May/June 2014 Family Matters

FamilyMatters Volume 24, No. 3 • MAY/JUNE 2014

TANF EMPLOYMENT SERVICES

Program Spotlight page 4

FRIENDLY VISITORS Volunteer Spotlight page 8 CARE FOR CARETAKERS Mental Health Matters page 10

A PUBLICATION OF

Family Safety Net Services: Reinventing Betsy See page 6

From the CEO Lunchbox Express: Feeding Denver’s most vulnerable children One of the joys of my job is sharing

good news, and today I have some wonderful news to share! I’m pleased to announce that JFS has acquired Lunchbox Express, a program that is having a tremendous impact on thousands of low-income children throughout the metro area.

Lunchbox Express is a simple mobile fooddelivery program that targets discrete areas of underserved children and brings free lunch to them, Monday through Friday, during the summer months when they aren’t receiving the free or reduced-fee lunches they get during the school year.

The program operates as a distributor for the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), a federal program that makes nutritious lunches available during the summer at approved sites with high concentrations of low-income children.

The nutritionally balanced packaged meals and milk are purchased from federally approved vendors. No proof of Yana Vishnitsky income is required. All children 18 and under qualify for a free lunch, no matter where they live or go to school.

The program was founded in 2011 by Allen and Hannah Levy as a community

volunteer-driven organization. That first year, they distributed 6,000 meals using a modified school bus. Last summer, they delivered 47,000 meals to children at 12 drop-off points using four school buses. The Levys are extremely passionate about the program and wanted to find Lunchbox Express a new home that could ensure its long-term viability.

Thanks to the generosity of the Dresner Foundation of Michigan and other anonymous donors, JFS was able to acquire the program.

Feeding the hungry is one of the biggest mitzvahs of all, and I’m so thrilled that JFS will be able to continue the Levys’ wonderful work.

We will be able to feed thousands of children in the Denver metro area who are food-insecure.

These are children who would otherwise go hungry.

Beginning this summer, JFS will operate the program while the Levys remain closely involved. We are looking for volunteers to help with food distribution. For more information, contact Nancy Benyamin, director of Volunteer Services, at 720.248.4642 or nbenyamin@ jewishfamilyservice.org. To learn more about the program, visit www.lunchboxexpress.org.

B’shalom,

Yana Vishnitsky, LCSW President & CEO

Jewish Family Service of Colorado (JFS) believes in strengthening the community by providing vital services to people in need. Every day, JFS helps people overcome life’s challenges to live fuller, more meaningful lives. Founded in 1872, JFS is a nonsectarian, nonprofit human services agency serving metro Denver and Boulder. JFS helps seniors live independently at home, provides quality mental health counseling, offers training and job placement to those with developmental disabilities and other barriers to employment, and provides food and financial aid to people in crisis. Every year, the agency benefits more than 23,000 people of all ages, faiths, incomes, and abilities.

For more information, call 303.597.5000 or visit www.jewishfamilyservice.org.

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Thank You to the JFS Executive Luncheon Sponsors!

The 10th annual JFS Executive Luncheon featuring Archie Manning,

held April 30, featuring Archie Manning was a tremendous success! Thank you to the sponsors (as of March 24, 2014) who generously supported the event. View a complete event recap, including photos and video, at www.jewishfamilyservice.org/luncheon.

Presidential Sponsors

Chief Operating Sponsors Brent and Julie Morse Chief Financial Sponsors Lynda M. Goldstein Joyce Zeff Executive Vice Presidential Sponsors Adolfson & Peterson Construction ANB Bank The Chotin Foundation Colorado Real Estate Journal Colorado State Bank and Trust Cuvee Ventures D. H. Friedman Properties Will and Sheri Gold Jack and Celeste Grynberg Steve and Elizabeth Kris MassMutual Colorado Rob and Robyn Naiman Otten Johnson Robinson Neff + Ragonetti PC Eric and Ellen Pollock Rose Medical Center Don and Liza Siegel Stage 2 Studios Vice Presidential Sponsors Michael S. Asarch Berlin Investment Group Holdings Citywide Banks CoBiz Financial The Diner Family Terry Fenner and Dawn Richard FirstBank Grotech Ventures Izbiky & Associates PLLC

