Winter 2016 Boulder Matters

BOULDER Matters Volume 26, No. 1 • winter 2016

Story of HOPE

Forging Lasting Friendships

At 92 years old,

it is not so common for people to move from a retirement community, but that is exactly what Evelyn Bell did last year when she moved in with her adult daughter, Valerie. The two women wanted to spend more time together and since Evelyn was still in perfect health, the two became housemates again and that is when JFS became part of their lives.

Valerie reached out to JFS to learn about resources for her mother, and JFS volunteer coordinator, Ingrid Swords, connected Evelyn with a Friendly Visitor volunteer, Jill Maxwell, who happened to live just two blocks away. Jill was excited to “get another Jewish mother” and the two had a wonderful rapport from the start.

Valerie says, “Jill was fantastic—she walked in the first time and it was like she had known my mom forever.” Jill came for weekly visits and played cards, watched some of Evelyn’s favorite shows, and heard wonderful stories of Evelyn’s past.

In December 2014, Evelyn fell and broke her hip. Valerie became a caregiver and everything changed. “I couldn’t keep up with everything,” Valerie explained. Fortunately, the Bells had JFS to lean on. That is when Jodi Ansell, JFS care manager, stepped in and invited Valerie to attend a caregiver support group for adult children. There Valerie found the support she needed and learned about community resources not only for her mother, but for herself as a full time caregiver. Valerie explains, “All the people who came to give me respite helped

Valerie and Evelyn Bell.

make my life more normal. They saved my life because I could get out of the house, take a break, and get some perspective.”

Fortunately, Evelyn recovered from her hip surgery and is doing remarkably well. However, Jill was recently diagnosed with “I know Jill will cancer and had to stop her visits.

Since she’s in the neighborhood, always be part the women still keep in touch and of our lives.”

Valerie brings food and gifts to Jill.

—Valerie Bell “The nicest thing that came out of my volunteer experience with the Bells is that I know they are in the neighborhood and we can look after each other,” says Jill. continued on page 2

Story of HOPE

continued from page 1

Evelyn was matched with new Friendly Visitors, Terri and Andy Miro, who had recently relocated from Austin and wanted to connect to the Jewish community. Already the Bells feel like the Miros are family. “I just love them,” Evelyn remarks. “One thing I really like is having Terri on one arm and Andy on the other; I feel like I can run a marathon!”

Terri and Andy see Evelyn weekly and visit at her house or go out to lunch. They have plans to take Evelyn to the Mizel Museum and to plays

in Denver. Valerie “It gives us such appreciates that a great feeling to the Miros’ visits be able to spend give her a break. time with Evelyn.”

“I fully trust Terri —Terri Miro and Andy. They are beautiful, heavenly people to be around,” she says.

“It gives us such a great feeling to be able to spend time with Evelyn,” Terri says. “She is so sweet, appreciative, and shares great stories.

Being with her makes us realize how precious life is. It’s such a little thing for us to do, but it has really enriched our lives significantly.” Andy adds, “Evelyn has a great outlook on life, even after losing her husband and going through a hip fracture. She pushes herself to stay active and engaged. She is an inspiration and a terrific role model!”

“I am very appreciative of JFS,” says Valerie.

They taught me there is support out there and I just need to ask for help. I can’t get over the remarkable, service-oriented people like Jill, Andy, and Terri who volunteer with JFS!” Evelyn Bell with Andy and Terri Miro.

Boulder JFS, a program of Jewish Family Service of Colorado (JFS), provides Boulder-area Jewish seniors, their families, adults with disabilities, and individuals in crisis with services to enhance their quality of life and connect them to Jewish values, traditions, and community. JFS believes in strengthening the community by providing vital services to people in need. Founded in 1872, JFS is a nonsectarian, nonprofit human services agency serving metro Denver and Boulder.

2 BOULDER MAT TERS WINTER 2016

Stay Connected

To stay connected to everything that is happening with Boulder JFS, please “like” us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BoulderJFS and sign up for our e-newsletter by visiting www.jewishfamilyservice.org and clicking the “Subscribe to JFS Newsletters” link.

Thank You for Being a Friend!

More than 200 guests packed

the Nalanda Events Center for our third annual fundraiser, Reel Hope Boulder, on November 8 featuring television writer Marc Sotkin.

The event raised more than $57,000, which exceeded fundraising goals and made it the most successful Boulder JFS fundraiser to date!

Thank you to Karli Sherwinter and Summer Lenderman, two event committee members who brilliantly took on the personas of Golden Girls characters Dorothy and Blanche to set the tone for the interview with one of the lead writers of this hit show. The audience was moved by a video about Hollis Fasbender, a Boulder JFS client with MS, who the agency has supported in many ways. Attendees enjoyed the interview with Ron Bostwick and Ron Bostwick, Karli Sherwinter (as Dorothy), Summer Marc Sotkin and hearing an inside view on Lenderman (as Blanche), and Marc Sotkin. writing for TV shows in the 1970s and ‘80s.

