Monday, December 29, 2008

JFS Staff New Year's Resolutions

What is your New Year's Resolution? Here are some of our staff members' answers - both personal and professional:

"Take better care of myself and JFS by making sure the agency stays financially solid and the service to the community does not get interrupted."
--Yana Vishnitsky, president & CEO

"To volunteer more and get involved in my church. After I recently attended a JFS Hanukkah celebration at a nursing home, I realized how important my faith is to me and want to do more in 2009! My work resolution is to raise more money for JFS!"
--Mary Linder, development associate

"To quote Starbucks...'Do something good every day!'"
--Kari Alpen, graphic designer

"Follow through with my commitments to myself - exercise more, take more time for myself, etc."
--Alaina Green, marketing and public relations associate

"Start doing yoga again."
--Michele Lacey, grants officer

"I miss my friends at the JCC - get back to a more frequent exercise routine - and eat more vegetables!"
--Ron Crowell, Home-Based Services coordinator

"Have more fun (that includes more skiing)!"
--Cathy Grimm, JFS Senior Solutions director

"Exercise more."
--Donna Lutz, Nursing Home Outreach coordinator

"To make JFS at Home have a successful and healthy year (and my puppies, too)!"
--Carla Weeks, JFS at Home director

"To finish my kitchen (which I've been remodeling for months)!"
--Sandy Schmitt, human resources assistant

"To see and talk to my grandson more often (which I will do thanks to my new web cam)!"
--Linda Neuman, receptionist

Our staff knows how to celebrate! We tossed out the traditional holiday decor for this year's staff party. Check out this photo of our flamingo-filled fun!


Monday, December 22, 2008

JFS in the News!

JFS has been spotlighted in several news stories this month, including feature stories on 7News and 9News and articles in the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News. In case you missed the coverage, here's a re-cap:

Counseling
JFS's school-based counseling program, KidSuccess, was featured on 9News in a story about the effects the economy has on children. JFS Counselor Kristen Simpson-Chandler, who is interviewed in the piece, says the agency's counselors are seeing more students this year because they are feeling confused or angry after situations like parents being laid off or hearing that there may be no presents for the holidays this year.

Stacey Weisberg, JFS Counseling Center director, conducted a live interview on the same topic on 7News. She talked about how children are the smallest victims of the economy and warning signs when kids feel stressed or worried. In addition to discussing the KidSuccess program, she informed viewers about the JFS Counseling Center and how accessible help is during these difficult times - counseling services are available on a sliding-fee scale and most insurance plans are accepted. We're working on getting a link on our Web site to this story.

Reel Hope
JFS's annual movie premiere fundraiser was highlighted in an article by Joanne Davidson, Denver Post society reporter. She played with the fact that it was the fundraiser's 13th year and how superstitious people find that number unlucky. However, despite the state of the economy, the event was a success!

Family Safety Net
JFS's Family Safety Net program was a recipient of this year's Post-News Season to Share, a McCormick Foundation Fund that raises money for over 65 agencies serving disadvantaged children, people who are hungry, homeless, or in need of medical care. As the Rocky Mountain News article states, "Catching people before they fall is the goal of Jewish Family Service's emergency assistance program, Family Safety Net. The hungry and those in danger of losing their home can tap into the Safety Net's key programs: the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Food Pantry, an emergency assistance plan, and the HOME Alliance, designed to prevent homelessness."


--Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department

Friday, December 12, 2008

Movie Premiere Raises Funds for JFS

Jewish Family Service recently honored community leaders Dr. Nancy Gary and Daniel Seff at Reel Hope-Take 13, a movie-themed fundraiser at Regal Cinemas Continental Stadium 10 and Giant Screen in Denver. Despite difficult economic times and a smaller theater capacity due to stadium seating renovations, the event sold out the 600-seat main auditorium and raised $400,000 to support JFS's many programs!

Complete with Hollywood-style lighting effects, the festivities featured a movie screening, the presentation of a touching JFS agency video, a brief awards ceremony, dinner, and dessert reception. Les Shapiro, a celebrity emcee, businessman and sportscaster, added the perfect mix of humor and professionalism as Master of Ceremonies.

If you missed it, we missed you, too! Don't worry, our next fundraiser is the JFS Executive Luncheon featuring Guest Speaker Frank Abagnale, author of his best-selling true story Catch Me If You Can on May 12th. Stay tuned for more details on this exciting event!


