Volunteers Become a Part of the (Paid) JFS Team!

Michael Titus and Chad Livermore

We recently hired two of our volunteers to work in the Weinberg Food Pantry! Chad Livermore, who began volunteering at the front desk last September and helped out in the Pantry for a few months, is now the Pantry Operations Coordinator. Chad is replacing Robert Roth doing food recovery (picking up food donations from stores) and maintaining the warehouse, which includes keeping it orderly, receiving donations, setting up the sorting area, and more.

David Rabb, Food Pantry Manager, says, "Robert worked here for more than five years and he will be dearly missed. As sorry as we are to see Robert go, we are excited to work with our new staff members and move forward as we start the Jewish New Year."

Another volunteer that just started this week as half-time Pantry Assistant is Michael Titus. If you read the July/August Family Matters newsletter, you may remember the Volunteer Spotlight article about Michael teaching citizenship classes and volunteering in the Pantry. In his new position, he is responsible for running the Pantry while it's open, working with the volunteers, and making sure the clients get what they need.

The Pantry is now "Total Client Choice," allowing clients to "shop" for their own food and choose the items they want and will consume. Not only does this new system cut down on waste, but gives clients more dignity by allowing them to select the items they know they will use. Chad is the behind-the-scenes guy making sure everything is set up for when clients come in, while Michael is more hands-on with clients and volunteers, ensuring all is running smoothly.

Since we just lost (OK, hired) two of our good Pantry volunteers, we need a few more people to replace them! The Pantry is looking for volunteers in many capacities both in the Pantry and to deliver food to homebound people. If you are interested, please contact Nancy Benyamin, Director of Volunteer Services, at (303) 597.5000 x369.

Youth Corp Volunteer Gives Tour of Weinberg Food Pantry

Enjoy this video of one of our Youth Corp volunteers, Emma Theis, giving a tour of the Weinberg Food Pantry and sharing some of her volunteer responsibilities!

Out of the Mouths of Babes!

At Herzl, a local Jewish Day School, each grade chooses a mitzvah (good deed) project for the duration of the school year. The 4th grade students and teachers chose JFS this year. Tracey Douglas, one of the parents, says, "The kids collect weekly tzedakah (charity) money, and we are also trying to include other ways of giving/becoming involved and hope that the team will gain an understanding of your wonderful organization. We had a Thanksgiving drive for the Food Pantry in November (the students had visited the Panty in kindergarten), we bagged rice in April, and we are going to plant flowers at the JFS Group Home in May."

Below are a few of the letters we received from the 4th grade students:

"It felt wonderful to help somebody, especially someone who truly needed it. Cause when you're in need for food, health, shelter, and a loving group of friends and family, it really warms not only one heart, but two special, happy hearts and I'm happy to be one of them." - Alice

"Dear JFS, When I bagged the rice, I imagined that I was the family that received the bag. I felt the family's joy to have dinner that night and I felt proud to bag the rice." - Alison

"I think Jewish Family Services is a great charity to donate to. Because for this charity it doesn't take anything fancy shmancy to put a smile on a family's face, and when you know you made someone happy, that happiness spreads to you. When I was packaging the bags of rice to donate to families, I thought to myself, 'Wow, I accomplished something. I put a smile on someone's face,' and that felt amazing to me." - Arielle

"I think that JFS is a cool service. They help people have a life. When I was helping packaging the rice, each grain meant I was helping a family in the JFS and the world, so when I did that it felt very good to my heart. If everybody did it, the world would be perfect!" - Zev

If you would like to bag rice for the Weinberg Food Pantry or are interested in another group project, please contact Nancy Benyamin at (303) 597.5000 x369.

Happy Passover from JFS!

Jewish Family Service and the Synagogue Council of Greater Denver partnered again this year to provide foods needed for a complete Passover Seder to families in need in our community through the Passover Project. Each meal included a kosher chicken as well as other necessary (and Kosher for Passover) items such as matzo, matzo meal, gefilte fish, candles, eggs, and fresh produce. This program is designed to help those families who would normally prepare a Seder for themselves, but at the present time do not have the resources to do so.

Thank you to all of you who answered our call for donations. With your generous support we were able to provide 75 Seder meals to 143 individuals. Also, thanks to all the volunteers who helped pack the meals, distribute them through the Pantry, and deliver them to homebound clients!

In addition, JFS will conduct 28 Passover services in March and April in metro Denver and five in Boulder for socially isolated Jewish adults. The metro Denver services will be for Jewish residents of long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities, a mental health center, and several correctional institutions. The Boulder services will be for residents of five senior facilities. Thanks to all our volunteer para-chaplains who will help lead a record number of services this year!