John and Leslie Keith/Harvard Communities Stuart and Janet Kritzer Family Foundation Laundry Services Inc. Murray & Stafford, Inc. Newmark Grubb Knight Frank Oak Tree Foundation Michael Opatowski and Ruth Malman Quiat Companies Richard and Michele Right Steele Street Bank & Trust Syntrinsic Investment Counsel, LLC Vectra Bank Western Centers, Inc. Associate Sponsors Asarch Center for Dermatology & Laser David and Anna Asarch Atlantic Trust Private Wealth Management Brian and Elise Barish Barry and Gay Curtiss-Lusher Denver Retirement Partners Dependable Cleaners Barry Dorfman Feldman Mortuary, Inc. Forbes M&A Forum Development Rabbi Steven and Senator Joyce Foster Marvin and Nancy Gart Gold Family Lezlie Goldberg Barbara Goldburg Jon and Sheryl Goodman Leland Huttner Joel and Janet Kaufman Kephart Architects Inc. Land Title Guarantee Company Lippa & Associates

Rocky and Suzi Miller Monroe Group Ltd. MorEvents Newmark Grubb Knight Frank Nothing Bundt Cakes Dick and Annette Pluss Robinson Management Company Stanton and Jane E. Rosenbaum Chet and Louise Schwartz Stewart Title Yana Vishnitsky and Jim Wolfe Corporate Tables Alberta Development Partners, LLC Rob and Sam Baumgarten Berkeley Homes Bernstein Global Wealth Management Mile High Honda, Acura, Mitsubishi Moda Man on Larimer Street Northwestern Mutual–Royce and Tara Zimmerman Shea Properties Stephan and Kerry Shelanski Silverstein & Pomerantz, LLP George and Mary Sissel TriCuzz Productions UMB Bank Colorado Wells Fargo Private Mortgage Banking The Wenner Group, LLC/Transitions Wealth Management, LLC

Family Matters is published bimonthly by Jewish Family Service of Colorado, 3201 S. Tamarac Dr. Denver CO 80231 www.jewishfamilyservice.org

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PROGRAM Spotlight SHALOM Denver TANF

SHALOM Denver TANF Employment Services

(Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) Employment Services program is an intensive job-readiness program that prepares welfare recipients—mostly single parents—for the workforce by providing high-quality hands-on training and real-world work experience.

The City and County of Denver’s Office of Economic Development provides funding and assigns people who are deemed “job ready” to the program.

When clients first come to the SHALOM Denver TANF office, located just up the street from the main SHALOM Denver work center, they are assigned a job coach, a case manager and an employment specialist. They spend

the first two weeks “The people in working on their this program cover letters and want to work.” résumés, learning —Jaimie Vela-Davis job search and interviewing skills, and applying for jobs. TANF staff members work closely with each participant to discuss employment goals—both short- and long-term—and help them apply for jobs for which they are truly qualified.

After they complete this two-week training, clients move on to a community-based training site that aligns with their employment goals to help build their skills and add experience to their résumés. Many clients who have little or no work experience are trained at the SHALOM Denver work center. It is the perfect place for program participants to gain valuable work experience and hone their work habits and soft skills.

The Better Business Bureau and Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains are the two biggest training site partners. “We’re very fortunate to have great employers and business sites who take these clients on,” says Jaimie Vela-Davis, TANF program manager. “Many of them don’t have college degrees or much work experience; they are rough around the edges, and require more patience, teaching, and coaching. These companies coach our clients and hire many of them.”

While working at their training sites, clients still come to the TANF office two to three days per week for on-site, assisted job searching

Instructor Sandi Johnson works with Beverly Chancey and Michelle Hill during a training class.

Photo by John Conn.

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until they have found employment. After they get a job, TANF staff follows up regularly for one year; job retention is the main goal of the program and it gets results!

From July 2013 through February 2014, the program served 133 people, and 62 of those are now employed. And of those who completed the first two weeks of the program, the numbers are even better: 88% of those participants have jobs. However, Jaimie doesn’t just measure success by the numbers. “When we can consistently find employment for the many clients who have significant barriers to employment, such as those with criminal backgrounds, no GED, or very low learning levels, and they retain their jobs, that’s success in my mind,” she says.

Jaimie has worked in TANF programs for nine years and has been in her current role with SHALOM Denver’s TANF program for a year. “I love working with this population,” she says enthusiastically. “To see parents get back on their feet and become role models to their children by contributing to the workforce, working, and feeling good about themselves never gets old. It is so great to be part of this process and their journey!”

Jaimie credits her team of 11 people with having one of the best job-readiness programs out there. “Our case managers and employment specialists are great at coming up with creative solutions to find jobs for our clients and our employment outcomes are amazing. The people in the program want to work. They just don’t always know how to job search, sell themselves, and set long-term employment goals, so we help them through the process so they can achieve their goals.”

Instructor Sandi Johnson helps Jessie Robinson during a training class. Photo by John Conn.

To learn more about the SHALOM Denver TANF Employment Services program, please contact Jaimie Vela-Davis, program manager, at 303.922.2100 x209 or jvela-davis@jewishfamilyservice.org.

