Moving on Up...To the Eastside (Tennessee, that is)!

Celia Gruzalski, Cathy Grimm, and Alison Joucovsky

This week we were sad to say goodbye to one of our dear friends and colleagues who is moving back home to Tennessee (she is traveling there as we speak). Celia Gruzalski worked for JFS as the Colorado Senior Connections (CSC) volunteer and activities coordinator at Berkshires at Lowry for nearly six years. Through CSC, seniors continue to grow and learn, remain independent, and enhance their quality of life by making new friends and creating a sense of community.

On Tuesday, CSC hosted a goodbye party where the senior residents got to say their goodbyes to Celia while enjoying ice cream sundaes. While everyone is sad to see Celia go, the timing of her move worked out well because JFS is no longer running CSC at Berkshires at Lowry. The program was always meant to be resident-driven. Since creating the program in 2004, we have helped them form a strong resident council that will continue to run the program successfully without our help.

Cathy Grimm, JFS Senior Solutions director, told the residents at the party, "You are our success story! You are not alone; I will continue to come to your resident council meetings and you can always call us with questions or concerns." Cathy also introduced all the residents to the JFS care managers and other Senior Solutions staff that are available to provide in-home support and counseling services. And due to the success of the program at Berkshires, we recently set up a similar program, run by Alison Joucovsky, program coordinator, using the same model to provide services to seniors in the city of Edgewater.

Watch a video clip of Celia's tearful goodbye!

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.

Attitude of Gratitude!

Have you been meaning to make a donation to JFS, but don't have a "traditional" reason such as a birthday, anniversary, or Bar/Bat Mitzvah to commemorate through a tribute gift?

Jari Thymian, JFS database manager recently added a new way for donors to creatively give to JFS. Now you can make tribute gifts to express your gratitude for anything you want such as the beautiful weather, an upcoming trip you're taking, you finished a project or met a deadline at work. Be creative and celebrate anything in your life you are grateful for!

The Hebrew term for gratitude is hikarat hatov, which means "recognizing the good." Share your gratitude and recognize the good things in your life today with a tribute gift to JFS by contacting Jari Thymian at (303) 597.5000 x386.

Also, when you make a donation - of any amount - you will receive a personal phone call from Jari.  "It is so fun and energizing for me to call our donors!" says Jari enthusiastically. "I really get a rush out of finding out why people give and hearing how grateful they are to JFS for help we provided to them or a loved one."
 
She adds, "I actually get to see how infinite gratitute and goodness are when I make the calls. People are so happy to know that we received their money and we're using it for the program for which they intended." As an avid biker and poet, Jari shares an apt analogy: "Gratitude is like catching a tailwind on a bicycle!"

Now how is that for customer service?!?!
 

Meet Our Reel Hope-Take 15 Honorees!

While it's hard to think about a winter event during these hot summer days, we are busy planning Reel Hope-Take 15, our annual movie-themed fundraiser. We are pleased to announce this year's honorees:

Dean Prina, M.D., Jack Shapiro Community Service Award Recipient
The term "community service" is synonymous with this well-known Denver pediatrician's name. Dean Prina, M.D. joined the JFS board in July 2005 and wasted no time becoming an active member. He has served as chair of the Development Committee and co-chair of the JFS Executive Luncheon, and is also a member of the Board Development/Nominating Committee. This year he is an at-large member of the Executive Committee as well. Not only is Dean a passionate advocate for JFS, but he serves on numerous nonprofit boards and can be spotted at charity events around town many nights of the week!

Charlie Gwirtsman, Kal Zeff Business Leader of the Year
Charlie Gwirtsman, co-founder and managing director of KRG Capital Partners, is a long-time JFS supporter and member of the JFS Advisory Board. He is actively involved in many charitable, community, and political causes in the Jewish and secular communities. With the downturn in the economy, Charlie recognizes that the need for the services JFS provides is up while resources are down, and he feels strongly about supporting the agency financially and through volunteerism.

The tentative date for Reel Hope is Thursday, December 9th. More information will follow soon. If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities, please contact Lynn Cooper, development associate, at (303) 597.5000 x365.

2010 Annual Meeting Honored Volunteers and Board Members

Gail Pennington presents the Max Frankel Volunteer of the Year Award to Mark Krivel

Earlier this week, JFS hosted a luncheon for its Annual Meeting at the Hebrew Educational Alliance (HEA). At this meeting, we shared the past year's highlights with the community, installed new board members, bid farewell to outgoing members, and presented the 2010 Max Frankel Volunteer of the Year Award.

