April 29 - JFS Weekly Insider

WEEKLY INSIDER

RECOGNIZING RICH!

By: RICH MSW Interns

Please join us in congratulating Danielle Bernas, RICH Director! Danielle has been named the 2024 UB School of Social Work Outstanding Field Educator. What a tremendous, well-deserved honor!

Thank you, Danielle, for all you do to support student interns. Your dedication to your staff, JFS, and the field of social work is truly commendable

Additionally, please congratulate Sydney Lyons, Psychosocial Support Specialist!

She was nominated for her outstanding work as a Task Supervisor. The JFS RICH Interns are grateful for all their mentorship and support.

INTERNAL “VOLUNTEER” OPPORTUNITIES

On May 5th our Refugee Services Department will be welcoming two large families to Buffalo. There are a few ways JFS staff can offer internal support!

1. Donate cleaning supplies as part of our Spring Cleaning drive.

2. Donate (culturally appropriate) pantry items.

3. Volunteer* with Refugee Services on/around these dates for activities like rides, home setups, delivering donations, etc.

If you’d like to help out, please reach out to one of the members of the Volunteer Services team (Dasha Valuyskaya, David Jankowiak, Emily Wirth, Sydney Schmidt )

*JFS staff cannot technically ‘volunteer’ their time to JFS, so you would need your supervisor’s approval to offer support to another department on a given day/time.

MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2024 JFSWNY

ARE YOU READY TO HAVE A MATZAH BALL?

GET TICKETS HERE

MONDAY, APRIL 22 - TUESDAY, APRIL 30

SPRING SWEEP RECAP!

By: Sydney Schmidt, Development

On Saturday, April 20th, a small group of JFS staff met to participate in the Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper "Spring Sweep," an Earth Day initiative across WNY that got volunteers cleaning up local parks

We shared some great conversation while collecting trash at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park. Since Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper encouraged tracking the items found to help with data supporting environmental advocacy, we estimated removing 9 pounds of trash from the area!

Thank you to staff who have already reached out to volunteer and/or purchase tickets for our upcoming Matzah Ball on Thursday, May 16, 2024 at Temple Beth Zion.

If you would like to attend the event as a guest, we are happy to offer staff and one guest a discounted general admission ticket ($25/ each). Please use code

JFSSTAFF25 at checkout.

JEWISH COMMUNITY SERVICES DELIVERS

PASSOVER MEALS

By: Sara Mintz, Jewish Community Services

On Monday, April 22, 2024, JFS Staff Sara Mintz and intern Rachel Enright along with JCC Staff Erica Baas, Mark Horowitz, and HERO Director Lauren Bloomberg came together with 3 volunteers, to pack Passover Meals for Holocaust Survivors.

They met at the Center for Jewish Life, which made the meals for the Survivors, and together they all packed the meals together. There were 20 meals that needed to be delivered and everyone was able to help deliver a meal to each Survivor.

This is something that JFS, JCC, HERO, and Center for Jewish Life do every major Jewish Holiday for the Survivors, and it is something that they always look forward to!

MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2024 JFSWNY

JFS EMBRACES - VERONIKA ZAMENIAGRE

Here at Jewish Family Services, we pride ourselves on exemplifying the four core Jewish values of cultural responsiveness, trust, person centered care and partnership. As a new initiative in the Insider, we'd like our staff to highlight each other's embodiment of these values by nominating one another to be recognized for such values in upcoming editions of the Insider.

This week’s nominee is Veronika Zameniagrenominated by Jill Gavin. Jill nominated Veronika, a Lead PC Case Worker, for exemplifying the values of person-centered care and partnership. Congrats Veronika on a well-deserved recognition!

WASA MURPHY - MAY 3

MANAGER

OF

NIAGARA FALLS RESETTLEMENT

SUBMIT YOUR PET PHOTOS!

May is National Pet Month and in anticipation, we want to see all of your pets! Submit as many photos as you'd like of you and your furry friends to be featured in the May Monthly Insider. If you're having technical difficulties uploading through the form, please email your submission(s) to Madison Ruffo by the end of today, April 29!