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Family Safety Net

Services

Reinventing Betsy

Sometimes life’s challenges

can be overwhelming. Sometimes we all need a little help to make it through a tough time. That’s what happened to Betsy Lutkus.

Thankfully, JFS was there.

For the last 22 years, Betsy made her living as a dancer at a local club. It was something she fell into as a young woman. It was to be a temporary job, but she was good at it and she made a decent living— enough to support herself and her beautiful nine-year-old daughter, Savannah.

Last February, she arrived at work to find out that she was being laid off.

She was told that she wasn’t pretty enough anymore. At 45, she was informed that she was too old to be a dancer.

Dancing is all that Betsy knows.

She has no other skills. She has a high school education, but can’t type or work on a computer. She has no other Betsy Lutkus work experience. Betsy also suffers from severe anxiety and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which makes even simple tasks a challenge.

The layoff was devastating to Betsy— financially and emotionally. She didn’t see it coming, but looking back, she realizes that she stayed in the business too long. The layoff sent her into a deep depression that prevented her from facing reality. Her money soon ran out and she and Savannah were on the verge of homelessness. She applied for benefits and was able to get $710 per month to live on. But the rent for her modest apartment is $610, leaving her just $100 to live on.

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Friends told her “I will come out to contact Jewish of this situation Family Service to a place where for help and she my daughter will finally made the be proud of me.” call. Betsy met —Betsy Lutkus with Dicia Kemp, a JFS case manager, who immediately came to the rescue with rent, bus passes, and access to the Weinberg Food Pantry. In addition, Dicia referred Betsy for mental health services and a program to help her manage her finances.

Betsy’s top priority was to find work. She met with JFS’s employment specialist, Shira Mandel, who helped her get a part-time job at a fast-food restaurant while she explores longer-term employment. She is currently working at SHALOM Denver three days per week to sharpen her work skills.

“JFS has saved my life,” says Betsy. “Dicia and Shira are my angels. They have literally saved me and my daughter. I know I’m not an easy case and they are so patient.”

Betsy is on a path to self-sufficiency and a new life. She’s very grateful to JFS for all the help she has received. “What JFS has done for me is truly beautiful,” she says. “No one judged me. Instead I was treated with respect and dignity. For the first time in a very long time, I have hope. I will come out of this situation to a place where my daughter will be proud of me.”

Front cover photo: from left, Shira Mandel, employment specialist; Savannah Lutkus; Betsy Lutkus; Dicia Kemp, case manager.

Photos by Chris Schneider.

SENIORS

Matter

By Sarah Kolakowski Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation Senior Solutions Center Intern

I moved to Denver last August to

attend the Graduate School of Social Work at Metropolitan State University of Denver. I have a full class load and spend 20 hours per week as an intern at Jewish Family Service.

The JFS staff was incredibly welcoming and immediately offered support as I began transitioning from a small-town girl to a “Denverite.”

Within a week, I knew all the important things: which roads to avoid and where the best restaurants are.

In all seriousness, I’ve learned a lot as a social work intern and am absolutely honored that I had the chance to be an intern in the Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation Senior Solutions Center. This department has been accepting interns for nearly 25 years and offers an unmatched amount of support and guidance. I received opportunities to enhance my experience not only through one-on-one interactions with our clients, but by attending seminars, becoming knowledgeable on resources, and receiving incredible supervision. I visit older adults throughout the community, many of whom survived the Holocaust. As a Jewish woman, I have been proud to support this special population.

Many of the older adults I work with live with hearing loss. As many of you know, it can be challenging to communicate with somebody who is hard of hearing. I’ve begun practicing some basic communication skills so that I can work more effectively with these clients. Sometimes all I need to do is gently remind people to turn on their hearing aids; other times the conversation can get a bit more challenging. These tips not only are helpful when talking with somebody with hearing

Communicating with Older Adults: Lessons from My Internship loss, but are key when showing respect to somebody during a conversation.

I always face the person I am speaking to, which allows me to project my voice toward them and get their attention through eye contact. I am mindful not to talk too fast and I raise my voice slightly when it is appropriate. Remember, not all older adults need you to talk slowly or speak loudly.

Some people choose to have the television or radio on throughout the day. When the TV is on during our visits, I politely ask to turn it off so that there is less background noise.

I try my best to remember to turn the television back on after our visit, to show respect for the client’s home.

To learn more about the Sarah Kolakowski Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation Senior Solutions Center, please call 303.597.5000 or visit www.jewishfamilyservice.org/services/ senior-solutions.

Sarah Kolakowski was raised on a farm in rural New York, an area the Jewish community proudly calls the “Borscht Belt.” After getting her bachelor’s degree in social work, she moved to rural Arizona, where she served two years as an AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) member. As a VISTA member, Sarah worked to help homebound older adults stay independent for as long as safely possible, and then she worked with homeless veterans. Sarah currently volunteers at the State Veterans Home in Aurora.