All of us at JFS wish you and your family a happy and meaningful Passover! To help with your Passover meal preparations, check out these recipes for Haroset (apple mixture) and Banana Passover Cake.

JFS Passover Holiday Schedule
Monday, March 29th: Close at 2 p.m.
Tuesday, March 30th and Wednesday, March 31st: Closed
Monday, April 5th and Tuesday, April 6th: Closed

We've Got Mail!

"Thank you so very much for helping my family (even though we are not Jewish). Your help with rent kept us off of the streets and in our home, which is much safer and warmer!!!" -Appreciative Family Safety Net Client

Want some easy ways to support JFS? Just go shopping!

JFS has two new ways you can support our programs and services: purchase King Soopers reloadable gift cards or donate items to the Weinberg Food Pantry that are in high-demand each month.

King Soopers Neighborhood Reward Program

Help raise funds for JFS when you buy your groceries by purchasing a gift card from us in the amount of $20. Take your gift card to your King Soopers store and load more money on it before you start shopping. When your cashier finishes ringing up your order, just swipe your gift card like you would a credit card to pay for your groceries. After you have purchased your groceries, your balance will show on your receipt. This is a “gift card” that you don’t throw away; when the balance gets low, reload the card. 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. That's $250 for every $5,000! Click here to read more details about how the program works.

To purchase a King Soopers card for $20 from JFS at (303) 597.5000 x308 or online (put “King Soopers gift card” in the note field).

Weinberg Food Pantry Item of the Month
And while you're out shopping, please pick up a few extra items for the Food Pantry! At certain times of the year, the demand for some items is higher than others. Therefore, we have started a program to collect an "item of the month." The March item of the month is full-sized toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner, soap, razors, shaving cream, deodorant, and feminine products. You can often find these items at a discounted price at stores like Family Dollar, Big Lots, Costco, Sam's Club, Target, etc. You can drop them off in the food barrel at JFS, 3201 S. Tamarac Dr. in Denver throughout the month of March. We are open Monday through Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Make sure to come back to see what the Weinberg Food Pantry needs in April!

Give Money, Give Food, Give Time for Passover!

Though it's not an incredible amount of money, $47.10 might be the difference for some families between having a Passover Seder and going without. The Synagogue Council of Greater Denver and Jewish Family Service are partnering again this year to provide foods needed for a complete Passover Seder to families in need in our community and we need your help.
We prefer cash donations because we can stretch your dollar by purchasing items in bulk at a reduced cost. You can donate online and indicate "Holiday Food" in the note section or mail your check to JFS with "Holiday Food" in the memo line.

If you prefer to donate food, please choose from the list below and bring donations to Jewish Family Service, 3201 South Tamarac Drive, Denver, CO 80231. The deadline for all donations is Monday, March 22nd. JFS is open Monday through Friday from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• Chicken
• Beet Horseradish
• Kosher for Passover Brownie Mix
• Sabbath Candles
• Gefilte Fish
• Grape Juice
• Macaroons
• Matzo Meal
• Bouillon Cubes
• Borscht
• Fruit
• Vegetables
• Eggs
• Grocery gift cards

Another way you can help is by giving the gift of time! We need volunteers to pack Passover boxes on Tuesday, March 23rd from 4 to 5:30 p.m., and to deliver and distribute on Thursday, March 25th from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Please contact Nancy Benyamin at (303) 597.5000 x369.

Thank you in advance for your help in bringing Passover to another family!

Weinberg Food Pantry Becoming More Like a Supermarket!

Did you know that the JFS Weinberg Food Pantry provides emergency food assistance to an average of 1,800 individuals per month? Until now, we have given every individual a pre-packed box of food according to family size. However, the Pantry manager realized that giving everyone the same box of food is like giving everyone a size six shoe; one size does not fit all. Plus, statistics show that an average of 40% of each pre-packed food box gets wasted because recipients don't like the same kind of foods or have specific diet restrictions.

Beginning next week, the Pantry will become a "choice" pantry, allowing clients to "shop" for their own food and choose the items they want and will consume. "Not only does this new system cut down on waste, but gives clients more dignity by allowing them to select the items they know they will use," says David Rabb, Pantry manager.

