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Greetings!
It's often said the older one gets, the faster time seems to fly. While that certainly seems true, does anyone think this Minnesota winter has flown by fast??!! Whew! It has been a long, cold winter but with each passing day, longer hours of sunshine, and melting snow, it's beginning to feel a bit like spring is in the air! The quick passing of time seems to contradict the long hours of isolation and loneliness experienced by our aging community. On a daily basis, JFCS responds to the needs of seniors living longer and healthier lives as they age in place. That said, bad weather and difficult commutes can mean older adults are forced to spend more time inside and away from social interaction. That's where JFCS L'Chaim Senior Services can help! Thanks to our wonderful drivers who take seniors to their activities, shoppers who help them with groceries and other necessities, telephone reassurance staff and volunteers who check in with them by phone, and caregiver support such as Deikel Family AlterCare, Adult Day Program, JFCS staff and volunteers make a positive difference in the lives of hundreds of older adults....rain, snow or shine! If you are looking for assistance for a loved one, or would like to be of help to an older adult, please contact us! And remember, time is flying by so don't wait too long to get help or lend a hand!
Judy Halper
Chief Executive Officer
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Adopt A Family for Passover
Adopt A Family for Passover is a wonderful
mitzvah opportunity. Individuals and families in need receive a gift bag of ritual Passover foods and other items to help celebrate the rich traditions of the holiday. Often this is a family's only opportunity to obtain these items. Last year JFCS served more than 200 families.
You can Adopt A Family for a $36 donation. To make your donation, click here. Volunteers Needed for Delivery.
On Sunday, April 6, volunteer help is needed to deliver these bags. Pick up bags at JFCS Minnetonka offices between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Deliveries must be completed by 3 p.m. To volunteer contact Dana Shapiro at [email protected] or 952-542-4871. |
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Cyber-Seniors - The Documentary
1:45 p.m. Saturday, April 5
3:30 p.m. Sunday, April 6
St. Anthony Main Theatre, 115 SE Main St, Minneapolis
 Come see what happens when initially-reluctant seniors discover the wonders of the world-wide web with the help of teenage mentors. The camaraderie will inspire you. The connections will make you laugh and you won't be able to stop watching the Cyber Seniors YouTube Channel. Click here to view the trailer. Post-screening question and answer sessions with filmmaker Saffron Cassaday will follow showings. JFCS is a proud sponsor of these showings through the Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul. |
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Robin Landy, 2014 JFCS Spirit Award winner, to be honored at JFCS 104th Annual Meeting
7 p.m. Thursday, June 12
Beth El Synagogue, 5224 W 26th St, St. Louis Park
Mazel tov to volunteer extraordinaire Robin Sharpe Landy. Robin has been a JFCS volunteer since 1990. She began working with JFCS as a host with the Resettlement program. Robin has been a BIG in the Jewish Big Brother/Big Sister Program and worked on five different Annual Benefits along with many client events. Additionally, Robin served eight years on the JFCS Board, including her most recent stint, Board President. Please save the date for this special event recognizing the accomplishments of long-term staff, volunteers and Board members.
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NextGen
Volunteer: Bingo at Sholom Home
6:30-8 p.m. Thursday, April 3 and/or April 17
Sholom Home West, 3620 Phillips Parkway, St. Louis Park
Start honing your Bingo skills now! Volunteer for an evening of Bingo at Sholom Home with the residents on either Thursday, April 3 or 17, from 6:30-8 p.m.
After, we'll socialize and snack at Pizza Luce.
Click here to RSVP on Facebook.
To learn more about NextGen, contact Todd Sandler at [email protected] or 952-542-4854.
Special Congratulations to JFCS NextGen!
NextGen just won a national Kavod Award for Meaningful Engagement of Young Adults, presented by the Association of Jewish Family and Children's Agencies. How engaging!
NextGen encourages philanthropy and community involvement among adults ages 21 to 36 through hands-on giving opportunities, professional experiences and a vibrant social network. Click here to learn more about NextGen.
  NextGen's Lead Sponsor | Deborah and Gary Kohler
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The Platinum Program
 Job hunting after age 50 has unique, but surmountable challenges! Recently, several JFCS clients landed sustainable employment with competitive wages and benefits in these positions:
Online Writer, BrandPoint
Client Care Coordinator, Home Instead
Medical Receptionist, Park Nicollet
Customer Service Rep, Stryker
Executive Assistant for ClearWay
Training Specialist for Delta Airlines
Through The Platinum Program, JFCS Career Staff help jobseekers over 50 focus on gaining the skills needed to increase employability, develop effective job search strategies, connect to appropriate resources, and network.
The program is free for Hennepin County residents ages 50 and older. If you qualify, call 952-417-2111 for more information.
Funds are also available for people who have been laid off or have received notice of permanent layoff or termination. To learn more about our Dislocated Worker Program, click here or contact Leah Temkin at [email protected].