Incoming Board Chair Alan Mayer served as the emcee and added his humor and charm to the event. Rabbi Salomon Gruenwald of HEA, who is also a JFS board member, gave the D’var Torah to kick off the event. Mark Krivel, the recipient of the 2010 Max Frankel Volunteer of the Year Award, is an active board member of HEA, so it was quite fitting that the event was held at his synagogue. We appreciate all of HEA's support to host and publicize the event and Mark's award!

Board Chair Steve Kris installed the new board members, Leslie Ginsburg, Rocky Miller, and Lary Weintraub. Steve also thanked outgoing members Dan Seff and Lisa Taussig for their 15 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 said, "Fears and uncertainty about the agency kept me up at night, but being an optimist, I believed that we, despite all difficulties, will find a way to help our clients reclaim their happiness and independence, and restore their hope. And I was right."

However, she reminded people that the crisis is not over. "There are still many challenges ahead of us. The government grants are either shrinking or disappearing. There is compassion fatigue. People are still faced with the tough decision to either put food on the table, pay rent, or buy medications they desperately need. Today, more than ever before, our community needs JFS’s services; our clients need us."

In addition, community member and Herzl parent, Tracey Douglas, along with her daughter, Kezia, told the audience a bit about the fulfilling experience the 4th grade class had volunteering with, and learning about, JFS this past school year.

To end the meeting, we honored an outstanding individual, Mark Krivel, with the Max Frankel Volunteer of the Year Award. Mark is an incredibly dedicated volunteer who has given his time and skills to JFS two to three days per week since 2006. He has contributed more than 1,350 hours to the agency by volunteering in accounting, administration, the Weinberg Food Pantry, marketing, and development. Gail Pennington, director of finance and accounting, eloquently introduced Mark, sharing wonderful examples of Mark's dedication (like driving through snowstorms to volunteer!) and how much the accounting department values his help.

Thank you to Lisa Taussig and Sheryl Goodman for providing leadership for the event and assisting with logistics and decorations! The fresh flowers from Lisa's garden were beautiful and added to the ambience of the event. Thank you to Howard Lutz for taking wonderful photos!

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

View more photos...
 

A Match Made at JFS!

Last weekend, JFS staff members helped orchestrate a marriage proposal for one of our volunteers! The romantic tale began on a Sunday morning in November 2007 when Mark Schwartz came to JFS to sort food at the JFS Weinberg Food Pantry through the Jewish Hikes and Fun Stuff Meetup Group. While he had participated in activities with this group before, he had never met Tracy Levy until this day. They became friends and ran into each other a few times at various events over the next couple years. Then, Mark and Tracy both attended a hiking group potluck this past October and began dating.

During their whirlwind romance, Mark also started volunteering with JFS on a regular basis as a Friendly Visitor to a man living with AIDS. "Mark was so dedicated to this client right up until the man passed away in November," says Nancy Benyamin, JFS director of volunteer resources. "The two became very close and Mark even wrote a very touching eulogy for the client."

"It was such a rewarding experience and I look forward to volunteering more in the future with JFS," says Mark. Tracy also plans to be a Friendly Visitor volunteer in the near future.

"Because I am sentimental, I decided to propose to Tracy at the location where we met - in the JFS lobby!" says Mark. "I called Nancy Benyamin last Thursday and asked her to help me set up the proposal." So Nancy sent an email to Mark and Tracy with an urgent plea for volunteers to come sort a large (and fictitious) shipment of food on Sunday morning. Mark promised to get Tracy there at 9 a.m. on Sunday and we would help with the rest of the plan. He also had a beautiful bouquet of roses sent to our office on Friday to present to Tracy after the proposal.

Jari Thymian, our database manager, jumped at the chance to help with the proposal on Sunday morning. She unlocked the door for Mark and Tracy when they arrived and then acted very perplexed when no one else showed up to volunteer. She told them she was going to her desk to see if any of the other volunteers left messages for her. Her exit was Mark's cue to do his thing! He got down on one knee, Tracy happily accepted his proposal, and Jari emerged from around the corner with the bouquet of flowers.

"It was so fun to play a role in their engagement!" says Jari. "I was honored to help and it was fun to 'ham it up!'" Mark adds, "Jari was awesome! Thanks to her and Nancy, the surprise went off without a hitch."

Congratulations to Mark and Tracy! Hmmmm....maybe a JFS wedding is in their future? The upstairs atrium is pretty big! :)

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!