Many attendees felt nostalgic hearing about TV shows and stars from the era in which they grew up.

Thank you to the event committee, sponsors, and supporters for making Reel Hope Boulder such a successful fundraiser.

Read the complete event recap, see photos, and view the video shown at the event: www.jewishfamilyservice.org/services/reel-hope-boulder-2015-recap.

We’re Moving to the New Boulder JCC! As many of you know, we currently rent space

from the Boulder JCC and we’re so excited to move to the new building soon. We will have a much larger and more visible space to allow us to better serve the older adults and adults with physical disabilities in the Boulder area. The JCC is one of many organizations that we partner with to provide much-needed services to individuals and families.

Stay tuned for details on the grand opening this summer.

Linda Loewenstein and Cathy Summer at the construction site.

3 BOULDER MAT TERS WINTER 2016

THANK YOU for Caring!

Did you know

you can make tribute gifts in honor of a loved one’s birthday, anniversary, or other occasion; in memory of a loved one; or with wishes for a speedy recovery? Please include a tribute gift in the enclosed envelope or online at www.jewishfamilyservice.org/donate. Your support makes our lifetransforming work possible!

Thank you for the following tribute gifts received from September 1 through November 30, 2015.

Please accept our apologies for any omissions or errors.

IN HONOR OF Alyssa Zimmerman The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service IN HONOR OF BIRTHDAYS Alyssa Zimmerman The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service IN HONOR OF Adam Agron Todd Dutkin Rachel Amaru Rabbi Deborah Bronstein Ellen Beller The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service Lisa Benoit Harriet Mehl Rottenburg Ron Bostwick Judith Dack Boulder JFS Staff Cynthia Weinger Rabbi Deborah Bronstein Rachel Amaru Hollis Fasbender Doris Fasbender Michael Garfinkel Elizabeth Otto Paula Goldberg Heidi Schoen Barbara Gould Estelle Miller Stuart and Myra Herz Michael and Debbie Huttner Susan Lavowitz David Spiro and Robin Youngelman Jordon Perlmutter The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service Marpha Borisovna Samoylenko Boris Peisahodin

Karyn Schad Sydell Pannor Jim and Linda Stein Joel and Michelle Kralj Cathy Summer Hal and Risa Aqua Judith Dack Jonathan and Lindsay Lev Estelle Miller Bradley Reiff and Caryn Summer Allen Taggart and Barbara Gould Stuart and Terry Susskind Karin Susskind Whitney Chotin Wolz The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service IN MEMORY OF Mary Altman The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service Marlene Ansell Larry and Jodi Ansell Sherman Ansell Larry and Jodi Ansell Hilda Baum Sam Baum Howard Bender The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service Lou Bloon Debbie Garelick Mimi Bloon Debbie Garelick Bea Butler Simeon and Heather Margolis Howard Cantor Mark and Susan Labovitz Betty Chayet Boulder Jewish Community Center Larry and Benita Kerbs

Claire and Phil Cohen Sara Cohen Noah Cohen Paul and Jane Cohen Sue Diamond David and Randi Racenstein Lillian Glassman Paul and Jane Cohen Leon Goldin Lucille Goldin Yoram Gordon Gilad Gordon and Cathy Cohn Sassi Ben haim Hayoun Sylvain Hayoun Irwin Hoffberg Mike and Marcia Licht Ben Krone Karen Richards Sara Krone Karen Richards Lenny Loitherstein Simeon and Heather Margolis Seymour Lozow The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service Esther Lustig The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service Barry Melnick Larry and Jodi Ansell Harvey Milzer The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service Mel and Shirl Myland Wayne and Jackie Seltzer Melvyn Myland Martin and Ilene Lasher Julian Orleans Ellen Orleans Moisey L’vovich Peisakhodin Boris Peisahodin Sheba Penner Eve Ilsen

Boulder Matters is published quarterly by Jewish Family Service of Colorado, 3201 S. Tamarac Dr., Denver CO 80231, www.jewishfamilyservice.org 4 BOULDER MATTERS WINTER 2016

Gerald Quiat Dan and Meg Quiat Sheba Penner bat Rivka Eve Ilsen Leonard Rivkin The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service Lois Sherman Larry and Jodi Ansell Sondra Siegel Turkins The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service Marjorie Stein Rosalyn Imerman Michael and Beth Margolis Danny and Karli Sherwinter Josh and Ellen Taxman Sandra Vinnik The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service Arnold and Norma Wilner Mary Ann Wilner Vita Wouk Arthur Wouk Nathan Zolt James and Kristin White WITH WISHES FOR A SPEEDY RECOVERY Steven Chotin The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service Melanie Gruenwald The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service Sam Pluss The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service Lynn Taussig The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service

