Thursday, December 24, 2009

Happy Holidays from JFS!

Last week, JFS had its staff holiday party. The festivities included a potluck lunch, Hanukkah menorah lighting, and a gift exchange game. The game is always fun and brings out the worst in people because it involves plotting, schemeing, and stealing other people's gifts! In all seriousness, it was a great lunch where co-workers from different departments got to socialize and catch up with one another's lives. We're one big, happy JFS family!


And to get the most out of our holiday decorations (and to stretch the budget), Ron Crowell, home-based services coordinator, hosted a potluck dinner for the home care providers and personal care assistants in the JFS Senior Solutions department. These employees work in clients' homes, so they also got a chance to socialize since they rarely get to see each other. Ron handed out holiday cards to his staff and thanked them all for a great year.

From our family to yours, have a happy holiday season and a fabulous start to your New Year! May 2010 be a healthy, prosperous, and joyous year for us all!

Friday, December 18, 2009

Join JFS at Heebonism 2009!

JFS is a sponsor of Heebonism, a Christmas Eve bash for Jews!
When: Dec. 24, 8:30 PM until the wee hours of Xmas morning
Where: The JET Hotel - 1612 Wazee St, Denver
Tix: $18 in advance; $25 cash or check at the door (or $20 with three non-perishable food items for JFS)
Click here to find out more and buy tickets.

JDN Hanukkah Party

Last weekend, Adina Krausz, Jewish Disabilities Network (JDN) coordinator, hosted a Hanukkah party for participants of the group and their families. About 30 people attended and enjoyed traditional Hanukkah foods including latkes with applesauce and traditional jelly donuts, sufganiot.

Adina's husband, Daniel lit the menorah and led everyone in singing the blessings and Hanukkah songs. Participants also iced Hanukkah cookies, decorated cards for residents at Shalom Park, and enjoyed socializing with each other. Barb Goldstein, a JDN and Shalom Park volunteer, said, "Last year, I witnessed how much joy it gives the residents to receive a card, and I wanted to make sure that they had the chance to get them again this year. "

Adina adds, "Since Hanukkah is a holiday that is celebrated in the home, I enjoyed opening up my home for the party and sharing it with all my JDN friends and clients."

Friday, December 11, 2009

Annual Movie Fundraiser Provides “Reel Hope” for JFS Clients

Jewish Family Service recently honored community leaders Brent and Julie Morse, and David Friedman at Reel Hope-Take 14, our annual movie-themed fundraiser at Regal Cinemas Continental Theatre in Denver. Despite difficult economic times, the event grossed $370,000! Our heartfelt thanks to all the wonderful community-minded individuals and organizations that support the agency through this event!

Now in its 14th year, Reel Hope benefits the programs of Jewish Family Service and is held in partnership with Variety of Colorado, the children’s charity with its roots in the entertainment industry. Variety helped secure the venue and the special benefit screening of Summit Entertainment’s New Moon, the second installment of Stephenie Meyer’s successful Twilight romance series. We thank Variety, Regal Cinemas, and the filmmakers for making this event possible.

Complete with Hollywood-style lighting effects, the festivities featured the movie screening, the presentation of a touching JFS agency video, a brief awards ceremony, a box dinner, and dessert reception. Gary Shapiro, 9News morning news anchor, made his debut as a JFS event Master of Ceremonies. Heartfelt and entertaining videos introducing the honorees were generously produced by JFS Board Member Lindsey Gutterman with the assistance of Steve Pettit of Starwest Productions.
Ernie Johnson, president and “chief barker” of Variety of Colorado and Steve Kris, JFS board chair, spoke briefly and thanked the evening’s sponsors and attendees. After a video introduction of Brent and Julie Morse, Event Co-Chairs Rocky and Suzi Miller spoke about the Morses and presented the Jack Shapiro Community Service Award. Brent and Julie then spoke eloquently, speaking of their volunteer experiences with JFS and on accepting the award.

Sheryl Goodman, event co-chair and longtime friend of David Friedman, along with David’s father, Shel, introduced David and presented the Kal Zeff Business Leader of the Year Award to him. Shel added humor to the ceremony by saying, “David, I am proud of you for following in my footsteps. JFS, as other nonprofits, has had a difficult financial year; therefore we decided David should get my award from seven years ago.” As anyone who knows David would expect, he accepted the award with humor and grace.

Yana Vishnitsky, JFS president and CEO, spoke from the heart about the help JFS provides for those in need and how much we need the community’s generous support. She shared that JFS provided Thanksgiving meals to 180 families this year. “There were many children running around waiting in line with their parents. I looked into their eyes. There was joy and hope. The parents’ eyes expressed fear and pain. People come to us when their lives are broken, when their hope is lost, when their strength is challenged.”

Our deepest and sincere thanks go out to Dean Prina, M.D., JFS development chair; Rocky and Suzi Miller and Sheryl Goodman, event chairs; and the extraordinary Reel Hope committee who made the event such a success: Douglas Antonoff, Carla Bartell, Shell and Lisa Cook, Cami Cooper, Steven and Faye Demby, Lisa Eller Davis, Sanford Feld, David Fried, Ellen Friedman, Michelle Friedman, Elaine Gampel, Brett Goldberg, Carol Karsh, Donald Kortz, Jeff and Jocelyn Kraus, Gary and Connie Levine, Alan and Peggy Mayer, Rick and Mindy Miller, Larry A. and Carol Mizel, Anita Niebrugge, Devra Ochs, Jay and Lisa Perlmutter, Michael and Shereen Pollak, Dean Prina, M.D., Andrew Raabe, Jane E. Rosenbaum, Linda Schatz, Michael Schatz, Chet Schwartz, Michelle Toltz, Marci Waldman, and Leslie Williams-Heins.

Check out this year's agency video that was shown at Reel Hope!

View more photos from the event! Thank you to Howard Lutz for donating his time and photography skills again this year!

Westword Holds Holiday Drive for JFS!


Thank you to Westword and its readers for helping our clients have a brighter holiday season!

Friday, December 4, 2009

A Sigh of Relief...Reel Hope is Over!

Thanks to everyone who attended Reel Hope-Take 14, our annual movie fundraiser, last night! We hope you all enjoyed the event and learned more about JFS and our honorees, Brent and Julie Morse and David Friedman.

Since we're exhausted from working the event until late last night, we're going to keep this blog post brief! We'll provide a full event re-cap with photos next week.

We'd love your feedback on the event, so if you attended, please leave a comment on the blog!

Enjoy this photo of Kari cleaning up at the end of the night and celebrating that the event is over after many months of hard work! Thank you to all of the staff and volunteers who helped the evening run smoothly!