--Kari Alpen and Alaina Green, JFS Marketing Department

Learn HERstory Through Art

More than 60 people attended an artist reception for Marilyn Lande's art exhibit featuring her new works entitled “MECHITZAH – HER Story Metamorphosed, A Magazine” on Novermber 19th at JFS's Rafael Spiritual Healing Center.

Lande created these magazine pages with photography and collage. This new work is meant to hint at the volumes of issues one would have to create to do justice to all the women who have contributed to the story of the Jewish people - without which there would not be a Jewish people. Her images celebrate, invoke, and reveal both Jewish history and Jewish women’s history that has been hidden, buried, forgotten, or unacknowledged.

As Marilyn states, “My photographic works are visual translations of life and history often emphasizing my inner connection to the Jewish people. By subsuming the past into the present I hope to engage the viewer to add to his/her knowledge and reality, and enrich their particular visions.”
Lande, a Denver conceptual artist, photographer, videographer, and independent researcher has spent many years exploring the history of Jewish women, and the way that history and Jewish heritage and faith has influenced the art and lives of Jewish women.

The show is running through mid-February so call (303) 597.5000 x392 and make an appointment for a private showing or group tour with the artist before it's too late! Learn more about Marilyn Lande...

Cynthia Heller, Rafael Spiritual Healing Center director, Artist Marilyn Lande, and Georgina Kolber, Mizel Museum curator at the reception.
--Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Volunteer at JFS!

Last weekend, a group of more than 40 volunteers gathered at JFS to put together 600 goody bags for Reel Hope, the agency’s annual movie premiere fundraiser, and to sort Thanksgiving food generously donated by community members.

David Rabb, Weinberg Food Pantry manager, says, “These volunteers did a great job to create 250 baskets of Thanksgiving food. And to top it off, while everyone was working, many people came to drop off turkeys and other food for Thanksgiving. The response by the community in donating holiday goods was overwhelming and much appreciated by the Family Safety Net department and all of JFS. Also, a special thank you to the Denver Rescue Mission for donating 175 turkeys to the Food Pantry."

Today, the hard work paid off. By 7:00 a.m., an uprecedented number of people were lined up outside of the Food Pantry (which does not open until 10:00 a.m.) waiting to receive one of the many Thanksgiving baskets. 18 volunteers and 11 staff members, ranging in age from six to sixty, distributed baskets to approximately 152 households or 350 individuals in a three hour time span. For those of you paying attention to the calculations, you will notice we have about 100 baskets that were not given out today. No worries, we will give our clients these baskets on Christmas Eve.

Speaking of Christmas (or Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or whatever you celebrate), we are in need of people who would like to adopt a family for the holidays. Through our Bright Holidays program, JFS clients make a wish list and individuals, families, and corporations purchase gifts the clients might not otherwise receive. If you are interested in participating in the Bright Holidays program, please email Shelly Hines.

Thanks again to everyone who donated time, food, or money in an effort to make Thanksgiving a wonderful holiday for all in our community. JFS greatly appreciates your help and so do the families who benefit from your kindness during these tough economic times.

--Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Help Brighten Another Family's Thanksgiving!

While you are shopping for your Thanksgiving dinner this year, please consider purchasing a few extra items (or even the whole meal) for a family in need in our community. The following items are needed and all food donations should be delivered to the JFS Weinberg Food Pantry at 3201 South Tamarac Drive by Friday, November 21st.
  • Turkeys
  • Foil roasting pans
  • Canned yams or sweet potatoes
  • Boxed mashed potatoes
  • Stuffing mixes
  • Pumpkin pie mix
  • Evaporated milk
  • Shelf stable pie crust
  • Canned cranberry sauce or jelly
  • Canned peas or beans
  • Gravy mix
  • Corn bread mix
  • Boxed dessert mix
  • Flour
  • Sugar
  • Oil
  • Grocery store gift cards

While we are making this special appeal for Thanksgiving food, we need food donations all year long for the nearly 1,800 people/month that we serve through the Food Pantry. Please drop off donations in our food barrels at the JFS offices located in Tamarac Square Monday through Friday, 8:15 a.m. - 4:15 p.m. If you have any questions, please call (303) 597.5000.

--Kari Alpen and Alaina Green, JFS Marketing Department


JFS Named DGLCC Nonprofit of the Year

The Denver Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (DGLCC) named Jewish Family Service of Colorado (JFS) the 2008 Nonprofit Organization of the Year at last week's 12th Annual Gay and Lesbian Business Awards Dinner in Denver. This annual event honors Colorado individuals and organizations that promote gay-friendly values in the business community.

