We’ve found our way together! After a very trying year, one thing is clear: Together is better. Jewish Family Services of Greater Hartford wants you to know exactly how you have helped our community. With this in mind, we want to welcome you to the first edition of COMPASSION IN ACTION: Your Community Impact Report.
In this newsletter, you'll find the following:
- Note from leadership
- Spotlight on youth mental health
- Back-to-School Event
- 9th Annual Hunger Event
- 2021 Thanksgiving Bag Drive
- Donor Spotlight: Michael and Naomi Cohen
- Leaving your legacy at JFS
- Clinician Spotlight: Kim Whittingham
- Volunteer opportunities
- Become an Embracer
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Dear Friend
Autumn is in full swing, and we are excited to share the first edition of our new seasonal newsletter with you!
In this newsletter, and in future editions, you will find updates on the work JFS is doing for the community as well as highlights of volunteers, donors, staff, and community members who make a real difference every day.
As someone who cares about our Greater Hartford community, you know how important our work is to ensure that children and families have access to support to help them throughout the year. It is even more important now, during this mental health crisis impacting so many in our community. Children and families deserve quality, accessible support and mental health care - and JFS is here for them.
Thank you for being part of our JFS community. We cannot do our work without you.
With gratitude,
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Katie Hanley
Chief Executive Officer
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Lisa Berman
Board President
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The social and economic disruption caused by this ongoing pandemic have created a dramatic increase in the need for mental health services in our community, particularly for youth. Here are some ways JFS fills a critical role in direct response to these needs:
- This school year we launched a new partnership with the New England Jewish Academy (NEJA). A JFS social worker will be on-site at NEJA twenty hours per week, working with students and faculty to ensure emotional stability for all
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JFS provides comprehensive and individualized therapeutic support for children, adolescents, and their families. Our Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy makes JFS a safe place for children to process and manage their emotions. To learn more about our counseling services, visit https://jfshartford.org/mental-health-counseling/
- JFS offers many non-clinical programs that interface directly or indirectly with youth that have experienced trauma or struggle to manage their mental and emotional health
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Our community came together to pack 80 backpacks for children and youth in the JFS community in time for the start of the academic year. A backpack full of necessary, age-appropriate supplies helps children succeed. Thank you to Mandell JCC, JCSO Greater Hartford, PJ Library of Greater Hartford, Staples, S&S Worldwide, and so many community members who stepped up to help us reach our ambitious goal and provide a backpack to every child who needed one.
Check out the video below highlighting this great program.
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On Tuesday, November 16, we were honored to spend the evening celebrating our Hunger Heroes, learning from Dr. Katie Martin, and raising funds to help feed our hungry community. For those who weren't able to join us, or for anyone who might want to watch it again, a captioned recording of the event will be available soon.
Click the image below to learn more about a few of our 2021 Hunger Heroes we highlighted during the event.
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Our annual Thanksgiving bag program will be matched thanks to a generous gift from the Rosenberg Family! Your $18 donation gives a Thanksgiving bag to a family in need and will be matched with an additional $18 gift to support the basic needs, mental health, and other services available to Anja Rosenberg Kosher Food Pantry clients.
The Crown Market at 2471 Albany Avenue in West Hartford.
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This spotlight was developed and shared by the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford as part of their Legacy Leaders Series.
Michael and Naomi Cohen have lived, worked, and raised their three sons in Greater Hartford. “Everything that has brought us joy has come from this community,” Michael says, “We feel a responsibility and are privileged to give back to the community that has given our family so much.” Naomi adds that the next logical step “was to give beyond our lifetime to honor our heritage and sustain the vibrant Jewish community organizations. Our parents could have never imagined what the needs of today would be, Michael and I cannot imagine what unmet needs there will be years from now.”
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BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN THE FUTURE OF GREATER HARTFORD
Endow Hartford 21 is a new matching gift endowment program, initiated by the Zachs Family Foundation and supported by other lead donors who believe in the nonprofit community across Greater Hartford. A gift between $250 and $10,000 to a participating organization will be matched 1:2 by Endow Hartford 21. For example, a gift of $1,000 will yield a $500 match.
HELP US ACTIVATE A BONUS GIFT - If we raise $10,000 for our Endow Hartford 21 campaign by November 30, we will receive a $1,000 bonus gift!
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JFS is partnering with 14 local Jewish community organizations and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation in the Life & Legacy program to ensure our vibrant, joyous Jewish community thrives for generations to come. Leaving a legacy is simple. Some options include a gift in a will or trust; gift of life insurance or retirement funds; Charitable Gift Annuity or Charitable Remainder Trust. Watch the video below to learn more.
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Kim is a licensed therapist at JFS who coordinates the Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy child trauma team. She began her therapist journey in 2005 and started at JFS in 2015. Kim describes JFS as a unique place because of its private practice feel that creates an intimate and safe space for clients to do valuable work. “While this job brings extraordinary responsibility, there is no greater reward than when a child or caregiver reports overcoming an obstacle using therapeutic strategies. It’s magical!”, Kim says. The pandemic created extra challenges for parents, and Kim is passionate about teaching caregivers how to enhance their parenting toolbox to navigate these obstacles. Kim welcomes your call.
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Would YOU like to make an impact? The Anja Rosenberg Kosher Food Pantry needs YOUR help! Please consider volunteering.
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Your donation is a lifeline for someone in need
The financial and emotional strain on a family can be overwhelming when faced with ongoing challenges. Our Embrace-A-Child and Embrace-A-Family initiative is a way for our donors to play a vital role in helping children and families manage ongoing stressors and embrace possibility. Become a JFS Embracer today!
Donation levels:
- Embrace-a-Child: $500
- Embrace-a-Family: $1,800
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We want to hear from you! This is about what you, our donors, help us do each and every day. We welcome your feedback and look forward to being a voice for the important issues our community is facing. Please send any questions to Laura Smith at lsmith@jfshartford.org.
While we hope you’ll want to stay informed about the changes you are helping make in our community, you can opt out of receiving this newsletter at any time by simply replying to this email and letting us know.
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Questions?
If you have questions about your gift to JFS, please be in touch with Patti Weiner, Development Officer, at (860) 236-1927.
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