The Pantry staff and volunteers have been busy this week reorganizing the shelves and hanging signs that indicate the items and how many of each the clients will receive (based on family size). David also conducted a staff and volunteer training to ensure a smooth transition. "We are very excited about the new Choice Pantry, but we are prepared to handle challenges associated with the new system of operations," says David. Once everything is running smoothly, David plans to host a grand opening in the next couple months to showcase the new Pantry for donors and board members.

The Bell Family's Centerpiece Project

Did you know that you can create centerpieces filled with food for your next event and donate the food to JFS's Weinberg Food Pantry? You get a festive, convenient product, and the good feeling of helping others in need. The Bell family recently created centerpieces for their daughter, Sally's Bat Mitzvah. Sally's mom, Judy describes their experience below.

We chose to make centerpieces for JFS for Sally's Bat Mitzvah because we liked the idea of giving something back to those in need. We heard about the centerpiece program from Temple Emanuel 5 years ago and made some for our son's Bar Mitzvah.

Sally's experience with the project was great! She invited 3 friends over to assemble the baskets one afternoon. Everyone had fun and they felt good about helping the community. At the party, Sally and her friends felt a good sense of accomplishment for making the baskets and having them displayed on the tables for everyone to see.

Sally thought the baskets were a meaningful project because she was able to give back to the community and felt rewarded from that experience.

If you want to learn more about creating custom centerpieces like Sally's for your next party or special occasion!

Westword Holds Holiday Drive for JFS!

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

Brighten the Holidays for Those in Need!

Each year, Jewish Family Service is astounded by the generosity of individuals and organizations who provide food and gifts for people we serve during the holiday season. Your care and thoughtfulness makes a significant impact on those who receive them. One way you can help out this holiday season is through our Bright Holidays program.

The Bright Holidays program allows donors to provide Christmas or Hanukkah gifts for individuals and families in need. This program is completely anonymous. Our care managers refer clients with specific wish lists, donors like you provide the gifts and drop them off at our office, and then our staff delivers the gifts to their clients.

To participate in this program, contact Shelly Hines at (303) 597.5000 x319.

And the Weinberg Food Pantry can always use food and monetary donations to provide complete holiday meals to low-income clients during this much celebrated season. Some items we need for holiday meals include frozen turkeys, stuffing mix, canned vegetables, cranberry sauce, instant mashed potatoes, and boxed desserts.

Please make a cash donation now or drop off food donations at JFS, 3201 S. Tamarac Dr. between the hours of 8:15 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

We appreciate every donor for making the holidays bright for so many of our clients!

Provide Hope for Those in Need!

Our community counts on us to help those among us who have fallen on hard times. This year, your support is especially important to help people going hungry, living with a disability, seeking mental health guidance, and combating loneliness but not wanting to give up independence.

See how your support changes lives...

Sarah Sankey, Weinberg Food Pantry
"A friend told me about the Weinberg Food Pantry at Jewish Family Service. She said, 'You are pinching pennies - you need help.' And there was JFS with open arms. JFS helps me make it through the month and gives me more nutritional food like fruits and vegetables. I've been raising my 10-year-old granddaughter since she was three months old. God donated me to help her. Thank God to people who donate to Jewish Family Service - they help me and others!"

Laurie Greene, JFS Group Home

"I moved into the JFS Group Home when I was 38 years old - that was 25 years ago! I've lived there longer than any of the other residents. I also do mailing work at SHALOM Denver. I've been there for 10 years now! And I volunteer in the JFS office every Friday doing shredding and I pick up the Group Home mail while I'm there. I like that I finally have my own room after the Group Home remodel a couple years ago, and that we're all like a big family. We eat together every night, do lots of fun activities, and have surprise outings. Last night we got to go out to dinner!"

Mary Preston, JFS Counseling Center

"My daughter passed away in February at the age of 46 from a medical complication after surgery. I was so distraught and didn't know where to turn for help. One night I got out the phone book and left messages at about 10 different counseling places. Jewish Family Service was one of the only ones that called me back - and the only one that didn't simply ask questions about my insurance and how I would pay for counseling. I was very impressed with JFS, but since I'm Catholic, I asked if I needed to be Jewish to get services. I was relieved when they said, 'no.' JFS truly has changed my life. I never went to therapy before and Elena Glekas, my counselor, works miracles! After weekly sessions for three to four months, I feel like a different person. One of my other daughters died in 1977 at the age of 12 and I never grieved for her. Elena helped me heal from both deaths and improve my relationships with my remaining six children. Elena is one of the greatest gifts God ever gave me!"

