JEWISH FAMILY & COMMUNITY SERVICES OF SOUTHWEST … · JEWISH FAMILY & COMMUNITY SERVICES OF...

J E W I S H F A M I LY & C O M M U N I T Y S E R V I C E S O F S O U T H W E S T F L O R I D A N E W S L E T T E R • S U M M E R 2 0 1 7 I S S U E

5025 Castello Drive • Suite 101

Naples, Florida 34103

Telephone (239) 325-4444

Fax (239) 330-7947

WWW.JFCSSWFL.ORG

JFCS announced that the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation awarded the organization a $150,000 grant for the Naples Senior Center. The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation has supported

the Naples Senior Center over the past three years, beginning with a challenge grant for the expansion of the physical plant. This grant provides financial support for the

increasing number of much needed programs and services offered to the members of the Naples Senior Center. Since opening its doors in January 2014 membership has increased from 80 to over 1,300. Programs have increased in scope, depth and number to meet the needs of the members.

The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation was created in 2004 by Best Buy founder Dick Schulze as a way to give back to the community where he and his family grew up, and where he built Best Buy to become the world’s largest consumer electronics retailer. The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation supports organizations operating in the areas of human and social services, education, health and entrepreneurship.

The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation grant supports the Naples Senior Center primary goal of helping seniors combat loneliness and social isolation through programs that enhance intellectual, cognitive and sensory stimulation. Currently the Naples Senior Center offers ninety-six different classes, the newest among them including Folk Dancing, Ballroom Dancing, and Geological Wonders of the World, How to Draw, Zen Tangle, Learn to Play Bridge and Wonders of the National Parks.

The JFCS Board of Trustees, Staff and Naples Senior Center members are deeply appreciative of the continued support of the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation.

JFCS RECEIVES $150,000 GRANT FROM THE RICHARD M. SCHULZE FAMILY FOUNDATION

J E W I S H F A M I LY & C O M M U N I T Y S E R V I C E S O F S O U T H W E S T F L O R I D A

JFCS TAKES DEMENTIA RESPITE PROGRAM “ON THE ROAD”

MEET RHONDA EISENBERG: JFCS DEMENTIA RESPITE COORDINATOR

Rhonda Eisenberg

Rhonda Eisenberg joined the JFCS team in November, 2015. She was interested in becoming part of JFCS based on what she heard in the community about the agency’s excellent reputation in providing social services. Rhonda was particularly excited about becoming involved with the Dementia Respite Program because it afforded her the opportunity to use her creativity in program development, while at the same time use her skills as a clinician and work directly with clients and their families.

Rhonda coordinates the JFCS Dementia Respite Program, which has experienced significant growth since she took the helm. At the point that Rhonda joined JFCS there were two respite groups and currently there are six, with two more planned for

the fall of 2017. Her responsibilities include program development and implementation, as well as meeting with families interested in the service and completing a comprehensive evaluation to make sure the applicant is appropriate for the group, and that the group is appropriate for the potential participant.

Rhonda has a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling and is licensed in Florida. She has a varied professional

background, including clinical work in hospitals, a hospice program and a variety

of community based nonprofit agencies. Rhonda stated that she feels fortunate to be able to bring more than 35 years of career experience to her position at JFCS and that she looks forward to continuing her career in a setting with “a strong staff of professional and caring co-workers”.

The statistics are well known. According to the Alzheimer’s Association 1 in 9 adults over the

age of 65 will be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. Further, a 2013 report from the Alzheimer’s Association stated that Florida has the second highest number of Alzheimer’s patients nationwide. Close to three years ago JFCS established its first dementia respite group program, based on the Brookdale Foundation’s model and the Teepa Snow model of Positive Approach to Dementia.

Currently, JFCS has four dementia respite programs onsite in the Castello Drive facility.

To meet the increasing demand for services JFCS has developed a model for providing dementia

respite support groups off-site. In mid-June two new groups will be offered at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church on Mooring Line Drive in Naples. Facilitated by a Florida Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and supported by highly trained volunteers, the groups will replicate the successful model offered onsite at JFCS. These first offsite groups will bring the total of JFCS respite groups to six. Each group serves 14 individuals. In the fall of 2017 plans are well underway to bring two JFCS dementia respite groups to Marco Island.

For more information about the JFCS Respite Support Group Program please contact Rhonda Eisenberg, LMHC at 239-325-4444 or email her at [email protected].