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VOLUNTEER

Spotlight

Friendly Visitors Making a Difference

By Audrey Friedman Marcus

Among the many outstanding

programs at Jewish Family Service, the Friendly Visitor program stands out as a true gem.

For at least 35 years, this program has matched volunteers with clients of the agency.

Most of these clients are low- to middleincome elderly adults. Some of them are Holocaust survivors, quite a few have physical limitations, and all of them can benefit from companionship and a caring visitor. Many are going through changes in their lives; others just need a friend who will visit regularly, someone who engages them in conversation and, if appropriate, takes them on excursions or to doctor’s appointments.

Beth Lippa, Senior Solutions volunteer coordinator, is the overseer and “matchmaker” for the Friendly Visitor program. After a volunteer applies and is accepted, Beth meets with him or her individually and goes over

Volunteers and care managers met in small groups at the Lunch ‘n’ Learn.

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the extensive training manual for the program.

After assessing the mutual interests of both client and Friendly Visitor, she assigns them to a JFS client.

It’s important to note that Beth’s task doesn’t end with the placement. Both Beth and the client’s care manager have frequent follow-up conversations with each Friendly Visitor, providing both encouragement and sage advice.

Irena Shwayder has been a Friendly Visitor for just a few months. She regularly visits “Sarah,” a Holocaust survivor from the Soviet Union. And what a great match this has turned out to be! Irena was born in Moscow and came to the U.S. as a baby. She and her family settled in the Bay Area, where they became connected to the Jewish community. Not surprisingly, Irena is fluent in Russian.

“Sarah is one of the most special people I’ve ever met,” Irena says. “Although she has gone through terrible things,” she continues, “she is humble and kind-hearted, and always appreciative of the time I spend with her.”

After marrying a “lovely American man,” Irena moved to Denver, and is now part of a large extended family. Sarah represents the only Russian interaction in her life, and being with her feels comfortable and relaxed. Sarah also reminds Irena of her own beloved grandmothers, both of whom are now deceased.

As she spoke about the Friendly Visitor program, Irena pondered whether the clients or the volunteers benefit most from the interactions. “The companionship is important to Sarah, but also to me,” she states. “On the one hand, I can somewhat alleviate her loneliness and, on the other, her calmness and acceptance provide me with a wonderful role model of aging. We talk about our lives, family members Sarah lost, my husband, and children.” Once Sarah read to Irena from a

book of Holocaust stories. The two never seem to run out of things to talk about.

At this time, Sarah is not up to activities outside her home. But having learned that they both share a love of horses, Irena is hopeful that one day she can take her to visit the horses at the stable where she rides.

Irena’s view of being a Friendly Visitor has changed because of Sarah. “It’s not about my engaging in a service project,” she asserts, “it’s about the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life.”

On March 18, 20 Friendly Visitors met at JFS for their annual Lunch ‘n’ Learn meeting with Beth Lippa and five of the care managers. This year’s theme was “It Can’t Stay the Same Forever.” Volunteers learned valuable information about the changes seniors experience. In smaller groups, they discussed the changes they have observed and how these have (or might in future) impact their relationship. Dr. Harvey Karsh, a recent Friendly Visitor volunteer who attended his first such session, was very impressed with the competence of JFS staff and volunteers.

A retired physician, Harvey visits “Tommy,” who suffered a brain injury but who is ambulatory, independent, and very vocal.

Although he grew up Catholic, Tommy is in the process of learning about and converting to Judaism. He told Harvey he’d even like to learn Yiddish. Fortuitously, at the aforementioned Lunch ‘n’ Learn meeting, Harvey met another Friendly Visitor who volunteered on the spot to teach Yiddish to Tommy.

When Harvey and Tommy are together, they usually have lunch and sometimes embark on an excursion, such as visiting the Denver Art Museum or the Tattered Cover.

“Tommy is a very kind and appreciative individual. He never says goodbye without thanking me for the visit.”

Harvey calls his get-togethers with Tommy exhilarating, as well as a challenge and a joy.

“There’s never silence,” he says with a smile.

He appreciates being able to make use of what he enjoyed most about practicing medicine: getting to know people and encouraging them to talk about themselves. Visiting Tommy, he says, has enriched his life.

Irena and Harvey are just two of many success stories of the Friendly Visitors program.

Altogether, there are 34 of these dedicated individuals who give their time once a week to improve the lives of elderly clients of JFS.