"Sam Fisher," JFS Senior Solutions
"I recently moved from West Palm Beach, Florida to Allied Jewish Apartments in Denver. My son and family live in Boulder. We learned about Jewish Family Service through a cousin in California and made an appointment with Mirella in the JFS Senior Solutions department. Jewish Family Service assists me in many ways. They have made me feel comfortable as I adjust to my home in Denver and help me socially, as well. It's been great having a qualified social worker to come and review my problems with me and they have recently assigned a Friendly Visitor volunteer to come keep me company one day a week. JFS is a wonderful organization that is only interested in helping people. Thank you for the help that you have given me."

These are just four of the 22,000 lives JFS touched last year. We have comforted people in the Denver area for 137 years - through economic, personal, and family crises. Please help us continue this tradition of improving lives and rebuilding hope by making a contribution today!

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!

Volunteering: It’s a Family Affair!

Meet Karen Silverman, Bill Goldberg, and their daughters, Eliana and Margalit. This family has been volunteering with JFS for many years in a number of capacities. Before they had children, Karen and Bill came to JFS with their synagogue chavurah to assemble centerpieces to benefit the Weinberg Food Pantry. Then when their oldest daughter, Eliana, was in preschool at the JCC, the school did a food drive and delivered the food to the Pantry (at that time we didn’t have staff members pick up the food). “When we dropped off the food, Eliana really wanted to stay and sort it,” says Karen. “She was too young to officially volunteer at the time, but the Pantry staff let her sort for a few minutes and she loved it! Every time we came to drop off food, Eliana and then Margalit spent a short time sorting the food.”

The family continued to work on food drives through the JCC Preschool until a few years ago when the children moved on to elementary school. The experience has made quite an impact on both Eliana and Margalit, now nine and six, respectively. “On every birthday since she was in Kindergarten, Eliana has collected food for the Pantry instead of birthday gifts,” says Karen. “Once we collect the food, we drop it off so we can sort it and put it away since the girls enjoy that piece so much.”

Karen and Bill felt that it was important to not only collect items for food drives, but to show the girls how the Pantry works. So, Karen now brings them to volunteer at the Pantry whenever they have days off from school. Last year, the day before Thanksgiving, Karen and the girls came to drop off food for JFS’s Thanksgiving food drive. “There were other kids sorting, so we asked if we could stay, too,” explains Karen. “We stayed to help and we all had a great time!” They also came to sort around Christmas time.

“For Martin Luther King Day, I wanted to find a place to volunteer,” says Karen. “All of the opportunities were for older kids. The Pantry was closed on MLK day, so we asked to bring home rice to bag. We invited over some of the girls’ friends and they did it together. They were so efficient that they bagged 100 pounds in only an hour - it was amazing to watch! I don’t think we give kids enough opportunity to show what they’re capable of accomplishing in a volunteer setting.”

“The Pantry is not a supermarket,” says Karen. “I want Eliana and Margalit to understand the process and see what goes on beyond donating food. By participating in sorting and working in the Pantry, it also gives the girls a chance to do something tangible that they can be proud of.” Karen adds, “It is amazing to see how hard my daughters work when they are sorting food. They really get into it and enjoy it. It’s all about efficiency - they set up assembly lines and develop systems to get the job done faster.”

This summer, the family packed items for our Lunch & Learning program, which provides lunches and school supplies for low-income students during the summer. Eliana was inspired by this project and took it upon herself to organize a school supply drive at the JCC! The girls created posters, signs, and flyers and hung them up around the JCC. While Eliana is away at camp, Karen and Margalit check the donation bins everyday.
In addition, the family has delivered food to JFS clients on holidays and participates in the Bright Holidays gift program with their chavurah. The chavurah “adopts” a family for whom they purchase holiday gifts.

Thank you, Karen, Bill, Eliana, and Margalit for all your hard work, dedication, and enthusiasm! We truly appreciate all that you do for JFS and the community!

For more information about volunteer opportunities at JFS, contact Nancy Benyamin at (303) 597.5000 x369.

2009 JFS Annual Meeting Re-Cap

Earlier this week, JFS hosted a cocktail reception for its Annual Meeting at the Hebrew Educational Alliance. At this meeting, JFS shared the past year's highlights with the community, installed new board members, bid farewell to outgoing members, and presented the 2009 Max Frankel Volunteer of the Year Award.

Scott Friedman served as the emcee and added his humor and lightness to the event. Rabbi Salomon Gruenwald of Hebrew Educational Alliance gave the D’var Torah to kick off the evening.