MEET RHONDA EISENBERG: JFCS DEMENTIA RESPITE COORDINATOR

MAJOR DONORS RECOGNIZED THROUGH JFCS LEADERSHIP SOCIETYOn March 14 members of the JFCS Board of Trustees gathered with over fifty individual and corporate

philanthropists to recognize and thank the major donors of the organization since its incorporation in 2011. Founding members of the Leadership Society are listed below:

For more information on the JFCS Leadership Society please contact Dr. Jaclynn Faffer at 239-325-4444 or [email protected].

Merry and Brian BreMer

Individual

The League CLuB


A CASE IN POINT BY DR. JACLYNN FAFFER, President/CEO

Martha was the first person

to walk into the room when

the Naples Senior Center opened

its doors on January 22, 2014

for the initial “Lunch and More”

program. Rather shy, she quietly

told staff that “Lunch and More”

would be the first time she would

be having lunch with other people

since her husband passed away

three years before. She went on

to explain that her husband was

the “social one” and made all the

arrangements for their activities.

Martha described herself as a

loner, usually content to keep

to herself. However, lately the

walls of her home seemed to

be closing in and the silence

was becoming deafening. She

spoke to her internist and asked

if perhaps she needed to see

a psychiatrist. He asked her

to come in to see him, and his

recommendation was that she

try out a new place that he heard

was opening…..a senior center

on Castello Drive. He went on

to say that he knew it might be

difficult, but she had to force

herself to go. And,

that’s why she was there on

January 22, 2014.

Martha, like most everyone

else, was in a room with 80

strangers. She tentatively sat at

an empty table. The table was

not empty for long and soon

she was chatting with seven

other people, all in attendance

for similar reasons….to find a

way to combat isolation and

loneliness brought on by a variety

of circumstances. The following

week Martha, again, was the first

person to walk into the room

for the senior center’s second

“Lunch and More” program.

However, that day she walked in

with a purpose! She quickly went

to “her” table and began draping

a scarf, a sweater and her purse

over several chairs. When asked

about it she replied, “Oh…I

am saving these seats for my

friends”. Staff smiled….friends,

who were strangers only a

week ago.

Fast forward to January 2017

at the Lunch and More program

where the Naples Senior Center

was celebrating their third

birthday. Martha was sitting

and happily chatting with her

friends at a table. She called

Jaclynn Faffer, President/CEO of

JFCS over and putting her arms

around those sitting on her side

said “Remember me? Three

years ago I did not have one

friend. Now I have so many that

sometimes I have to sit at other

tables to get to spend time with

them all”.

And that, my friends, is what the

Naples Senior Center is all about.

And this is clearly “A Case

in Point”.


A little over a year ago Deb and Alen

Silver approached Dr. Jaclynn Faffer with an idea. They wanted to create a space, and a program, where senior Veterans could meet and feel comfortable, and perhaps have some interesting programs. They thought the Naples Senior Center could provide an appropriate venue. Everyone was on the same page, and the Veterans in Paradise (VIP) program was established.

Both Deb and her husband, Alen, have a long history of interest in working with Veterans. Alen’s father is a WWII Veteran and Deb’s father was a Veteran of the Korean War era. While in Massachusetts Deb worked as a hospice volunteer at the local VA Hospital. She would always stop and acknowledge the Veterans sitting outside and she saw, first hand, the impact that acknowledgement had. Upon moving to Naples both Deb and Alen were part of the Founding Board of Collier County Honor Flight. It was during that experience that the couple recognized the need to create a group for Veterans to socialize, share history and realize how much they are honored.

Currently VIP has 30 active members. Reflective of the age requirement of the Naples Senior Center, which is a minimum of 60 years of age, VIP has

members from WWII through Vietnam.

A typical meeting includes discussions of upcoming military events, guest speakers and time for unstructured socialization. At each meeting a “Missing Man” table is set up to honor those Veterans who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. Through the VIP program Veterans have been assisted in securing additional VA benefits, joined the Naples Senior Center to participate in the wide range of activities offered, and most important, have made new friends.

Deb Silver is employed by Bigham Jewelers and both Deb and JFCS are grateful to Bigham Jewelers broadly based community outreach efforts, enabling Deb to work on behalf of Veterans’ needs in the southwest Florida community.

VETERANS IN PARADISE (VIP) CELEBRATES 1ST ANNIVERSARY AT NAPLES SENIOR CENTER

For more information about Veterans in Paradise please contact at [email protected].

VIPs celebrating their 1st anniversary


How to Donate to JFCS 1Stop by the office, say hello and

give your donation.

2 Place a check or credit card number in the envelope that is ALWAYS included in this newsletter.

3Call and give your credit card number to our administrative assistant.

4 JFCS has a “Donate” button on our website, www.jfcsswfl.org. After much research and consultation we are working with PayPal so that you can make a secure, on-line contribution to JFCS. The “Donate” button has been live since May. Check us out and see for yourself!