UPCOMING Events Monthly Adult Child Caregiver Support Group Meets Second Thursday of Each Month Caring for Your Aging Parent, a drop-in support group for adult children concerned about their aging parents, meets the second Thursday of each month from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., at the East Boulder Senior Center, 5660 Sioux Drive. If you are caring for or are concerned about an aging parent, we invite you to attend. This group is cosponsored by Boulder Jewish Family Service, Boulder County Area Agency on Aging, and City of Boulder Human Services, and facilitated by Andrew Bunin, LPC, and Jodi Ansell, MSW. For more information, please contact Jodi Ansell at 303.415.1025 or jansell@jewishfamilyservice.org.

A Deeper Perspective on Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias: Practical Tools and Spiritual Insights with Author Megan Carnarius

D

Join Boulder Jewish Family Service, Menorah, and Congregation Har HaShem on Thursday, February 25, 7:00 p.m., at Congregation Har HaShem, 3950 Baseline Road, for a captivating look at Alzheimer’s disease and caregiving through the eyes of a master storyteller and sage. After years of work as a nurse and executive director in dementia care, Megan Carnarius has learned how to tap into a person’s spirit and be with them as they travel this journey. Her knowledge is based on what she has learned from people with dementia and her own personal experiences as a compassionate caregiver. RSVP online at www.boulderjcc.org.

PO

E N O P ST

Jewish Grief Support Group Forming for Spring “Good Grief: A Grief Support Group” for affiliated and nonaffiliated members of the Jewish community is forming for spring. Facilitated by Barbara Gould, MSW, and Cathy Summer, LCSW, the group will meet weekly for eight weeks at the Boulder JCC. For more information and to register, please contact Cathy Summer, 303.415.1025 or csummer@jewishfamilyservice.org.

View the full list of upcoming events at: www.jewishfamilyservice.org/services/boulder-jfs-events.

Thank You to Hanukkah Volunteers!

Thank you to our volunteers for leading wonderful

Hanukkah celebrations in six senior communities in December: Carolyn Bleicher at Sunrise Assisted Living, Joe Lukasik at Balfour Senior Living, Rabbi Fred Greene at The Carillon, Rachel Cole and Bonai Shalom students at Golden West, David Bernstein at Frasier Meadows, and Jim Edelman at Boulder Meridian. And thank you to all the volunteers who helped serve food, visited with residents, and spread holiday cheer!

Putting the “family” in Jewish Family Service— four generations attend a Hanukkah service!

5 BOULDER MATTERS WINTER 2016

NON PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID

Boulder JFS

DENVER, COLORADO PERMIT NO. 1217

Jewish Family Service of Colorado 3800 Kalmia Avenue Boulder, CO 80301 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED tel: 303.415.1025 www.jewishfamilyservice.org /boulder Beneficiary Agency of JEWISHcolorado and Mile High United Way

The Happiness Factor

By Ingrid Swords, volunteer coordinator

As the volunteer coordinator

for Boulder JFS, I see how regular visits from a Friendly Visitor positively impact the life of a senior. When I check in with these senior clients, they often tell me how the visits brighten their days and how much they look forward to seeing their Friendly Visitor. And, when I talk with the volunteers, their responses often mirror those of the clients. They report that they get just as much out of the relationship.

Recently, I came across some very interesting research on volunteerism that provides evidence that the benefits for the volunteer are far greater than one might imagine. Researchers at the London School of Economics studied a group of American volunteers to find out more about the “happiness factor” and the impact of volunteering.

Compared to people who never volunteered, the odds of being “very happy” rose seven percent among those who volunteered monthly. This number grew to 12 percent if they volunteered every two to four

weeks. Among weekly volunteers—which is what JFS Friendly Visitors are—16 percent felt very happy. The researchers compared this gain in happiness to having an income of $75,000–$100,000 versus $20,000!

If you’re looking for a meaningful way to spend an hour a week and want to increase your happiness factor, give us a call. We’d be glad to make you happy!

In fact, we have clients waiting to be matched with wonderful Friendly Visitor volunteers right now.

For more information, please contact Ingrid Swords at 303.415.1025 or iswords@jewishfamilyservice.org.

Donate Your Vehicle to Support Boulder JFS!

i

Turn your old car, SUV, truck, van, motorcycle, boat, or RV into a cash donation that helps JFS provide valuable services to our clients on their journeys to self-sufficiency and empowerment. For more information about the program and to donate a vehicle, visit www.jewishfamilyservice.org/donate/vehicle-donation.