JFS Perspectives

A group shot of the staff at my baby shower

Today is my last day of work before I take off for a 12-week maternity leave. It is definitely bittersweet, as I am excited about the arrival of my baby girl and having time off with her, but I will miss my job over the next few months! I am so touched by the generosity, love, and support exhibited by the JFS staff as I approach this family milestone.

Last week, several of my coworkers—Kari Alpen, Lisa Mehl, Nancy Benyamin, Beth Lippa, and Kim Finnestead—hosted a beautiful baby shower at the office. About 40 people attended and showered me with gifts, good wishes, and of course yummy food (they even got me some gluten-free, dairy-free desserts)!


Alaina and Kari at the baby shower

My coworker, Dawn’s nine-year-old daughter came to the shower and later felt badly that she hadn’t brought a gift for the baby and insisted that Dawn take her to the store to get a present! It turns out that her gift was the perfect finishing touch I needed to finish decorating the baby’s room. Another coworker, Vicki, crocheted a beautiful star-shaped blanket for the baby and my eight-year-old was jealous because she didn’t have a blanket that cool. I told Vicki the story, just to laugh about it with her, and then she surprised me yesterday with a star blanket for my daughter, who was so excited and said, “Now I don’t have to be jealous!”


My daughter with the star blanket from Vicki

JFS truly is a family and I feel like my baby will have so many “aunts, uncles, and grandparents” when she comes to the office to visit. I am so blessed to work with such kind-hearted people and I will miss them over the next few months!

The blog posts will continue as regularly as possible in my absence, but you will see a few different authors from the marketing department and other departments. Have a wonderful spring and summer!

-Alaina Green, Associate Director of Marketing and Communications

 

Our Community Passover Program has enjoyed many years of success, with the support from the community and the many volunteers that come together to pack, distribute, and deliver the Passover boxes in the Weinberg Food Pantry. This year, the Family Safety Net staff received a special treat. With their hearts set on helping others enjoy the Passover holiday, the staff members often get caught up in the business of Passover; this year they were given the opportunity to learn the meaning behind the holiday.

Nancy Benyamin and Beth Lippa, two dedicated JFS employees from the volunteer services department, prepared a Seder for the Family Safety Net staff, who are all non-Jewish, to teach them about Passover and the meaning behind the yearly celebration.

That wasn’t the only surprise the staff received during Passover. We were happy to learn that many of the families that we have provided kosher-for-Passover food to in past years didn’t need our services this year. Through new employment and improved living situations, these families and individuals were able to purchase their own kosher-for-Passover food. While JFS will always be around to help those in need, we are happy to hear when family situations improve.

-Renee Miller, JFS Marketing Department

L to R: Hunter, Jackie, Hannah, and Greg Rodriguez

Each month at our all-staff meetings, a different staff member will start the meeting with a D'Var Torah to share something about that week's Torah portion and relate it to the work we do at our agency. Yesterday, Jackie Rodriguez, payroll specialist, shared a very personal and heartwarming story. She has given us permission to share it with all of you. Please leave comments for Jackie!

Today’s Torah reflection comes from the book of Exodus. Moses told the whole Israelite community the steps the Lord had commanded for them to build the Tabernacle, Tent, and the Covering. This was an enormous task that required several days and hours of intensive labor. As a result the entire community excelled with their own abilities of service because of their united faith.

I found it very ironic that this week’s reflection was so related to our organization and the hearts of the wonderful people that work here.

Just like the Israelites, I truly believe the Jewish Family Service (JFS) staff’s faith and desire to serve others in need makes it possible for all of us to discover hidden abilities within ourselves. Labor of service takes a lot of hard work; however it can be very rewarding when you see the results. The power of intention and positive thinking can make amazing changes in our lives.

I believe the organization is very successful because each staff member excels in their own abilities due to their faith in the agency. This amazing transition can also occur in our personal lives.

In speaking with Rabbi Baskin, he mentioned that as the organization has grown, it’s harder to know everyone on a more intimate level. Per Rabbi’s gentle persuasion, I would like to take this opportunity to share my personal story of discovering hidden abilities within myself when times were difficult. Some of you are aware, and others are not, of what happened to my son when he was 14 months old.