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Jewish Big Brother/Big Sister Passover Celebration
Bigs and Littles celebrated the holiday with a Walk Through the Desert to learn about Passover and the ten plagues, led by Niza Schear!
The Bigs and Littles put on a play, had a snack and were entertained by guitarist Sam Blustin!
Click here to see the fun. Sponsor | The Rachel Liba Cardozo Children's Foundation in memory of Rachel Liba Cardozo |
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Beyond Fine - Five Clues to Connecting with Your Teenager
Life Lessons from the JFCS Psychotherapists
Emma Nadler, MA, LPCC and Andrew Franks-Kelly, MSW, LICSW
1. Read cues and moods
As parents, we love our children so fiercely that we often want to dive in right away to initiate connection. At the end of the day, instead of peppering your daughter with questions about school, try holding back a little until she has had some time to decompress. You may have a better chance of a real exchange. To read four more clues to connecting with your teenager, click here.
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Q & A with our Board
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Howard Zack
JFCS Board President
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Q. What is your association with JFCS?
A. JFCS puts our Jewish values into operation to help people across a broad spectrum of need. I'm convinced JFCS is a core and indispensable agency in our community.
Q. What JFCS program is especially meaningful to you?
A. Programs for aging members of our community. Over the past several years, both my parents entered the final stages of their lives. Going through this period with them, I experienced first-hand the difficulty of helping them transition out of their home, become dependent on assistance for mundane daily activities, experience isolation and loneliness, deal with legal, medical and financial challenges and more.
Q. What book are you currently reading?
A. Like Dreamers by Yossi Klein Halevi, which is the story of how a small group of Israeli paratroopers during the 1973 war, shaped today's Israeli culture and society. To read the full interview click here.
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Without Work, but not Without Hope
Rob Lowe, JFCS Employment Specialist, Vocational Rehabilitation, shares a story of challenge and success.
Meet my client. We'll call him John. He has a diagnosis - Anti-Social Personality Disorder, which typically means violence, manipulation, and criminal tendencies. When he came to JFCS he'd been unemployed since 2008 and homeless. His last permanent residence - the state penitentiary in Illinois. John wound up there after three violent felonies, including assault with a deadly weapon.
John came to our first meeting carrying everything he owned in a backpack.
Click here to read the full story of John's partnership with JFCS, which led to full-time work and a successful future. |
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JFCS Awarded Two Grants from ACT on Alzheimer's
JFCS leads the community in Alzheimer's work with two Task Forces. The first, The Twin Cities Jewish Community Alzheimer's Disease Task Force, has already hosted a training for Rabbi's on the warning signs of Alzheimer's disease, how to talk to a person with the disease, when to intervene and how to make appropriate referrals. To view handouts or watch the training video, click here. Currently, the task force is working to develop a curriculum for teens on how to talk with their grandparents and planning a caregiver conference for Spring 2015. JFCS works in conjunction with Jewish Family Service of St. Paul.
The second grant is working with the St. Louis Park Dementia Capable Communities Task Force to launch an awareness campaign to help the community understand the warning signs of Alzheimer's and what community resources are available. Additionally, the task force will offer training for long-term care facilities to improve residents' quality of life.
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From Dana's Desk
As the winter in Minnesota this year continues to drag on, I often think about my mental health and my ability to keep it all together, go about my day and continu e to have a positive attitude. I can do that because I have access to support and have a wonderful network of family and friends. But in very recent days and weeks, I have heard too many stories of job loss, depression and hopelessness.
Click here to read the rest of Dana's column. |
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Alone at last?
 Dear AskBarbara, My son is 9 years old. Last week I needed to go grocery shopping. He really didn't want to come with me and asked if he could stay home by himself. I told him that he needed to come with me this time, but that I would think about it. To be perfectly honest, I was completely unprepared for the question, but it made me wonder, "When is a child old enough to stay home alone?" Thanks, Curious Parent Dear Curious, You have asked a wonderful question. I'm so glad you didn't spontaneously let your child stay home by himself. This is a decision that requires planning, preparation and conversation. Keep in mind that not wanting to go on errands with you does not mean that he is ready to stay home alone. Click here to read the rest of AskBarbara's answer.
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Healthy Habits from Jacob
Jacob Knopf, HY-HC Program Specialist
 Healthy Youth-Healthy Communities (HY-HC) specialist, Jacob Knopf, provides a safe, confidential forum for kids and their parents to ask questions about the challenges in their lives. You can email Jacob privately at [email protected] or visit the HY-HC Facebook page.
To read Jacob's previous column, 5 Things A Teenager Won't Tell You, click here
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Jewish Family and Children's Service of Minneapolis
13100 Wayzata Blvd. Suite 400
Minnetonka, MN 55305
 
www.jfcsmpls.org | 952-546-0616
Mission Statement
Inspired by the wisdom and values of our tradition,
Jewish Family and Children's Service of Minneapolis
supports people of all backgrounds to reach their full potential.
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