Chet Schwartz, who has provided outstanding leadership to JFS during the past two years, completed his tenure as board chair. A recipient of the Jack Shapiro Community Service Award, Chet has served for 15 years on the JFS board and 12 years on the Executive Committee.

Chet installed the new board members, Adam Agron, Debra Aleinikoff, and Cary Chapman and passed the torch to new board chair, Steve Kris. Chet also thanked outgoing members Lisa Cohn, Gail Nussbaum, Senator Joyce Foster, Chuck Gross, Howard Lerman, and Rabbi Selwyn Franklin for their years of dedicated service to JFS.

President & CEO Yana Vishnitsky thanked all board members, volunteers, and staff members in attendance for their continued support during the past year despite incredibly difficult economic times when the needs are growing and resources are shrinking. She shared highlights from the past year and mentioned that JFS served 21,500 people this year. "This is remarkable when you consider that we served 15,000 people only a few years ago," said Yana. "Not only have we met the growing needs of our community, but also the community response to this growing demand has been outstanding. The generosty of our community has no bounds!"

In addition, the audience heard about CHAI, JFS's youth volunteer program that addresses domestic abuse. CHAI coordinator, Heather Feinberg, and a CHAI peer counselor, Zach Ginsburg, spoke eloquently about their experiences with this dynamic program.

To top the evening, we honored an outstanding individual, Mike Chesnut with the Max Frankel Volunteer of the Year Award. Mike was instrumental in helping the JFS Family Safety Net program, in collaboration with Catholic Charities, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, and Metro CareRing, become the recipients of $600,000 in state funding. These four agencies have formed the Homeless Prevention Coalition of Denver (HPC), which will start providing homeless prevention services and case management to families with children on July 1, 2009.

Thanks to everyone who attended the event. We welcome your comments and feedback!

View more photos...

Youth Volunteers Needed For Summer!

Attention all parents looking to get your teenagers out of the house this summer - the Weinberg Food Pantry has openings for summer volunteers.

Teens that are at least 13 years old are invited to apply for positions in the Youth Corps at Jewish Family Service. Youth Corps participants must be able to work at least one day per week in the Pantry. Volunteers are asked to set a regular work day and schedule, to be available during the hours the Pantry is open, and to act and dress appropriately for the work environment.

This volunteer opportunity is a great way for teens to complete community service hours or a mitzvah project. The work is often challenging, but is extremely fulfilling! Participants will receive a letter of reference and certificate of completion at the end of the summer. The team environment is rewarding and the service to the community is invaluable.

Please contact Nancy Benyamin, director of volunteer resources, at (303) 597-5000, ext 369.

--Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department

JFS Helps Others Celebrate Passover

What is Passover?
Passover, which begins at sundown on Wednesday, April 8th, is often referred to as the festival of freedom. Of all the Jewish holidays, it is the most recognizable by both Jews and non-Jews. The holiday of Passover commemorates not only the release of the Jews from their Egyptian captors, but the freedom to accept God’s laws and to live by those laws.

The holiday begins with a story, read from a special book, the Haggadah, in which all Jews are instructed to see themselves as active participants in this flight from slavery to freedom. The story is told with symbolic food and actions. At the conclusion of the story a festive meal is served, followed by blessings, songs and a prayer to be able to celebrate Passover the following year, in Jerusalem.

How is JFS helping others celebrate Passover?

JFS helps others celebrate Passover in two ways:

The Passover Food Project

The Synagogue Council of Greater Denver and the Weinberg Food Pantry at JFS are collaborating again this year to provide families in need in our community with the foods needed for a complete Passover Seder. This includes a kosher chicken as well as other necessary (and Kosher for Passover) items such as matzo, matzo meal, gefilte fish, candles, eggs, and fresh produce.

This program is designed to help those families who would normally prepare a Seder for themselves, but at the present time do not have the resources to do so. In light of the current economic circumstances, this number is higher than it has been in recent years.

Volunteers helped pack the Passover food boxes last night. This weekend, those who are able to pick up the boxes will do so at JFS and volunteers will deliver other boxes to homebound families. Thank you to the Allied Jewish Federation for its support of this project.

Passover Seders for the Socially Isolated

The Nursing Home Outreach Program at JFS is hosting more than 20 Passover services for socially isolated Jewish community members during of the month of April throughout metro Denver and Boulder. Services, which help isolated community members reconnect with their spiritual roots, are planned for Jewish residents of non-Jewish long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities, a mental health center, and several correctional institutions.

And for your Passover enjoyment, check out this funny Facebook Haggadah!

--Kari Alpen and Alaina Green, JFS Marketing Department