Hunter was a victim of Shaken Baby Syndrome at the hands of his daycare provider and we were told he probably was not going to live. Initially he was in a coma, on a ventilator, blind, in a wheelchair, and fed by a tube. Over the past 14 years it has been a very labor intensive journey of love, faith, prayers, patience, therapies, advocating, sacrifice, and forgiveness…all the while knowing it will be never-ending.

Like the sayings go, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” and “G-d only gives you what you can handle” are absolutely true because I am not dead—yet, and I am a lot stronger. There were several times I questioned G-d “why,” but knew he needed me to be strong to see our son through this traumatic life-changing event.

Once the clouds of despair and hopelessness dissipated, I vowed with G-d’s help to never give up hope and live everyday like it’s a gift. Changing my mindset to be a positive thinker was a very powerful moment in my life. Once my mind believed, my body then took over with action. The action I speak of is the desire to serve other families who have been through similar circumstances.

Initially my passion to educate and build awareness drove me to serve others by creating a website: www.HopeforHunter.com. The intent of the website was to serve as a resource to help families, but it grew and grew into much more than I ever imagined. Over the past several years I have been asked to serve our community by presenting my story to educate others. To date I have presented at several metro area schools, colleges, hospitals, daycare provider groups, and most recently I have a meeting with a parent group at the Anchor Center School for the Blind. Ironically, this is a school Hunter attended and graduated from when he was of preschool age. They served my family and now I am giving back and serving them.

In closing, like Moses and the Israelites, we all have hidden abilities that are within us. When challenged, those abilities make us stronger in the face of adversity and enable us to serve with a faithful heart because when people of G-d join together with a common goal, we can achieve great things.

As the Israelites celebrated the completion of the Tabernacle, my family celebrates the continuing recovery of my son. He walks, talks, rides a bike, is legally blind in only one eye, and currently has straight A’s in his first year of high school. He still continues to struggle with developmental delays and fine motor issues from the permanent brain damage; however Hunter truly is a miracle and we thank G-d every day.

-Jackie Rodriguez, JFS payroll specialist

Yesterday, several Jewish Family Service (JFS) of Colorado staff members braved the snow and cold to participate in One Billion Rising—a global movement to raise awareness about women’s rights and to end violence against women.

Today in the world, a billion women–one of every three women on our planet–will be raped or beaten in her lifetime. That’s ONE BILLION mothers, daughters, sisters, partners, and friends violated.

The goal of One Billion Rising was to get 1 billion people to stand up and take action in various ways to show their support yesterday on Valentine's Day. JFS staff wore red and black and a group went outside to sing and dance to Aretha Franklin’s “RESPECT.”

Check out the video:



We are proud to show our support of this important cause and to stand up for women's rights!

-Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department

With Independence Day next week and many people celebrating this weekend, we asked some of our staff members what this holiday means to them, how they are spending it, or what independence means to their clients. We hope you enjoy this sampling of responses! We’d love to know what this holiday means to you, so please leave your comments below.

Cathy Grimm, JFS Senior Solutions and JFS at Home director:
For our senior clients, independence means the ability to say in their homes and age in place. Independence offers me the ability to open my mouth and insert my foot, and only I have to take responsibility for what I say!

Ann Veenstra, administrative services director:
Summer goes by too quickly and the 4th of July is a time to relax and enjoy. We usually cook something on the grill and I make homemade ice cream and bake a pie. This year it will probably be berry...Yum!

Ron Crowell, home-based services coordinator:
With a little help from our homemakers, many senior clients are able to maintain independent living.

Dawn Richard, development director, Lisa Mehl, development associate, and Kari Alpen, graphic designer, all said they are either doing nothing or going to the pool. Sounds wonderful after a busy week!

Randie Winograd, administrative support:
Celebrating with friends, no fireworks display this year, and hoping that Colorado will soon be FREE of fires.

Alaina Green, associate director of marketing and communications:
Spending time with my family, including my sister and her boyfriend who are visiting from California, and enjoying some time off.

