JCS’ 12th Annual Meeting takes place on June 7th at 6pm.  Please view the invitation.

Start the New Year off Right with a Taste of Milk & Honey!

JCS’ Annual Milk & Honey food distribution event will take place on Sunday, September 9th, and we welcome you to join us!

In the spirit of Rosh Hashanah, we hope you and your family can begin the year 5773 with a mitzvah that is meaningful to you and critical to nearly 500 frail, homebound elderly and others in need.  Help deliver traditional kosher food baskets to the most vulnerable among us – and share a taste of the holiday!

Judith Liber addresses the attendees

JCS held two presentations without charge called “Role Reversal: Helping Parents as Their Needs Change Over Time” on May 10th and 15th. Noted expert Judith Lieber, LMHC, JCS Vice President of Behavioral Health Services, discussed the best ways to talk to parents about ‘sticky’ subjects, such as: When is it time to stop driving? When is it time to get help with housekeeping, cooking or personal grooming? When is it time to intervene in parents handling their own finances? When is it time to consider a move to an Independent or Assisted Living Facility?

The people in attendance at both events learned how to navigate the emotional minefield of offering help to aging parents, who often resent interference from their children.  Many were interested in learning more about the services for seniors that JCS has to offer. Kudos to Marli Lutz, JCS Community Liaison, for planning and executing these successful events that raised the profile of JCS in the community.

Eve Mart, JCS Director of Grants Development, holds the check surrounded by Publix executives (seated) Chuck White and Richard Rhoads, Regional Directors, (standing) Denis Zegar, Food For All CEO, Bill Fauerbach, VP Retail Operations, and Gary Correll, Director of Merchandising

Publix Super Markets presented a check for $20,000 to JCS as part of its Food For All program, which raised $1,795,607 in six weeks to benefit local and regional non-profit agencies throughout South Florida. The seasonal fundraiser appeared in stores from November 13th through December 24th, 2011 and customers contributed by selecting a $1, $3 or $5 donation coupon at the register while paying for their groceries. Over 70 local charitable organizations received checks during a recent luncheon. We thank Publix for its beneficence.

The Greater Miami Jewish Federation was thronged with over 300 community volunteers who came out for JCS’ annual Passover food distribution event on March 25th.  This year’s gathering was called Matzah Mitzvah & Much, Much More because it was done in collaboration with the Jewish Volunteer Center, a program of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation; PJ Library Miami; and International Good Deeds Day/Ruach Tova. 

Activities included assembling food boxes for delivery, creating matzah covers and participating in children’s story telling, painting wall tiles for the JCS Miami Beach Senior Center, as well as delivering food and companionship (for those who completed their Level II background checks).  Over 600 seniors and disabled people received one of these special kosher for Passover holiday food packages, thanks to the efforts of all our committed and caring volunteers.   

A special thanks goes to our co-chairs: Lisa and Jay Massirman, with their children Jordan and Drew; and Joanna and Scott Segal, with children Sean, Nicole, Jonathan, Joshua and Elijah.
Please enjoy these photos from the event.  

Inspired by the sense of partnership between Jewish Community Services and the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, the JCS Alliance and The Network’s LDI spent an  evening recently learning about the JCS Kosher Food Bank. Participants heard a personal story from Libby Lerner, Food Bank recipient, about the impact the Food Bank had on her and her family’s lives. Fred Stock, President/CEO of JCS, Bonnie Schwartzbaum, JCS KFB Coordinator, and Jacqueline Berenson, Alliance and LDI member, opened the program and invited all to join JCS supporters on March 25th for JCS’ Matzah Mitzvah & Much, Much More.   

For more information about upcoming JCS Alliance events and/or involvement, please contact Marian Mendelsohn at 305.403.6539 or mmendelsohn@jcsfl.org. 

Despite overcast skies, the mood at the JCS Staff Picnic held on Sunday, February 26^th, was sunny and bright. Employees and their families enjoyed great food and activities, including face painting for the kids, baloon animals, a water balloon competition and an egg on a spoon race.

There was also a bake-off, judged by the head chef of the company that catered the event, Gold Coast Catering .  Mazel Tov to Laurie Turner, Employment and Career Counselor at ParnossahWorks Miami, for winning with her almond butter cake. Congrats also to Isabella Gobio, Youth Mentor at YAMI, for being the one who most closely guessed the number of pieces of candy in the container – Isabella’s guess was 478 and the actual number was 477. Both Laurie and Isabella received Target gift cards as prizes.

The extra food was donated to Caring for Miami, a volunteer organization that brings hope and assistance to Miami-Dade County through their Caring for Miami Centers and Mobile Unit.

Please enjoy this gallery of photos from the event. Thanks to Neil Goldsmith and Larry Lentz for the pics.

Eight-year-old Eduardo Halfen decided to help the JCS Kosher Food Bank for his mitzvah project.  And did he ever!  His mother Stephanie Halfen helped him organize the first ever “Race for Friends” on January 15th at Westlake Park.

As Stephanie wrote in thanking all the participants, “We raised over $5,000, which exceeded even our most ambitious expectations!  The funds will go to the JCS Kosher Food Bank to purchase basic baby necessities (such as diapers, wipes and formula) and food for families in need.  This team effort is all the more heartwarming as it exemplifies how our community can come together and work towards a common
goal.  Children from Jacobson Sinai Academy, Hillel Day School and Hochberg Prep joined forces and made this happen.”

Stephanie promises this will be an annual event.  We just want to thank her and her son for their efforts on behalf of JCS.  Mazel tov, Eduardo!