Fall Family Matters 2023

FamilyMatters

You Came. You Learned. You Celebrated at the JFS Family Concert Experience!

We turned up the volume at Mission Ballroom on August 27 for the JFS Family Concert Experience!

Multi-generational members of the Denver philanthropic community enjoyed an afternoon of having fun while learning more about JFS’s programs and services through interactive departmental experiences, playing games and activities, savoring delicious specialty food and drinks, and dancing to the incredibly lively sounds of Ozomatli!

Sponsorships, ticket purchases, and donations at the event help JFS invest in solutions to some of our biggest needs, such as providing food and other necessities to families facing food insecurity, strengthening our school-based mental health program, KidSuccess, and so much more. If you were able to join us, thank you! A special appreciation to our co-chairs Amanda and Jonathan Alpert, Jenny and Don Strasburg, and Stephanie and Sam Zaitz.

See photos from the JFS Family Concert Experience at jewishfamilyservice.org/event/photo-galleries

Dear Friends,

JFS’s mission is to improve the lives of individuals in need throughout Colorado, and one of the ways we meet this need is by providing healthy food to individuals and families facing food insecurity. Our Weinberg Food Pantry, Mobile Food & Hygiene Pantry, Lunchbox Express mobile food delivery system, and our Kosher Meals on Wheels and food box delivery programs are combatting hunger with nutritious food.

WHAT IS A SOCIAL ENTERPRISE?

A social enterprise achieves measurable social impact and revenue generation with a purpose to address unmet needs.

Now, we’re excited to share that JFS has the unique opportunity to be at the forefront of hyper-local, controlledenvironment farming through our new social enterprise, JFS Altius Farms. By creating a platform for a cutting-edge social enterprise, JFS will expand our impact throughout our community and the clients we serve by providing fresh, healthy, locally grown produce.

With the purchase of Altius Farms, we are investing in strengthening JFS’s infrastructure and creating a nonprofit social enterprise business that will provide some financial support and contribute to the sustainability for our programs for the future.

THE POWER OF COMMUNITY

We also expect the business to grow, as well as train and employ some of our clients, including those with higher barriers to employment and those with disabilities. Responding to the community’s needs and finding ways to have an impact are always at the forefront of our thinking. With the purchase of JFS Altius Farms, we will make an even bigger difference throughout our community and in the lives of the clients we serve, and be a leader in providing healthy, locally grown food.

I look forward to sharing with you how JFS Altius Farms is planting the seeds for our future. Hopefully, you’ll be as inspired as I am after you read more about JFS Altius Farms in this issue.

With warm regards,

Linda P. Foster President and CEO

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our July Community Resource Fair at JFS! More than 200 attendees learned about JFS services, and 12 of our community partners were on hand to share helpful information and resources to benefit individuals and families. The JFS Lunchbox Express program was also on-site to offer nutritionally balanced lunches, free books, and backpacks with school supplies.

ACE of Clubs: Staying Active Through Meaningful Connections

Improving our health and well-being while trying something new is vital for all of us. For adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), the JFS Arts and Community Exploration program (ACE) focuses on the whole person, community involvement, and integration, with stimulating activities centered around healthy lifestyles and mindfulness through art, exercise, and nutrition. Now, adults with IDD who want to meet new friends and explore their community through fun and enjoyable experiences have a unique opportunity, ACE of Clubs.

ACE of Clubs strives to promote socialization for those with disabilities throughout the community with small group activities. Groups are comprised of one JFS staff member to four participants, and activities include:

• Enjoying an outdoor concert, meeting new people, perhaps with a picnic dinner.

• Getting some exercise while hiking and being in the great outdoors.

• Practicing yoga and mindfulness while connecting to nature on Flagstaff Mountain’s sensory trail in Boulder on a yoga retreat with Guided by Humanity.

• Having fun and making new friends while playing a game or two of bowling.

Activities are designed with independent access in mind, meaning participants are exposed to new things and choose based on their interests. ACE of Clubs helps to build healthy lives while bringing people together through partnering with community events.

“It’s fun to try new things and meet new people,” ACE Program Manager Judy Pankoff. “ACE of Clubs is a great way to expand your community.”

If you or someone you know would like to join Ace of Clubs, visit jewishfamilyservice.org/services/ace or to donate to support programs like the Ace of Clubs, visit jewishfamilyservice.org/donate

JFS Welcomes Martha Fitzgerald

Martha Fitzgerald has joined JFS as the agency’s first Chief Strategy Officer. In this role, Martha will lead the agency’s strategic plan and oversee legal and risk management, compliance programs, and contracts management. Additionally, she will be responsible for maintaining the safety and security of our facilities.