Happy 4th of July to you and your families! We hope you have a fun and meaningful holiday!

-Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department

If you haven't already committed to attend Celebrate JFS on Monday, June 25, here are the top 10 reasons you should join us!


The lobby of Palazzo Verdi

10. Check out an awesome venue, Palazzo Verdi (6363 South Fiddler's Green Circle, Greenwood Village) and view the world-class art in the Madden Museum.

9. Visit with friends, JFS staff, volunteers, and board members, and meet new people.

8. Bid farewell to outgoing board members: Doug Antonoff, Sheryl Feiler, Elaine Gampel, Sherri Goldstein, and Perry Moss.

7. Pick up a copy of the JFS 140th anniversary special section that was in the Intermountain Jewish News on June 8.

6. Enjoy delicious Italian hors d'oeuvres and sip on wine or the signature cocktail, Peach Amoré.

5. Welcome the new board members: Ed Barad, Charlie Gwirtsman, Gareth Heyman, and Jamie Sarché.

4. Commemorate JFS's 140th anniversary and learn more about the agency's history.

Kay and Aubrey Knight

3. Toast the Max Frankel Volunteers of the Year, Kay and Aubrey Knight, who have dedicated more than 2,000 hours to the Weinberg Food Pantry in the last six years.

2. Celebrate the successful work of the staff, board, and volunteers over the past year.

And the number one reason to attend Celebrate JFS is...

1. It's free! And what better offers do you have on a Monday night?

We hope we've convinced you! Please RSVP today by filling out this form or by contacting Lisa Mehl at 720.248.4633.

-Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department

SHALOM Denver staffers Meeka Houston, Employment Services Manager; Sara Leeper, Coordinator of Client Services; Susan Simons, CBT Developer/Site Supervisor; and Arnie Kover, Director of Disability and Employment Services at Houston Hobby Airport, ready to get back home from the joint IAJVS/AJFCA conference in Houston Texas.

Several members of the SHALOM Denver staff, along with JFS President and CEO Yana Vishnitsky, Director of Marketing & Communications John Kayser, and JFS Board Chair Alan Mayer, attended the joint annual conference of the International Association of Jewish Vocational Services (IAJVS) and the Association of Jewish Family & Children's Agencies (AJFCA) in Houston, Texas, April 21 to 24.

They all enjoyed the conference and learned a lot from colleagues from around the world at the three-day gathering, hosted by the Houston JFS. The conference was filled with informative sessions, networking with colleagues, and a fun Sunday night "hoe down," complete with kosher BBQ, line dancing and the "Cotton-Eyed Joe."

SHALOM Denver staff, Meeka Houston and Arnie Kover, were honored to deliver presentations about the innovative employment services provided through SHALOM Denver for Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF) recipients and people with developmental disabilities.


Arnie Kover with IAJVS colleagues. Left to right: Leah Rosenbaum, from Detroit, Jerry Rubin, Boston and Peter Bloch, Cincinnati.

-Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department

We had quite an eventful week at Jewish Family Service and SHALOM Denver! While there are always exciting things happening in our agency on a daily basis, below are a few things we think you'll especially enjoy:

Yesterday, CBS4 Denver aired an inspirational story about the wonderful work SHALOM Denver does to help transition people from welfare to work. View this story and learn more about the program!  Thank you to Xstatic Public Relations for working with CBS4 and our staff to get this story on TV!


Heidi Pittaway, who is featured in the CBS4 story, with her daughters

Also yesterday, BBYO hosted a pre-screening of the popular movie The Hunger Games for Jewish youth in 6th-12th grade. To show that "hunger is not a game," the teens had to bring at a minimum of three canned food items to benefit the JFS Weinberg Food Pantry for admission. And in the spirit of the competition shown in the movie, BBYO had a contest to see which of their chapters would bring the most food. In total, the teens collected 2,200 pounds of food for our pantry! Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make an incredible impact on the lives of people who are in need.


