Colorado Nonprofit Association Fall Conference is the Place to Be!

This morning we braved the snowy roads to make an appearance at this year's Colorado Nonprofit Association Fall Conference at the Sheraton in downtown Denver. Hundreds of people are here for the numerous breakout sessions about marketing, fundraising, public policy, board and volunteers, human resources, and other focus areas. In addition, there are 60 exhibit booths for attendees to visit to learn more about nonprofit and business resources.

While attendance seems to be a bit lower this year due to the weather, the exhibit hall is buzzing with conversation and excitement! JFS and SHALOM Denver are sharing a booth and informing people about our services. And, as you may have noticed from the picture, we are wearing our infamous "you don't have to be Jewish to access our services" shirts as a reminder that JFS provides help to all, regardless of race, religious affiliation, gender, age, income, or sexual orientation.

We're happy to be at this annual event and look forward to coming back again next year!

Contribute to the JFS Thanksgiving Food Drive

Jewish Family Service desperately needs your help to provide a Thanksgiving meal for our Weinberg Food Pantry clients who might otherwise not be able to celebrate the holiday. Please contribute any of the items on the list below or provide a complete holiday meal for one family (the average cost is approximately $43.08).

• Frozen turkeys
• Disposable aluminum foil roasting pans
• Canned yams or sweet potatoes
• Canned cranberry sauce
• Stuffing mix
• Instant mashed potatoes
• Canned peas or beans
• Gravy mix
• Corn bread mix
• Boxed dessert mix (cakes, cookies, brownies)
• Canned pumpkin pie filling
• Shelf-stable pie crust
• Evaporated milk
• Grocery gift cards

Because we can stretch your dollar by purchasing items directly from Food Bank of the Rockies at a reduced cost, we prefer cash donations. Please donate money now or bring food donations to Jewish Family Service, 3201 South Tamarac Drive, Denver, CO 80231, by Wednesday, November 18th. JFS is open Monday through Friday from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Thank you in advance for your support to brighten another family's Thanksgiving!

We Hate to Toot Our Own Horns, But Today We're Going To!

Last year, JFS and the Denver web design firm, Xylem-CCI, created a new, user-friendly Web site that has helped clients, donors, media, and the general public access information about our agency. The Web site spotlights the agency’s new brand, provides ease of navigation, and integrates with the agency’s blog and social media presence. The content-rich Web site features a video library, press room, event calendars, and photo galleries. The project also included JFS at Home and SHALOM Denver Web sites.

We attended the Colorado Healthcare Communicators' Gold Leaf Awards dinner last night where we were proud to accept a Bronze Leaf Award for our Web sites. Colorado Healthcare Communicators provides healthcare professionals in the public relations, marketing, and communication fields with opportunities to effectively network with peers, the media, and the healthcare community.

We are especially proud to receive this award because the marketing team worked extremely hard for six months to launch the Web site and blog. Over the past several months, we've received many phone calls from other Jewish Family Service agencies around the country, giving compliments and seeking advice on how to replicate our site. While these compliments have been wonderful, it's nice to be formally recognized with this award!

Thank you to our entire staff for all their contributions to the project and patience for putting up with us while we worked on this challenging, but worthwhile endeavor!

Save 15% on SHALOM Denver Orders in October!

Because SHALOM Denver employs and trains people with disabilities, we are offering a 15% discount on all digital printing, mailing, packaging, and assembly orders placed during the month of October for National Disability Employment Awareness Month. All work is performed quickly, accurately and affordably. In addition, you have the satisfaction of knowing that when you do business with us, you are also giving back to your community. To take advantage of this special, please contact Linda Perez at 303.623.0251.

From all of us at SHALOM Denver, thank you for your support during National Disability Employment Awareness Month!

Offer Expires: October 30, 2009 - valid on printing, mailing, packaging, or assembly orders of at least $200.

JFS Clients Helped by Temple Emanuel's Mitzvah Day

Recently, Temple Emanuel hosted Mitzvah Day, the congregation's annual social action event. This day provides a concerted congregational effort to help those in need, when families go out into the Denver community to do all types of volunteer work. Members give their time, their energy, and their talent as they participate in a variety of mitzvot. Some of the projects included yard clean up and planting, painting rooms, entertaining at hospitals and nursing homes, animal care, preparing office mailings, and meal preparation. Three of the projects helped JFS clients: yard work for one elderly couple, cleaning for a person with a chronic illness, and games at the JFS Group Home.

The morning of Mitzvah Day, one group headed out early to cut trees at an elderly couple's home in Park Hill. The woman is homebound and likes to sit out in her backyard and relax. However, the overgrown trees made her feel anxious, but she knew that physically she couldn't take care of it. Once the volunteers cut the trees, she could relax and be at peace. She was very touched that people came to make her yard pleasant and neat. Two of the volunteers, Jim and Ruth Sharon, said of the experience, "We felt delighted to serve and be useful to people in need! It was a good feeling to see the gratitude in her eyes."

Another family was struggling to keep up with household chores due to the father's illness. While it took the group of Temple Emanuel volunteers only a few hours to spruce up the house, it would have taken this family much longer. It just goes to show that a few hours of work can make a big difference in someone's life! Nancy Benyamin, director of volunteer services at JFS, was first hesitant to offer up a housecleaning project for Mitzvah Day,"I didn't think anyone would want to clean someone else's house (when people have enough of their own cleaning to do), but I was pleasantly surprised what others will do to help another family experiencing a hardship. It taught me not to assume what volunteers will and will not do to help out a neighbor in need."

Simultaneously, another group of volunteers drove south from Temple to the JFS Group Home. The eight adult residents with developmental disabilities spent the morning laughing and playing board games with the volunteers. The residents love having guests to their home and appreciate spending time with new friends.

Thank you to Temple Emanuel and its members for spending the morning helping several of our clients during Mitzvah Day. JFS looks forward to participating in Temple's Mitzvah Year, an ongoing opportunity to help people in the community.

To learn more about volunteer opportunities with JFS, please contact Nancy Benyamin at (303) 597.5000 x369.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and this Sunday is the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Denver, one of the nation's largest one-day breast cancer walks. You may not be aware that Jewish Family Service has two programs that support people battling cancer.

The first program is Another Pair of Hands, which helps individuals faced with the challenge of cancer. Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, women with breast cancer can be assisted, at a lower cost, by homemakers who help with light housekeeping and meal preparation, allowing clients to focus their energy on getting better.

For two hours every week or two, homemakers provide light housekeeping and light meal preparation that helps alleviate the stresses associated with everyday chores. In addition, the care manager does a face-to-face assessment with the client to determine their needs and provides ongoing support and referral services to other resources available in the community.

For more information, please contact Yvonne Sylvan at (303) 597.5000 x339.

The second program for people with cancer is provided by the Rafael Spiritual Healing Center. The Healing Center provides spiritual and psychological support for those dealing with death, grief, chronic illness, or profound life changes. In collaboration with Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers, the Healing Center is conducting a study on the impact of spiritual interventions on couples during post-treatment.

The purpose of this study is to assess whether a spirituality group program can reduce distressing cancer-related symptoms and strengthen spiritual coping resources among couples in post-cancer treatment follow-up. This pilot study proposes to conduct two 4-week couples’ spirituality pilot groups. Providing support to couples within a group setting may well normalize your experience, enhance relationship satisfaction, and improve adjustment to post-treatment life. This support group is unique in that it combines medical, psychological, and spiritual aspects of healing.

The first group is beginning next week. For more information, please contact Cynthia Heller, (303) 597.5000 x392.