A heartfelt thank-you from Jewish Family Service—and the entire community— to the following dedicated Friendly Visitors: Jennifer AndersonMoews Tracy Bates Howard Bellowe Donna Brasch Fran Cohen Cindy Gallard Shari Gerson Sybil Goldman

Abraham Grinberg Helene Harris Jill Hess Andrea Jacobs Harvey Karsh Mady Kassanoff Myra Keeble John Keith Charles Kirschbaum

Traci Lato-Smith Rivka Levinson Gail Levy Eve Lindemann Dawn McArthur Naomi Miller Rae Negreann Pamela Pearce Phil Rose

Emma Schwarz Irena Shwayder Ann Slavkin Mark Spector Dianne Weller-Veno Aaron Wilkinson Elise Zakroff Lisa Zales

Audrey Friedman Marcus is a volunteer writer for JFS. She was founder and executive vice president of A.R.E. Publishing, Inc. for 30 years before retiring in 2001. She also founded the annual Fred Marcus Memorial Holocaust Lecture and authored the book Survival in Shanghai: The Journals of Fred Marcus 1939 to 1949 (Pacific View Press).

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MENTAL HEALTH

Matters

By Marcia Jo Vaziri, MA, LPC

For the first half of my professional

career, I worked exclusively with individuals who suffered from severe and persistent mental illness. Most of these individuals were in and out of the state hospital or the local inpatient psychiatric unit. Their symptoms were not managed well by the medications available in the early 1980s. At that time, deinstitutionalization was in full swing and family members were wondering where their loved ones would live and how they would manage the situation.

I have noticed over the years that a lot of money, time, and energy are spent on the patient, yet family members rarely get a chance to Marcia Jo Vaziri deal with their own emotions around how they are affected by this illness. I have come to believe that in many ways it’s more devastating to family members.

Family members are thrown into a maelstrom they are not prepared for and a course that will last a lifetime. When your 21-year-old child walks into the kitchen with a frightened look on his face and says, “Mom, they just said on TV that they are coming to get me”; when you get a call from the police that your son has been brought to a psychiatric unit and the doctor comes out to tell you that he has schizophrenia; when the medical professionals tell you the only treatment left to try for your wife, the mother of your young children, is electroconvulsive therapy, your brain can’t compute the information. It goes into shock and stops processing. The emotional trauma of these moments can play out for years, well beyond the crisis moment.

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You Are Not Alone: Care for Caretakers Once family members are able to process the news about their loved one, they begin the long journey of caretaking. They become the therapist, case manager, medication manager, landlord, and financial provider. This takes an emotional toll as family members experience a myriad of feelings. They feel sad, angry, bewildered, frustrated, anxious, and guilty. A deep grief begins to emerge for losing not only the person who was, but the person who might have been.

Who’s taking care of the caretaker?

One place family members can take care of themselves is in a support group. Support groups let you know that you are not alone. You can instantly feel that everyone understands what you are going through. It’s a place to share resources, learn about mental illness, express your own feelings, replenish the strength needed to continue caretaking and gain comfort. You find hope and it’s the hope that keeps you going.

JFS has been running a successful support group for 10 years. Participants have shared tears and laughter together and grieved Who’s taking deeply for the loss of care of the the person they knew caretaker? before mental illness invaded. Members have expressed how beneficial it has been to deal with the relentless stress and anxiety that come with always scanning the horizon waiting for the next crisis. These family members rise to the difficult challenges of mental illness with the strength, courage, and resilience of a true warrior. I have witnessed the transformation of family members firsthand and seen that even in the darkest, scariest moment, they can feel they are not alone and they are hopeful.

If you need help with referrals or support group information, please call the JFS Mental

Health Specialists at 303.597.7777. NAMI, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, is one of the most widely known and best sources in the United States for education and support. Find resources at www.namicolorado.org.

Marcia Jo Vaziri, a licensed professional therapist with 29 years of psychological experience providing therapy to adults and couples, has worked with Jewish Family Service of Colorado since 1995. She has worked in day treatment and residential

treatment centers, a university counseling center, and Jewish Family Service of Atlantic & Cape May Counties in New Jersey. Her areas of specialty include anxiety disorders and depression, trauma, grief counseling, marital therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Marcia also facilitates Strength Through Sharing, a support and educational group for those dealing with a mentally ill family member.

KidSuccess Program Receives Three-Year Grant Thank you to The Anschutz Foundation for its recent three-year grant to

help fund JFS’s school-based counseling program, KidSuccess. This program provides more than 2000 students and their families with quality mental health care and case management services.

Students are able to access a mental health therapist right in their own school. The therapist can listen and respond quickly to a student’s concerns; work with teachers, parents, or peers depending on the situation presented; and can help with social, academic, or emotional difficulties. Students can also receive a psychiatric evaluation if that need arises.

We thank The Anschutz Foundation for partnering with JFS to enable all students access to this critical service, even if they are not insured or don’t have transportation. This access is key to helping all students succeed.