Martha comes to JFS from Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP where she was a partner in the litigation group for 17 years. She received a master’s degree in Spanish Language from the University of Colorado before attending law school at Georgetown University. Martha has a wealth of experience and a history of supporting causes to help meet the needs of the underserved, and her background and passion for helping others align perfectly with JFS’s core values.

Fostering Friendships

The JFS Friendly Visitor program is about creating opportunities for older adults to have a companion, fostering relationships, and having fun! For Sue, one of our wonderful Boulder Friendly Visitor volunteers, it’s really about the connections she feels fortunate to make within her community.

Sue, an older adult response and recovery specialist for Jefferson County Public Health, enjoys bird watching, grooming horses, reading, writing, watching older sitcoms, and dogs—and since 2019, being a JFS Friendly Visitor. Currently, two older adults enjoy Sue’s time— Aaron, and Nicole, whose Friendly Visitor is out of town.

Seymour was an older adult Sue visited from 2019 to 2020, and he flew 35 missions as a tail gunner in World War II. He had significant dementia but loved having Sue push him in his wheelchair down a path near his assisted living facility. “Seymour started to remember specific prayers from his upbringing (Jewish), and we would sing them together as we would roll along,” said Sue. “I brought him a tallit, which he loved to wrap himself in. It seemed when we sang or listened to Jewish music, Seymour would remember a little about his youth. One time, he looked up as I pointed out skydivers. I asked if he had ever skydived, and he remembered that he had. Seymour’s daughter once shared, ‘My dad can’t remember who you are, but he loves when you visit.’”

“I grew up with great-grandparents, spending time around older adults,” shared Sue. “I have always enjoyed the wisdom and experiences of older adults. I enjoy the connection, the sense of history, and the stories. I am especially passionate about helping our veterans.”

Sue was matched with Aaron, a Holocaust survivor, and sees him once a week. The two are both writers and share wonderful in-depth conversations about life. “I believe in Tikkun Olam and live my life by the meaning ‘repair the world’. When I hear stories such as Aaron’s and can connect with an older adult on a deeper level, it goes both ways and is good for the older adult and me.”

While her time with Nicole is temporary, the two enjoy similar musical tastes and meals out. Also, Nicole went to school for Linguistics and French, and Sue’s mother is a retired speech pathologist, which makes for interesting conversations, Sue said.

Sue’s favorite parts of being a Friendly Visitor are the connection she makes and the joy she feels about doing something meaningful—for both her and the clients she spends time with.

When Seymour passed in 2020, Sue said the Shema at a small memorial for him.

The meaningful connections with older adults like Seymour, Aaron, and Nicole bring Sue such great pleasure. “Being a Friendly Visitor is incredibly rewarding,” said Sue. “At a time in our country when there is so much violence, hate, etc., it is a joy and an honor to be in the company of an older adult. There is a connection that is so important. It is a wonderful way to learn about different experiences, become a really good listener, and share a sense of humor. For me, it has only been joyful and inspiring because I am listening to others.”

“I HAVE ALWAYS ENJOYED THE WISDOM AND EXPERIENCES OF OLDER ADULTS. I ENJOY THE CONNECTION, THE SENSE OF HISTORY, AND THE STORIES. I AM ESPECIALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT HELPING OUR VETERANS.”

Sue, Boulder Friendly Visitor

“I BROUGHT HIM A TALLIT, WHICH HE LOVED TO WRAP HIMSELF IN.

IT SEEMED WHEN WE SANG OR LISTENED

JEWISH MUSIC, SEYMOUR WOULD REMEMBER A

HIS YOUTH.”

Expanding Our Roots in the Community

JFS is growing with the purchase of Altius Farms! In August, the organization officially added JFS Altius Farms to our family, and we’re excited to share a bit more about Altius and why we believe in the purchase.

Altius Farms, located in the Five Points/Curtis Park neighborhood in Denver, launched its rooftop greenhouse in 2018, growing high-quality, local, pesticide-free leafy greens year-round. The 7,300 sq. ft. flagship rooftop greenhouse houses 355 Tower Gardens™. More than 42,000 plants and seedlings grow concurrently, yielding over 31,000 pounds of fresh produce yearly. This iconic farm also creates an opportunity for agritourism. The 8,000 sq. ft. outdoor soil farm grows root vegetables, vine crops, and flowers during summer and fall. The outdoor raised garden space is designed for farm-to-table dinners, community gatherings, and educational programs.

With Altius Farms, JFS purchased a well-established business that aligns with our mission and has a social impact throughout our communities. JFS Altius Farms will:

• Train and employ JFS clients and veterans interested in direct aeroponic and traditional farming, including clients with barriers to employment, such as those with disabilities or newly resettled refugees. (Over the years, Altius Farms has built a core commitment to engage and train military veterans and actively seeks veterans as part of the team, working with Veterans to Farmers to provide hands-on training.)

