FAMILY TALK

JENNIFER WEISS Executive Director Jewish Family & Children's Service

Each year at JFCS seems more eventful than the last. This year we have completed the busiest and most exciting one in the history of our agency. It is hard to know where to begin, but what truly stands out is the dynamic and collaborative nature of many of our projects.

I am very proud of our partnership in March with the Albert Einstein Healthcare Network and the JFCS of Greater Philadelphia and JFS of Delaware to present a major Genetics Symposium, which raised a great deal of awareness about a variety of Jewish genetic diseases that are now largely preventable due to new and improved screening techniques. It is hoped that conference attendees, many of whom have professional and personal contact with young married couples, will spread the word to the community at large and help eradicate some of these diseases.

Our collaboration with Lions Gate to present a workshop on caring for loved ones with dementia and Alzheimer's was a big success and we are planning more programs. A major grant from the Samost family has also allowed us to expand respite services to caregivers for this population, and to purchase and distribute Nintendo Wii's to area senior facilities, and hire additional staff to help coordinate and implement this new program. Seniors experience many physical and emotional benefits from this virtual gaming technology, and we have paired them with teen volunteers, making this a wonderful intergenerational project.

On April 25, we had an opportunity to meet with the mayor of Voorhees, as well as the administrators and activities directors from most of the township's senior care facilities at which time we distributed Wii's to all of them. Voorhees now is the only township in the country to have a Wii installed in all of its senior care facilities, thanks to the incredible generosity of Iva and Joe Samost, and GameStop, one of the world's largest video game and entertainment retailers.

Other collaborative projects include the Israel Birthright trip that teamed our SAIL Program participants with a New York based group to send a group of young adults to Israel; a Martin Luther Day King project involving our staff with Manna and Urban Promise; and a transitional conference and Passover Seder with the JCC ACHaD department. We are also working with the other Federation agencies to create a new Circles of Support marketing campaign to promote all of our agencies' wonderful services.

We received a number of grants that will enable us to maintain ongoing or to initiate new programs. The state funded our NORC (Naturally Occurring Retirement Community) grant for another year, allowing us to continue the wonderful programs and services which we provide to senior residents at the Towers of Windsor Park. A renewal of a grant from the Susan G Komen for the Cure will enable us to sustain our Yad b'Yad breast cancer support program, now being replicated by the Philadelphia JFCS; and a generous donation from a community member enables us to distribute free Kimmie Cares dolls to children of moms diagnosed with breast cancer. We are also very grateful to the Raymond and Gertrude R. Saltzman Foundation for their continuing support, and to the Jewish Community Foundation for grants that will sustain programs such as Sail Book Club, Tai Chi for You and Me, Lasting Memories, Suicide Prevention workshops, and others.

The annual Association of Jewish Family and Children's Service Agencies Conference was held in Philadelphia in April, and we co-hosted a reception with Philadelphia JFCS at the National Constitution Center. In addition, two of our staff members presented workshops at the conference on teen depression and our Yad b'Yad breast cancer support program.

Our annual Stepping Out fundraiser was the most successful ever, raising a record amount of money for our services and programs. Over 450 guests attended our fabulous Caribbean themed event, and I want to thank all of our attendees and generous sponsors, and of course the committee, co-chairs Amy Green and Ann Miller, vice chair Stephanie Specter, our staff coordinator Beth Wynne, and her assistant Karen Bray. Their hard work and attention to detail made this evening a wonderful night for everyone and a big financial success for JFCS.

We hosted several free community conferences this past year, including ovarian cancer, infertility, breast cancer prevention strategies, and addictions. Most can be viewed on podcasts at our website. In other news, the JFCS advisory council and medical advisory council have met several times, and the advisory council is investigating the launch of a website for parents where they can learn about signs of depression and suicide among their children and teens.

I am very excited over the fact that we are re-branding our logo, agency banner and other materials. We are also in the process of creating a new agency video and website. Our goal is to more accurately reflect our agency's current services and programs, as well as our dynamic vision for the future. I look forward to meeting many of you on the Weinberg Jewish Community Campus at our May 13th Annual Meeting.  swolkoff@jfedsnj.org