To learn more about KidSuccess, visit www.jewishfamilyservice.org/kidsuccess

Support JFS While Shopping at King Soopers!

Raising funds for JFS

is as easy as going grocery shopping. Simply purchase a reloadable King Soopers gift card from us for $20. Take your gift card to your King Soopers store and load more money on it before you start shopping, then swipe your gift card like you would a credit card to pay for your groceries. It’s that easy! Every time JFS supporters reach $5,000 or more in reloads (as a group, not just you individually), we will receive a rebate check for 5% of the total amount.

Learn more and purchase a card by visiting www.jewishfamilyservice.org/KingSoopers!

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THank you to Participants of Inaugural Easter/Passover Denver Community Food Drive!

Jewish Family Service recently partnered

with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on an Easter/Passover Denver Community Food Drive to benefit the JFS Weinberg Food Pantry. The food drive ran April 7–13 at various synagogues, churches, and businesses throughout the Denver metro area that joined this interfaith effort.

Thanks to everyone who donated food to help us feed the hungry at a time of year when food donations are traditionally low. Thank you to the following organizations and businesses that collected food for this community effort:

Presenting Partners The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Jewish Family Service of Colorado Participating Partners ANB Bank Belcaro Paint & Decorating Center Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP Calvary Baptist Church Citywide Banks Congregation BMH-BJ Congregation B’nai Havurah Congregation Hebrew Educational Alliance Congregation Rodef Shalom

Denver Jewish Day School Hagemeyer Holland & Hart LLP JEWISHcolorado PCL Construction Enterprises, Inc. Robert E. Loup Jewish Community Center Rose Medical Center Save a Lot Temple Emanuel Temple Micah Temple Sinai UMB Bank Colorado Univision Colorado

Just a Few Spots Left for

Summer Magic!

Children and young adults with disabilities are invited

to attend the Jewish Disabilities Network’s Summer Magic camp. There are just a few spots left for these exciting day trips to Shwayder Camp on Wednesday, July 2, and to JCC Ranch Camp on Monday, August 4.

Contact Rita Singer at rocky2323@aol.com to sign up today!

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Teens Are Invited to Volunteer in the Food Pantry This Summer!

Is your teen looking for a Bar or Bat Mitzvah project, needing to complete school-

sponsored community service hours, or just wanting to help the community? We have the solution! The Weinberg Food Pantry has an exciting monthly volunteer opportunity called Mitzvah Corps that enables teens, ages 12 to 18, to fulfill the Jewish mitzvah of tikkun olam, or repairing the world.

Mitzvah Corps participants will learn about hunger and poverty issues and help in the pantry.

This meaningful program is a great opportunity for kids to gain a deeper understanding of issues facing our community and to give back while spending time with people their age!

The summer schedule is: Thursday, June 12, 12:00–2:00 p.m.

Thursday, July 3, 12:00–2:00 p.m.

Thursday, August 7, 12:00–2:00 p.m.

Contact Nancy Benyamin, director of Volunteer Services, at 720.248.4642 or nbenyamin@jewishfamilyservice.org to RSVP for each session.

Join Us to Celebrate JFS—and YOU—on June 23 Mark your calendars for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at Celebrate JFS

on Monday, June 23, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at Palazzo Verdi Event Center, 6363 South Fiddler’s Green Circle in Greenwood Village. At this event, we are celebrating YOU—our dedicated board, staff, volunteers, and supporters—and a successful year of strengthening the community by serving people in need! We will also present the Max Frankel Volunteer of the Year Award and install new board members.

This is not a fundraising event and there is no cost to attend, but reservations are required. RSVP to Lisa Benoit at 720.248.4633 or lbenoit@jewishfamilyservice.org by June 16, or online at www.jewishfamilyservice.org/CelebrateJFS.

Clean Out Your Closets to Help JFS! An easy way to help JFS serve those in

need is by cleaning out your closets! Your donation of gently used clothing, shoes, and household items through Healing Minds generates funds that support the mental health programs at JFS and subsidize the cost of counseling services for our clients. Schedule a home pickup online at www.healingmindspickup.org or by calling 303.232.4483.

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THANK YOU for Caring!

The following donations reflect tribute gifts received from February 1 to March 31, 2014. Due to space limitations, we are only able to list tribute gifts received during this time, but all contributions are greatly appreciated.

Please accept our apologies for any omissions or errors.

