JFS Perspectives

JFS Colorado Senior Connections in Edgewater kicked off summer with a Trash to Treasures event last week. In conjunction with the City of Edgewater and St Anthony’s Health Passport program, we hosted this event modeled after the popular TV show, “Antique Road Show.” More than 50 seniors gathered in Jefferson High School’s gymnasium, each carrying an antique that they hoped was the rare and precious heirloom worth thousands of dollars. Items ranged in diversity from family Civil War documents to stuffed animals and furniture. One person brought a tobacco cabinet purchased at a garage sale for 25 cents that ended up being worth more than $125!

The honored guest and volunteer of the evening was Jack Wartell, owner of the Antique Trader, an Antique store on South Broadway in Denver. Jack has been working with and appraising antiques for almost 40 years and his wealth of historical information and keen sense of humor kept the seniors entranced as they waited upwards of three hours for their appraisal.

Jack stated, “JFS helped take care of my dad when he died at age 92. It is a great organization and I was happy to support its work.”

All in all, the highest-appraised item of the evening was a ticket from a boxing match, Dempsy vs Gibbons. It was given to the participant by a friend and was in mint condition. The evening was a great success. Neighbors gathered for a fun and social event, people offered to volunteer and participate in other aspects of our program, and everyone walked away a little bit richer.

-Alison Joucovsky, Colorado Senior Connections Program Coordinator

Spring is here, which means graduation season is upon us and our JFS Senior Solutions interns are wrapping up their work this week. Before they left, we asked them a few questions about their internship experience and what they're doing next.

Lindee Burns

Q: What were your responsibilities at JFS during your internship?
A: I worked about 30 hours/week and saw a small caseload of about 10 to 12 isolated senior clients either weekly or every other week. I did assessments, provided companionship to the seniors, and helped them with errands. I also helped one day/week at Colorado Senior Connections in Edgewater and often helped with their special events. In addition, I attended community meetings, seminars, and local events to learn about senior issues.

Q: What did you learn during your internship or what was your favorite part of the experience?
A: My passion is working with seniors, so I really enjoyed this opportunity! I loved working with the people at JFS. JFS values its employees; everyone is so dedicated and committed, and they believe in the mission of the agency. I received a lot of support from the Senior Solutions staff, which is really important and especially helpful in social work and case management. I also learned a lot about community work from Alison Joucovsky, Colorado Senior Connections coordinator, about what it takes to enter a community without alienating them, find out what programming the population wants/needs, and create programs to fit their needs.

Another important lesson I learned is that sometimes just being present with someone (an elderly client) is helping – you don’t need to always do something. For example, I saw a 102-year-old woman with dementia and sometimes just being there with her was all she needed.

Q: What are you doing next?
A: I am graduating from Colorado State University with a master's in social work on Friday, May 13th and looking for a job working with seniors. I am having a baby at the end of August, so I may wait until after baby is born to start a job.

Jason Polk

Q: What were your responsibilities at JFS during your internship?
A: I worked 16 hours/week at JFS and provided companionship and emotional support for seven senior clients. I usually visited them weekly and got to know them well. They opened up a lot to me – some talked about their problems and some just told jokes.

Q: What did you learn during your internship or what was your favorite part of the experience?
A: JFS was a good place to intern – the staff was supportive and interested teaching the interns. I learned a lot about the Jewish culture, which I enjoyed. This was my first experience working with an older population and I became more aware of the personal struggles that seniors face.

Q: What are you doing next?
A: I am working on my master's degree in social work at Newman University in Colorado Springs and graduating next year. I have an internship next semester through Denver Health at Lake Middle School in their school-based counseling department.

Renate Fettig

Q: What were your responsibilities at JFS during your internship?
A: I worked 16 hours/week with a caseload of eight senior clients that I visited in their homes, took on errands, and was there for them when they wanted to talk.

Q: What did you learn during your internship or what was your favorite part of the experience?
A: My favorite part of the internship was working with the JFS staff. I learned so much including how to be a team player, how to discern what the clients really meant when they said they wanted certain things, and about the Jewish religion from my clients and the staff. I also had to learn to like getting up early to beat rush hour since I live in Boulder! I am really going to miss working at JFS!

Q: What are you doing next?
A: I am finishing my bachelor's degree in social work from Metro State University this Sunday and starting a one-year master’s program next fall at Metro. I have an internship next fall at Halcyon Hospice.

Congratulations to Lindee, Jason, and Renate for completing your internships and doing such a great job at JFS! We appreciate all your hard work and wish you the best of luck in your careers!

-Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department

Congratulations to Alison Joucovsky, JFS Colorado Senior Connections Coordinator, for winning a Sawaya Values Award from the Sawaya Law Firm! The "Sawaya Values Awards" recognize Coloradans who are committed to helping themselves and members of their community reach their full potential. Alison received this recognition because "she is truly dedicated to help increasing the health and welfare of her community in Edgewater, Colorado."

Alison was nominated by Officer Sean Kennedy of the Edgewater Police Department, who said,  "Senior Citizens are often left on the backburner of society and Alison is dedicated to making sure that does not happen. She is a tremendous help in spreading the importance of citizens getting to know one another and banding together. She has a special talent of bringing people together for the purpose of helping one another."

The Sawaya Law Firm is making a $250 donation to JFS Colorado Senior Connections in Alison's name! Congratulations, Alison and thank you to Sawaya Law Firm!

-Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department

Alison Joucovsky and Claire Gordon staffing the CSC table at the Resource Fair

Last week, JFS Colorado Senior Connections held a resource fair for seniors in Edgewater called "Living Well in Edgewater." JFS Colorado Senior Connections (CSC) brings seniors together through fitness, education, and social events. At the resource fair and community event, participants learned about CSC and how they could get involved with the program. 

The free event featured healthy food, reflexology and foot care, chair massages, benefit consultations by St. Anthony Hospital, identity theft information from Edgewater police, and a Tai Chi demonstration. The event was hosted by Jewish Family Service Colorado Senior Connections in Edgewater, City of Edgewater Parks and Recreation Department, St Anthony Hospital, and the Edgewater Police Department.

The event was a great kickoff to the many upcoming classes and programs for seniors planned this fall through CSC. If you would like more information about these programs or ways to get involved, please contact Alison Joucovsky, CSC coordinator at (303) 597.5000 x376.

-Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department