e-directions newsletter    November 2016
In This Issue
Red Dividere
Join Us:
Upcoming events

Shalom Baby Yoga Class
Bring your little one age 0-2 and join Shalom Baby with yoga instructor Allie Hage for morning yoga with a Shabbat twist!
Friday, Dec. 9
10-10:45 a.m. 
Sabes JCC
Tumbling Room
4330 Cedar Lake Rd, 
St. Louis Park

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Volunteer
Hag Sameach: Volunteer and make someone's holiday a happy one!
 
JFCS' Hag Sameach (happy holidays) program is busy preparing lots of gifts and ritual items to provide to individuals and families with need during the winter holidays.

There are still a variety of volunteer opportunities that we would love for you to consider being a part of, including gift bagging, wrapping and delivery. Morning, afternoon and evening shifts are available for your convenience.


Or contact Mindy Teele,
Outreach Coordinator, PJ Library & Hag Sameach, at mteele@jfcsmpls.org or
952-542-4870.
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With Gratitude

JFCS Volunteers help make it a happy Thanksgiving for our ACT families!
 
On Nov. 15 six JFCS volunteers and their families provided an early Thanksgiving present to about 15 families in St. Louis Park.
 
These families, all participants in our ACT program in partnership with St. Louis Park Schools, received hefty grocery bags full of shelf-stable holiday foods provided and packed with love by volunteers at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in St. Louis Park. Together we were able to collaborate and support our families and provide them with the means to celebrate Thanksgiving in a way they may not otherwise have been able to do.
 
The JFCS ACT program provides support and case management in the areas of parenting and family issues, school concerns, basic needs, health care, housing and access to community resources.
 
Thank you to all of our volunteers who stepped up to bring a happy Thanksgiving to many who really need it most.
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BOND volunteers Judy Sherman, Nancy Garber and Karen Rubin  are among the  more than 50 BOND women who are helping  in counting, sorting, packaging and delivering Chanukah
packages to benefit the clients of JFCS in Minneapolis and JFS in St. Paul.

Our sponsors
At JFCS, we are grateful for the ongoing support we receive from all of our sponsors.  Visit www.jfcsmpls.org for a complete list of our sponsors.   
ACT                         
Founding Sponsor: St. Louis Park School District #283
Sponsor:  St. Louis Park Family Services Collaborative

Dementia Care Training
Sponsor: The Beverly Foundation, The Fingerhut Family Foundation

Hag Sameach
Lead SponsorClara Ruth Kaner Children's Fund, a designated fund of the Minneapolis Jewish
Federation's Jewish Community Foundation

Transportation
Founding sponsors: Deikel Family Foundation, The Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging
Lead sponsor: Harold Roitenberg
Sponsor: Kelen Family Foundation

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Judy Halper,
JFCS CEO

This past weekend I saw a sign that read, "There are 1,440 minutes in a day. Make sure you say 'thank you' at least once during that time." 

Thank you or gratitude is never in short supply at Jewish Family and Children's Service of Minneapolis. In fact, I recall several years ago, a volunteer telling me that nobody thanks their volunteers as graciously as JFCS! We are thankful for our volunteers and donors, without whom we would never be able to accomplish all that we do!


 

The 28th Annual Laugh on Their Behalf Benefit:
Thanks for making it a huge success! 

Cathy Wurzer and 
Judy Halper
Congratulations to our JFCS Friends of the Family award recipients Mike, Sarah, Eli and Ben Badower. And thanks to our sponsors, volunteers, donors, guests and emcee Cathy Wurzer for making the 28th Annual Laugh on Their Behalf Benefit a success!

With your support, the evening raised  over $525,000 total, with fund-a-need dollars su pporting JFCS Mental Health Services. 

Comedian Gary Gulman

And last, but certainly not  least, thanks to our gracious comedian Gary Gulman, who provided much for us to laugh about and relate to! 
Watch the video HERE and see how your support helps HERE.
JFCS Ed2Go: 
Something for every life-long learner

JFCS offers a wide array of online learning opportunities though Ed2Go. Whether you want to master digital photography, understand your teenager, whip up quick low-fat meals, or learn about natural health, healing and much more, we have a class for you. And it's all from the comfort of your own home!
  
 
GIVE2016: On #GivingTuesday please give to JFCS

On Nov. 29, celebrate generosity!

After two days of  
getting deals (Black Friday and Cyber Monday) #GivingTuesday is a day for
giving back.

Tuesday, Nov. 29, will be the fifth year of #GivingTuesday, a global giving movement that has been driven by individuals, families, organizations, businesses and communities in all 50 states and in countries around the world. Since its founding, millions of people have come together to support and champion the causes they believe in and the communities in which they live. 

When you make your gifts on #givingtuesday, 
please include JFCS in your generosity

Click HERE to make your Give2016 gift or send in your gift by mail. 

On behalf of all those who benefit from your generosity, thank you for your support!

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MHEP:
Bringing mental health awareness to the community
Ken Barlow
On Oct. 23 more than 500 individuals attended our 16th annual Conference on Mental Health. This year's conference, Forecast: Resilience, Weathering Life's Storms, which brought together professionals, mental health organizations and community members, was organized and planned by a stellar team of dedicated volunteers. These volunteers researched keynote speakers, secured breakout session facilitators, organized our resource fair, blanketed the community with advertising brochures and gathered in-kind donations to make this day a success.



Lend a tech-hand! 
We need your fix-it and tech-savvy skills for our older adult clients who have "quick fixes" in their homes or need a little tech support on their devices. Flexible hours can be built around your schedule. 


To lend a hand contact Deb Savitt, Community Involvement Manager, at dsavitt@jfcsmpls.org or 952-542-4859.

High Tea for Transportation Volunteers
What do you do for an amazing group of volunteers who show up every week to support our clients? 


Treat them to "high tea" to celebrate all they do!
If you would like to join the party and become a Deikel Transportation Volunteer contact Deb Savitt, Community Involvement Manager, at dsavitt@jfcsmpls.org or 
952-542-4859. 

DID YOU KNOW: 
November is National Family Caregivers Month 

November is National Family Caregivers Month and this year's  theme is " Take Care to Give Care."  
 
The first rule of taking care of others is to take care of yourself first . Caregiving can be a rewarding experience, but it is also physically and emotionally demanding. The stress of dealing with caregiving responsibilities can lead  to a higher risk of health issues for the caregiver.

JFCS Senior Services are here to help. We offer dementia coaching to help caregivers navigate support available to them, and our Deikel Family AlterCare Adult Day program provides respite for caregivers when loved ones have a warm, stimulating and loving place to go during the day. 

Above all, JFCS is dedicated to providing highly personalized care with boundless compassion! 

For more information visit our website at www.jfcsmpls.org or call 952-546-0616.
Jewish Family and Children's Service of Minneapolis
13100 Wayzata Blvd. Suite 400    Minnetonka, MN 55305

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 Our Mission
Jewish Family and Children's Service of Minneapolis provides essential services
to people of all ages and backgrounds to sustain healthy relationships, ease suffering
and offer support in times of need.

www.jfcsmpls.org | 952-546-0616