The JFCS Food Pantry received a grant of

$10,281.16 from the Satisfy the Hunger Fund of the Community Foundation of Collier County. These funds come at a time when utilization of the food pantry is increasing. Summer is an interesting time for the JFCS Food Pantry as seasonal workers who work fewer hours during the summer months need assistance in feeding themselves and their families. Conversely, food donations often decrease during the summer months as regular donors leave Naples for their summer residences.

The JFCS Food Pantry is open Monday through Thursday from 9am to 5pm and on Friday from 8:30am to 4:30 pm. In June 2017 there were 156 visits to the JFCS Food Pantry. The JFCS Food Pantry appreciates donations of canned goods and other shelf stable food, particularly during the summer months.

If you are interested in volunteering for the JFCS Food Pantry please contact Marna Barany at 239-325-4444 or [email protected]. For a list of the pantry’s most needed items please visit the JFCS website at www.jfcsswfl.org.

R E C E N T G R A N T S A W A R D E D

GRANT RECEIVED FOR JFCS FOOD PANTRY


SHADOWS OF THE 60’s pays tribute to the tremendous legacy of The Four Tops, Temptations & Supremes. In this Tribute production show, SHADOWS OF THE 60’S perform the hits that span several decades.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

5025 Castello Drive • Suite 101 Naples, Florida 34103

Telephone (239) 325-4444 • Fax (239) 330-7947Dr. Jaclynn Faffer, President/CEO

email: [email protected]

JFCS empowers individuals and families by giving them tools to address life’s challenges.

WWW.JFCSSWFL.ORG

Edward Anchel, Chair

A.Scott Hansen, Vice-Chair

Alan S. Jaffe, Vice-Chair

Prentiss C. Higgins, Treasurer

Marvin Lader, Secretary

David W. Rutstein, Immediate Past Chair

NonProfit Org.

U.S. Postage

PAID

Naples, FL

Permit No.95

Phyllis Barolsky

Henry C. Cohen

Myra Friedman

Richard A. Goldblatt*

Michael R. Greenberg

Susan Horovitz

Paul E. Huber

Neil N. Lapidus

Barbara Levine

John M. Passidomo

Jane E. Perman

Stuart E. Price

Susan Ritter

Millie Sernovitz*

Gail Smith

Howard Solot

Leda Zbar

Judith Zickler

*Past Board Chair

Dr. Jaclynn Faffer, President/CEO

SAVE THE DATE:JANUARY 13, 2018 FOR OUR

SIGNATURE FUNDRAISING EVENT…AN EVENING FOR BETTER TOMORROWS

Association ofJewish Family& Children’s Agencies

5025 Castello Drive • Naples, Florida 34103 • 239.325.4444 • Fax: 239.330.7947 • www.jfcsswfl.org

OF COLLIER COUNTY

Officers Chair David W. Rutstein

Vice-Chair Edward Anchel

A.Scott Hansen

Treasurer Susan Ritter

Secretary Prentiss C. Higgins

Founder andImmediate Past Chair

Richard A. Goldblatt

Board of Trustees

President/CEO Dr. Jaclynn Faffer

*Past Board Chair

Phyllis BarolskyHenry C. CohenNancy ColodnyMyra FriedmanMichael R. GreenbergSusan HorovitzPaul E. HuberAlan S. JaffeBobbie Katz*Marvin LaderNeil N. LapidusBarbara LevineJeff LytleJohn M. PassidomoJane E. PermanStuart E. PriceMillie Sernovitz*Howard SolotLeda ZbarJudith Zickler



OF COLLIER COUNTY



A.Scott Hansen





Board of Trustees


*Past Board Chair




OF COLLIER COUNTY



A.Scott Hansen





Board of Trustees


*Past Board Chair




OF COLLIER COUNTY

Officers

Chair Edward Anchel

Vice-Chairs A.Scott Hansen

Alan S. Jaffe

Treasurer Prentiss C. Higgins

Secretary Marvin Lader

Immediate Past Chair

David W. Rutstein

Board of Trustees

President / CEODr. Jaclynn Faffer

*Past Board Chair

Phyllis BarolskyHenry C. CohenMyra FriedmanRichard A. Goldblatt*Michael R. GreenbergSusan HorovitzPaul E. HuberNeil N. LapidusBarbara LevineJohn M. PassidomoJane E. PermanStuart E. PriceSusan RitterMillie Sernovitz*Gail SmithHoward SolotLeda ZbarJudith Zickler

JEWISH FAMILY & COMMUNITY SERVICES OF SOUTHWEST … · JEWISH FAMILY & COMMUNITY SERVICES OF...

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