“Our team is honored to be recognized for our work in the GLBT community, an often overlooked population in our society, and we are proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish for GLBT seniors in Colorado,” said Cathy Grimm, JFS Senior Solutions director. “We enjoy helping this population and are privileged to accept this important award.”

Thank you to J.D. McCartney, CEO of Xstatic Public Relations, for nominating JFS for this prestigious award. We were nominated for the award because we help individuals with HIV/AIDS maintain their independent lifestyles by providing a safe and nurturing home environment through programs such as the Hearts and Hands Homemaker program and the JFS Senior Solutions program. We provide quality care specifically designed for the aging GLBT population to be sure seniors get the services they need without fear of discrimination.
JFS speakers have made presentations to a number of GLBT groups including GLBT Community Center of Colorado, Womyn’s Circle, Colorado GLBT Bar Association, Colorado Prime Timers, PFLAG Denver: Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, and participated in a GLBT panel hosted by Jefferson County Division of Human Services.

For more information about the Denver Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, visit http://www.denverglc.org/.

--Yana Vishnitsky, president & CEO

Yana Vishnitsky, JFS president & CEO; Annie Reilly, JFS Hearts and Hands Homemaker program coordinator; Cathy Grimm, JFS Senior Solutions director; and accepted the award at the awards dinner.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Out and About in Denver

During the past few months, JFS staff attended many community events ranging from Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure to the South Metro Chamber of Commerce Fall Expo.

Click here to see more photos of JFS staff out in the community.

The main goal of attending these events is to broaden the awareness of the programs and services that we offer while reiterating that we provide help to all, regardless of race, religious affiliation, gender, age, income, or sexual orientation.

We often find that people in the general community have misconceptions about who we serve. I don't know if you can read our shirts in this picture, but they say, "You don't have to be Jewish to access our services." We decided to wear these shirts to all our community events in an attempt to educate the public in a light-hearted manner.

Since we have such diverse programs and we are growing so quickly, I think there are several things that people do not know about JFS. For example, did you know that annually:
  • 50% of the people we serve are not Jewish
  • We touch the lives of over 20,000 clients and familes in metro Denver
  • The Weinberg Food Pantry helps feed over 2,300 households in our community
  • JFS provides counseling to public and Jewish schools, positively impacting over 2,400 students and their families, faculties, and staff
  • Over 500 volunteers provide more than 16,000 hours of service to JFS
  • SHALOM Denver processes nearly 1.8 million pieces of mail and packaged 450,000 products for nearly 200 business customers
  • Our seniors services staff assists over 1,200 aged and chronically ill clients and their families

With your help, we can continue to improve lives and rebuild hope in our community by providing a single point of entry to a wide array of human services.

--Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department

Friday, October 17, 2008

JFS Supports Amendment 51

The fall election is quickly approaching and will have a major impact on the White House, Congress, the nation, and Colorado. Based on JFS and SHALOM Denver’s longstanding dedication and commitment to people with developmental disabilities, the JFS board supports Amendment 51.

This Amendment provides critically needed care to thousands of children and adults with Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and Mental Retardation through a modest, phased-in sales tax of 2/10 of 1%.

Amendment 51 provides new funding for much-needed services that people with developmental disabilities and their families need now and in the future, such as constant supervision, help with daily tasks, a place to live, job training or nursing services. When fully implemented it will raise $186 million, providing a safety net in Colorado for children and adults with developmental disabilities.

--Yana Vishnitsky, president & CEO

Monday, October 13, 2008

Colorado Nonprofit Association's Fall Conference and Exhibition

Every year people come from all over Colorado – and beyond – to the state’s biggest nonprofit conference.

We were there, were you?

--Kari Alpen and Alaina Green, JFS Marketing Department

Thursday, September 18, 2008

New Look, Same Promise at JFS

If you’ve seen the latest newsletter, visited the Web site, or received JFS e-mail lately, you may have noticed that JFS has an all-new look! The new look of JFS features a brand new logo, and a more modern appeal that we hope will energize our staff, volunteers and supporters. We are proud of the strong reputation that JFS has built in the last 136 years, and maintaining a strong brand is important to our success in the Denver metro area.

While the JFS look has changed, there are some things that will always stay the same. Our mission to deliver meaningful human services throughout the community to help change lives will always remain. Of course, our core commitment to Jewish values drives our mission to help people, regardless of race, faith or income. Whether we’re feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, or helping refugees to rebuild their lives, this work reminds us of our most important mission – to honor the human spirit.

I welcome you to check this blog frequently for the most recent updates and perspectives from JFS, and please join in the conversation by leaving your comments!


--Yana Vishnitsky, President & CEO