• Expand growing opportunities and produce production by purchasing two aeroponic mushroom farm containers, which will yield approximately 30,000 pounds of mushrooms annually, beginning in FY25.

• Create a platform to expand the impact we have on food insecurity.

• Diversify our funding sources and offset some program deficits.

• Offer volunteer opportunities and a community event space.

JFS Altius Farms will continue to provide premium produce to restaurants, grocers, and consumers through their CSA farm share programs, and the current Altius Farms staff will remain with the newly formed social enterprise. We are excited to use Altius Farm’s experience, expertise, and resources to support our mission and programs so food is an even larger part of our brand.

JFS Altius Farms is a wholly owned subsidiary LLC of Jewish Family Service of Colorado, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Learn more about JFS Altius Farms at altiusfarms.com

Sharing Gratitude

We can help those in need because of our supporters like you. When a client reaches out to us to thank us for the services they’ve received, we like to share their thoughts, so you see how you’re making a meaningful difference in our community.

Greetings,

The day-to-day improvements to my life because of Jewish Family Service are such a profound blessing.

I am single, 72 years old, and I live alone and am disabled due to a near-fatal car accident years ago.

JFS provides me with a homemaker for two hours every week. She shops for me, helps me with cleaning, laundry, and organizing, and frequently finds things that should be done to maintain my health and safety. She helps me adapt to the constant changes around this condominium complex where I live—even small tasks I can no longer do like going to my mailbox. I live in the garden level, which has stairs I can no longer safely navigate without a walker. JFS also provides a case manager to help me with an unending array of questions. They even drove me to get the first COVID-19 vaccine.

Once a month, I receive a food box that stretches my monthly Social Security, the only income I receive. Before the accident, I was a chef, and I love to cook and always make sure no food is ever wasted. My little kitchen is reasonably adapted for my safety and daily use.

The bigger point here is trying to describe how it feels to maintain a sense of dignity and self-respect in spite of what might be called a difficult past. Many times a day, I am filled with profound gratitude that I am still in my home and happy to be alive.

My deepest gratitude,

Ada, Aging Care & Connections client

Save the Date!

ReelAbilities International Film Festival is dedicated to promoting and celebrating awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories, and artistic expressions of people with disabilities.

Learn more about what’s coming to the Denver and Boulder JCCs:

November 17 – 19 events at the Denver JCC at jccdenver.org/arts-culture/festivals.

December 3 event at the Boulder JCC at boulderjcc.org/events/arts-and-culture.

Join the JFS Legacy Society

When you make a legacy gift to JFS, you’re leaving your mark on our community. It’s a personal gift that will transform the work of JFS for generations to come. By making a planned gift, you invest in an organization that aligns with your passions and create a permanent testament to the values important to you. It’s your legacy.

Learn more and become part of a dedicated group of supporters who have made a special commitment to JFS by joining our Legacy Society at jewishfamilyservice.org/donate/leave-a-legacy

Thank you to the following JFS Legacy Society members who had the vision to include JFS as a beneficiary in their estate plans.

See the list of current Legacy Society members at jewishfamilyservice.org/donate/jfs-legacy-society

Board Updates

It is with a very heavy heart that we share the news that Earl Pettet, a JFS Board member since 2019, has passed away. Earl was incredibly kind and gracious, and his faith carried him through many health challenges and the loss of many loved ones in recent years. He was cheerful, optimistic, and a wonderful advocate for people with disabilities and members of our community who are disadvantaged. Earl treasured joining our Board and brought such love and pride to his leadership at JFS.

May his memory be a blessing.

We are excited for three new Board members to join our team and share their skills and talents with the agency.

You can read the full biographies of all our Board members at jewishfamilyservice.org/about/board-of-directors.

Charlie Gwirtsman Fran Simon

Dr. Heidi Wald

Jewish Family Service of Colorado

Joyce and Kal Zeff Building

3201 South Tamarac Drive

Denver CO 80231-4360

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Social services for Jewish victims of the Holocaust have been supported by a grant from The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.

CARING FOR Holocaust Survivors

JFS remains dedicated to providing financial assistance and resources to Holocaust survivors. For many, the struggle to afford basic needs such as food, rent, caregiver assistance, and mental health support is challenging. In our last fiscal year, 105 survivors received essential services through JFS to stay healthy and remain in their residence of choice and participated in social programs to help maintain community connection and engagement.

You can support our Holocaust survivors when you donate at jewishfamilyservice.org/donate/holocaust.