IN HONOR OF ANNIVERSARIES Arnold Kover Buzz and Shelley Krovitz Les and Estelle Levitt The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service Louis and Marian Gelfand Shirley Leff James Wolfe and Yana Vishnitsky IN HONOR OF BAR MITZVAH David Friedman Dean Prina IN HONOR OF BAT MITZVAH Lindsay Becerra Marion Goldstein IN HONOR OF THE BIRTH OF A BABY Jules Benoit Murray and Aileen Englander Lexi Vishnitsky The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service Lynn and Lisa Taussig Dan and Ann Veenstra IN HONOR OF BIRTHDAYS Beryl Brasch Ruth Epstein Mildred Cohen Martin and Johanna Goldberg Karen Takamatsu Sid Dinner Kristi Dinner Selma Friedman Eduardo Ferrada and Jan Castle-Ferrada Gloria Gilson Thelma Heit Bette Kamlet Ruth Mandel and Francis and Louis Small Bruce Kahn Tom and Barbara Trager Sonny Katz Marvin and Jackie Cooper Roger Kempton Marvin Tyor

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FAMILY MATTERS MAY/JUNE 2014

Thank you for your generosity! Your support makes our life-transforming work possible.

Gary Kleiman Stanton and Jane E. Rosenbaum Marilyn Lande Stanley and Louan Kamlet Louis and Laurie Morris Dorothy Malman Ronald and Roni Brown David Miller Kristi Dinner Molly Pilch Michael and Lani Kessler Ken Rich Hank and Sherrie Brandon Jerry Scezney Marvin Tyor Leonard Strear Melvin Dinner IN HONOR OF MARRIAGE David Hoffman and Lisa Guthery Marion Goldstein IN HONOR OF THE WORK YOU DO Cathy Summer Debbie Huttner Jacobs Gift Fund II Deb Grojean Jacobs Gift Fund II Linda Loewenstein Jacobs Gift Fund II Ingrid Swords Debbie Huttner Jaqueline Sprinces Wong Jacobs Gift Fund II IN HONOR OF Rick Abrams Joan Abrams Ruth Lurie Larry and Leslie Englander Liam Banker Larry and Debra Jacobs Marsha Blum Larry and Leslie Englander Marie Cardin Cardin Family Philanthropic Fund Marco Chayet John Berman Trust Curtis Cohen Marilyn Jorrie Mildred Cohen LuAnn Ringenberg Hollis Fasbender Doris Fasbender Selma Friedman Phillip and Nancy Kallen Gary and Roni Ogin

Arleen Gershen Robert Monblatt Avi Grinberg David and Nancy Benyamin David and Beth Lippa Sandra Jeffery Larry and Leslie Englander Bruce Kahn Robert Schaffner Adam Leventhal Jon and Deborah Meisterplass Jay Miller Diane Miller Ira Miller Aaron Stambler and Elaine Miller Sam, Joseph, Jack, and Hank Orzynski Tania Orzynski Marilyn Rabin Larry and Leslie Englander Joanne Schoen Gary and Jennifer Zucker Nora Schrutt Larry and Leslie Englander Bonnie Kossoff Larry and Leslie Englander Iris Zucker Gary and Jennifer Zucker IN MEMORY OF Judy Alterman Nancy Alterman Larry Andrews Melissa Sago Louis Asarch The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service Donald and Ginni Freedberg Patrick and Carol Michael Alan and Karen Stein James Wolfe and Yana Vishnitsky Paul Baker Jordan and Sue Hochstadt Emma Bilbey Rita Streim Sal Bilbey Rita Streim Marjorie Moch Betty Mae Tobias Fred Creed Jr. Deb Fowler Joseph Cruz Jeffrey and Roni Cruz James Dillon Bernard and Leba Munishor Diane Dinner Arnold and Bobbi Goldblatt

Sonia Dunevitz The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service Marvin and Jackie Cooper Jeanne Lerner Oscar and Selma Sladek James Wolfe and Yana Vishnitsky John Getz David and Beth Lippa Ian Gilbert David and Ann Hoffman Richard and Michele Right Max Gold Shelley Gold Mildred Gold Shelley Gold Milton Gold Shelley Gold Richard Goldstein RCG Fund Richard Graber Aaron and Ellen Bregman Les and Estelle Levitt Alice Gruenwald The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service James Wolfe and Yana Vishnitsky Peter Guthery Richard and Anita Fricklas Rose Kaplan Marvin Tyor Zoe Tova Kislowitz Allyn Bandell Blanche Klar Paul and Linda Redstone Rafael Klebe Phyllis Jacobs Adele Lerman Jon and Sheryl Goodman Stuart Miller Alvin and Bettie Steinberg Jerry Morris Libby Marcus Ellie Pepper David and Beth Lippa Bart and Jill Miller Marcee Newman Eleanor Perlmutter Ronald and Roni Brown Arnold and Karen Stein Irving Ringler Buzz and Nancy Neusteter Arnold and Karen Stein Cynthia Robson Jon and Sheryl Goodman Ruth Roder Joyce Martin Francine Rosenberg Neil and Elizabeth Bogan Dr. Aaron Rosenthal Dick and Toby Meyer Barry Saliman The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service