Teens contribute food to their chapters' food bins at the theater

Earlier this week, we said goodbye to Amy Wood who left JFS after nearly 20 years of involvement with the agency. Amy actually started as a JFS board member in 1996 and held various positions including volunteer, intern, case manager, Family Safety Net program director, and finally government and community affairs director. We had a great party to toast (and roast) Amy and her love of flip charts, decision trees, and Venn Diagrams! Her energy, talent, and dedication will be missed!


Shelly Hines, Family Safety Net director, with Amy Wood


Amy's Tenure Timeline posted at the party in honor of her love of flip charts

-Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department

Earlier this week, we said goodbye to Annie Reilly, care manager of the Hearts and Hands Homemaker Program, after 21 years. At her retirement party, we toasted and roasted her, shared tears of joy and sorrow, and celebrated her future endeavors over cake. A few past employees even came back to share their stories! JFS presented Annie with a photo book of memories and beautiful earrings as a token of our appreciation.



Thinking back on the wonderful party, we started to wonder what makes people want to work at JFS so long. We asked some of our staff members, who have worked here at least a decade, why they like working for JFS. Here are just a few of the many comments we received:

“When I started at JFS 33 years ago, I found a community and a place I belong. It was tremendous to find a place like this to not only work, but to know that I am doing something good every day.”

-Yana Vishnitsky, President & CEO

“I’ve served 14 years because we are not only a family service, but indeed a family, helping one another in our professional and personal lives.”

-Rabbi Eliot Baskin, Jewish Community Chaplain

“I’ve stayed with the agency 32 years because Jewish Family Service of Colorado has a heart and soul and dedication to quality service that cannot be found elsewhere. Our mission and values guide our operations and our operations are carried out professionally, yet passionately. Our leadership and staff are selflessly dedicated to helping people live healthy, happy and complete lives. Our philosophy of Tikkun Olam, to “repair the world,” is one in which I strongly believe. I am blessed and privileged to be able to come to work every day to an environment where all staff leave their personal “stuff” at the door and form a huge circle of love and support around each client and each other. JFS is the ultimate in our field and I am proud to be a part of it.”

-Arnie Kover, Director of Disability and Employment Services

“I’ve been here 11 years. Working at JFS is truly like having a second family. Not only are there the quirky and eccentric family members, but more important is the family support. We are all caretakers - not only of the community, but of each other. JFS is a magical place and I feel blessed every day to work with such amazing people to do such amazing things.”

-Dawn Richard, Development Director

While we haven't worked here for quite as long (but we're getting close!), here are a few of our favorite things about working at JFS: the staff and leaders of the organization, the office environment, getting all the Jewish holidays off, finding creative ways to tell the stories of the agency, the management trusts and believes in us and helps us grow our skills and interests, we always have fun at our jobs, and of course the fact that we help people in the community every day is fantastic!



And, JFS is hiring for several positions right now! If you want to join this amazing team of professionals and see what we're talking about first hand, check out our job openings!

-Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department

Last week, JFS at the JCC Colorado Senior Connections hosted a party to kick off a new program for older adults that includes social, educational, recreational, and health activities. More than 80 people over the age of 60 attended this event held at the Robert E. Loup JCC Denver (JCC). The attendees enjoyed mingling and learning more about how to get involved in this new program, while feasting on hors d'oeuvres and wine provided by Allied Jewish Apartments and Jewish Family Service.



Cathy Grimm, Suzi Malman, and Lil Shaw are the staff members at both Jewish Family Service and the JCC who are leading the program. Cathy Grimm, program coordinator and director of Senior Solutions at Jewish Family Service says, “This new partnership will take all the social and educational programs older adults love at the JCC and will add exciting new programs and resources that will strengthen and bring the community together.” At the end of the event, we had transportation service available to ensure everyone got home safely.

If you are interested in learning more about this program and the weekly events and activities taking place, check out the JFS at the JCC program schedule!



Thank you to the partners of this program: Rose Medical Center, Jewish Family Service, Jewish Community Center, Shalom Cares, Allied Jewish Apartments, and local synagogues for coming together to keep our community united.

Also, thank you to Howard Lutz for generously donating his photography skills for the party!

-Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department