home, the Food Pantry was expanded and renovated, including a donation of a new commercial refrigerator and stand-up freezer for more cold storage.

• Involving the Next Generation – The youngest among us are learning early how important it is to give back: from bar-bat mitzvah projects raising funds and collecting items to the JCC Pre-K’s monthly visits to volunteer and learn how the pantry works to Jewish Day School students donating from their school garden, the children of the Jewish community were actively involved with the pantry.

• Plant a Row – The Plant a Row program gave our clients access to fresh fruits and vegetables they might not otherwise be able to afford. Volunteers of all ages, from JDS, the Monocacy Farm Project and other farms in the community as well as their own backyards, planted, harvested and delivered produce to the pantry.

• 2nd Survey Results – We completed our second survey of food pantry clients this year, assessing the evolving needs of the community we serve.

VOLUNTEERS ON THE MOVE All the places we go!

Our volunteers gave 1,953 hours last year to make the work of JFS a reality. From preparing meals for older adults to offering a ride to a doctor’s appointment and beyond, our volunteers were there to lend a hand to those who need it most in our community.

THANK YOU TO OUR VOLUNTEERS! Tama Lee Barsky Aaron Berger Clara Bergstein Larry Berman Sara Jane Bub Sam Bub Marjorie Carroll Allen Carroll Brandon Charon Jane Cohen Diana DeFanti Doris Denherder Albert Derby Eva Derby Elaine Deutch Amy Singer Douglass Roberta Epstein Leyna Fleischaker Rose Lee Goldberg Ben Grossman Sandy Greenfield Lisa Griffiths Jonathan Hertz Rima Hirsch Linda Hutter

Madeleine Jelensits Irving Kaplan Sue Israel Phyllis Kaufman Beth Kozinn Stuart Krawitz Roberta Kritzer Mary Laronge Beth Kushnick Silvia Mandler Rose Miller Daniel Morgenbesser Rich Mongilutz Sarah Zieff Morse Gabriel Morse Judy Murman Julie Mylnarsky Richard Nelson Leon Papir Howard Pitkoff Jane Pitkoff Andrea Reich Ilene Ringold Bobbie Rudolph Lenny Samuelson

Naomi Schachter Ellen Schaffer Lenore Scharf Brett Schwartz Ron Segel Rachel Shurman Barbara Spagnoletti Erica Stein Lauren Rabin Richard Silverman Ignacy (Izzy) Studzienko Lena Szakalay Pearl Szakalay Rivka Szakalay Abby Trachtman Susan Travis Kimberly Valuntas Beverly Volk Stephen Volk Alex Wood Leon Zoller Kristen Zohn Asia Kolarz

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERYONE People of every age and stage of life are welcome to join our growing group of dedicated volunteers. As part of the process, each new volunteer meets with our volunteer coordinator to find his or her perfect fit of activity and time commitment.

Once each volunteer finds the right opportunity, the volunteer goes through our customized training program.

OPPORTUNITIES THIS YEAR INCLUDED: • Filling the shelves of our Community Food Pantry with nutritious food and household goods • Leading Shabbat services and holiday programs for older adults living in residential communities • Picking up bread and other donations from Weis, Wegmans and Wawa • Harvesting vegetables for the pantry with Farmer Bob at the Monocacy Farm Project • Sharing time with older adults through friendly phone calls and visits • Preparing and delivering meals and goody bags for people who have trouble cooking and/or leaving their homes • Decorating cards for clients’ birthdays, holidays and other special occasions • Knitting hats, hats blankets and other warm clothing for people in need …and much more! If you would like to donate your time to help people in need, contact Volunteer Coordinator Chelsea Karp at 610-821-8722 or ckarp@jfslv.org, and check our website for the most up-to-date listings.

CARING FOR THE OLDER GENERATION Older adults outreach We remained dedicated to our community’s older adults’ physical, financial, emotional and social needs through many means, such as: • New groups—Ladies’ groups Luncheons and Schmooze and Schmear Series for Men—formed to provide camaraderie for older adults in a casual, fun environment over a meal • The Mazel Meals program brought volunteers together to prepare kosher meals from scratch and deliver them with a visit to older adults who don’t often enjoy a warm, home-cooked meal • 84 Shabbat and holiday programs with 1,223 participants at 20 local residential communities meant that older adults who no longer can get to synagogue could hear the sound of the shofar and enjoy the mirth of a Purim spiel—participation more than doubled from last year, with 36 additional events • Phone-A-Friend and Friendly Visitor volunteers provided emotional support and social connection for those who might not otherwise find it • Drivers for our On the Go Program provided 8,993 miles driven: that’s 913 hours of rides over 689 trips provided for 34 active riders • Our annual fundraiser, 8ish Over 80ish, 80ish highlighted and honored the continued volunteer efforts of those over 80 who are still actively giving back to our community