Marvin and Jackie Cooper Eileen Duggan Barton and Marci Rivkin Eugene and Ruth Schorsch Ronda Smith Pamela Wolf Amy Zeppelin Jane Schapiro Arnold and Bobbi Goldblatt Janice Selix Gary and Joyce Lozow Pam Naiman Arnold and Karen Stein Muriel Sigman The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service Sanford and Lisa Feld Donald and Harriet Kaufmann Howard and Donna Lutz Bernard and Leba Munishor Pam Naiman Buzz and Nancy Neusteter James Wolfe and Yana Vishnitsky Sylvia Silverman Anne Angerman Priya Thangasamy Andrew Thangasamy Phillip Tyor Marvin Tyor Andrew Vajda The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service Neal and Michele Price Jorge and Francine Topelson Shep Waldman Ronald and Roni Brown Irwin Hoffberg Jerry and Terry Rubin Judy Wallace Arnold and Bobbi Goldblatt Lillian Weisbly Arnold and Bobbi Goldblatt WITH GRATITUDE FOR VOLUNTEER EFFORTS AT JFS Cindy Gallard David and Nancy Benyamin David and Beth Lippa WITH GRATITUDE FOR Ted Brooks Dorothea Brooks WITH WISHES FOR A SPEEDY RECOVERY Janet Cielens Pam Naiman Robert Cohn Ronald and Roni Brown Susan Cook Ronald and Roni Brown Janet Friedland Libby Marcus

Ellen Friedman Maxine Karsh-Safer Pam Naiman Mark and Rachel Saliman Doris Kaplan Barbara Sidon Harold Lande The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service James Wolfe and Yana Vishnitsky Christine Lentz Heather Sabatier Gary Levine The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service Pam Naiman James Wolfe and Yana Vishnitsky Susie Moss The Board & Staff of Jewish Family Service David Pollock Ronald and Roni Brown Patti Ross Buzz and Nancy Neusteter Brenda Sheldon Marion Goldstein Sherry Stark Ronald and Roni Brown Ron and Joyce Fishman Bonnie Merenstein Barbara Tasky Leslie Tjarks Bonnie Merenstein Barbara Tasky Robert Tobias Gary and Joyce Lozow Elaine Ulibarri Evon Lopez Philip Winn Terry Fenner and Dawn Richard Stanton and Jane E. Rosenbaum IN KIND DONATIONS Albertsons Argosy University Boulder Brands / Udi’s Canyon Creek Elementary Colorado Real Estate Journal Congregation BMH-BJ Congregation Hebrew Educational Alliance Congregation Rodef Shalom Denver Academy of Torah Ekar Farm Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill Girl Scout Troop #1737 King Soopers Reclamation Safeway Temple Emanuel Temple Sinai Trader Joe’s Whole Foods at Tamarac

FAMILY MATTERS MAY/JUNE 2014

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NON PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID DENVER, COLORADO

Jewish Family Service of Colorado

PERMIT NO. 1217

Joyce and Kal Zeff Building 3201 South Tamarac Drive Denver CO 80231-4394 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED tel: 303.597.5000 fax: 303.597.7700 www.jewishfamilyservice.org

Beneficiary Agency of JEWISHcolorado and Mile High United Way

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

Jewish Family Service Works with MAZON to Kick Off Solutions to Senior Hunger™ Initiative In response to the escalating

number of seniors struggling to put food on the table, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger has launched a new initiative, in partnership with the Association of Jewish Family & Children’s Agencies (AJFCA), designed to help low-income, food-insecure seniors get the nutrition assistance they need.

Solutions to Senior Hunger™, which is generously funded by the Walmart Foundation, is designed to reduce the barriers that keep vulnerable seniors from enrolling in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Jewish Family Service of Colorado (JFS) is one of 13 participating Jewish Family Service agencies nationwide that have signed on to participate in this new initiative. With support from MAZON and the AJFCA, JFS is conducting SNAP outreach and

education for senior populations, administering SNAP application assistance for eligible clients, and acting as a liaison between clients and their local government agency managing SNAP. The program serves low-income adults, age 50 and older, of any faith who do not currently receive SNAP benefits. Trish VanDusseldorp from JFS will lead outreach efforts at community fairs and festivals, senior lunch facilities, and other events throughout the year to educate seniors and help them enroll for SNAP benefits. She is also available to visit homebound seniors’ residences to get them enrolled.

Information: Trish VanDusseldorp, JFS Solutions to Senior Hunger coordinator, at 720.248.4643 or pvandusseldorp@jewishfamilyservice.org.