Jewish Family Service wishes to thank the generous community members* who have made a gift to our endowment fund or who have vowed to support our organization in their wills, trusts, retirement accounts and life insurance policies through LIFE & LEGACY. *as of June 2019

PHOTO COURTESY OF EDWIN DAVIS PHOTOGRAPHY

AREL ACKERMAN HOFFMAN RONY ACKERMAN BARBARA HOFFMAN SHEILA C. BERG FLORENCE HAUSMAN WENDY BORN KEVIN AND ROSS BORN MARY ELLEN HAUSMAN EMILY CHARLAP RABBI ALLEN JUDA NANCY AND TOBY JUDA DANIEL COHEN SETH KATZMAN EDWIN DAVIS KATHI KATZMAN RABBI MELODY DAVIS FERNE KUSHNER GLENN AND JAN EHRICH DANIEL LEISAWITZ AND DAVID EISKOWITZ DANIELA VIALE IRIS EPSTEIN PAM LOTT JAY AND FRAN FISHER BILL AND JANE MARKSON EILEEN FISCHMANN LINDA AND MIKE MILLER ROBERTO FISCHMANN JAMES MUETH PATRICIA AND TAFFI NEY GARY GLASCOM AUDREY ALEXANDER BENNETT GROSSMAN NOLTE HARVEY AND ALAN AND MELISSA HAKIM ROBERTA PENN ROBERT AND ABBY POZEFSKY BONNIE HAMMEL ROBERT ROCKMAKER ARTHUR DAVID

ALEX AND ROBIN ROSENAU MARK H. AND DEENA SCOBLIONKO LORRIE SCHERLINE LYNNE SHAMPAIN HOWARD SHERER RABBI MICHAEL AND ALEXIS SINGER SUSAN SOSNOW SAM SHIKIAR MARGARET STETTNER CARAH TENZER RON TICHO ARTHUR AND BARBARA WEINRACH JAMES A. AND LINDA P. WIMMER NORM AND SANDY WRUBLE RACHEL ZANE DEBBIE ZOLLER LEON ZOLLER ANONYMOUS (5)

STEWARDSHIP OF YOUR GIFTS EXPENSES - $792,300 $36,800

$110,000 $142,200

$63,000

$90,400

$349,900

Direct Assistance

Client Education

Volunteers

General and Administrative

Theraputic Services

Fundraising

REVENUE - $792,300 $29,000

$129,700 $122,900

$99,300

$173,000

$238,400

Disbursement from JFS Investment Account

Grants

Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley

In-Kind Food Donations

Contributions and Fundraiser

Therapeutic Counseling

For more detailed financial information, visit our website at www.jfslv.org.

JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE IS A RESOURCE FOR THE COMMUNITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2018-19 Rabbi Allen Juda PRESIDENT

Carah Tenzer SECRETARY

Bill Bergstein VICE PRESIDENT

Marcia Berkow TREASURER

Susan Berman VICE PRESIDENT

Wendy Born PAST PRESIDENT

Robin Rosenau VICE PRESIDENT

DIRECTORS Rabbi Melody Davis Dr. Jodi Eichler-Levine

Brian Ford Tom Freedman Roberta Gaines Dr. Harvey Hakim Barry Halper Rima Hirsch Pam Lott Audrey Nolte Mark Pinsley Lorrie Scherline Susan Sosnow Cantor Ellen Sussman

Linda Krause BOOKKEEPER

Marcia Schechter, MS, RN OLDER ADULT OUTREACH

Sharon Gayner FOOD PANTRY & MAZEL J CAFE COORDINATOR

Susan Sklaroff-Van Hook, MA, LPC CLINICAL COORDINATOR AND RESOURCE SPECIALIST

Judy Murman OFFICE MANAGER

Carol Wilson, LSW CLINICAL COORDINATOR OF OLDER ADULT SERVICES

STAFF 2018-19 Rebecca Axelrod-Cooper, MSW, LSW COMMUNITY IMPACT COORDINATOR Amy Buchanan OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Ellen Feldman, MA CASE MANAGER Chelsea Karp VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

Wendy Rapaport, MSW, LCSW CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER Cynthia Sanchez STUDENT INTERN

Debbie Zoller, MSW, LCSW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

2004 W. ALLEN STREET ALLENTOWN, PA 18104 610.821.8722 WWW.JFSLV.ORG