JCS of South Florida

Read All About It: Surf Bal Bay Club Featured in Miami Herald

kgillett — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:59:16 +0000

Please enjoy this article on the Surf Bal Bay Club that appeared on the front page of the Local Section In the Miami Herald.

Staying at home
A concierge service by Jewish Community Services helps older adults remain at home longer by providing access to services

June 13, 2013
By Ana Veciana-Suarez The Miami Herald / aveciana@MiamiHerald.com

Barbara Largever, 76, left, and husband Arnold, 86, are charter members of the Surf Bay Club, a concierge service that caters to older adults Though the service, the Largevers get help from home health aide Alberte Millien, right.
CARL JUSTE / MIAMI HERALD STAFF

Luba Krivoshey joined because she didn’t want her children to worry. Evelina Lowenthal, who lives alone, knew she needed an emergency response system for a possible medical crisis. And Barbara and Arnold Largever became members when their daughter, visiting from Manhattan, insisted they look into a new service she had just heard about.

The three families are charter members of a concierge program offered by Jewish Community Services for older adults in northeast Miami-Dade who prefer to stay at home but might need help with tasks as varied as shopping, doctor visits,meal home delivery and referrals to discounted and approved repair services. Though JCS is the largest non-profit Jewish social service agency in South Florida, it serves people of all religions and ethnicities.

“We’re adding another level of services for communities we know need it,” said Marli Lutz, director of the program, called the Surf Bal Bay Club . “People join for the peace of mind. In case something happens, they know we’ll be there.”

Launched in November, the club is aimed at people 60 and older in Surfside, Bal Harbour, Bay Harbor Islands and Aventura,communities with a high percentage of retirees. So far 25 have paid a fee — $499 annually, $275 for half a year, or $50 monthly — to get the individualized attention. “This helps them keep their independence as long as they can,” Lutz added. “Many of the people who have signed up so far say they don’t want to bother family members. They don’t want to feel like a burden.”

Krivoshey, 84, was one of them. Two of her three daughters live in Miami, but they’re on the opposite end of the county. “I like the idea that I have transportation to go where I need to go without having to bother anyone,” she said. Some of her trips have included doctors’ appointments in Aventura, outings to the movies and a visit to her shul. She’s also planning to attend book club meetings at the Surfside Community Center.

“If it’s a big thing like cataract surgery, of course I’ll tell my daughters and they’ll want to come, but I’m not going to bother them for every little thing,” she said.

At 69, Lowenthal doesn’t need transportation to appointments. Instead she uses the Surf Bal Bay Club to subscribe to the Masada emergency response system, which is part of the club privileges. She jokingly refers to the pendant she wears around her neck as “my salvation button” because by simply pressing it, an emergency call for help goes out with her information. She also took an exercise program through the club.

“My kids love the idea that I got this,” she said. “They’re relieved. They know I’m well taken care of.”

JCS plans to roll out the program to other areas in the county where demographics justify the need. “We’re looking to where older people are and where these services aren’t available,” Fred Stock, the CEO of JCS, said. “The driving force will be people who have lived in a community a long time and have developed roots and want to remain there as long as they can.”

The Surf Bal Bay Club is an example of a growing national trend to help seniors age at home by providing one-phone-call access to needed services. It’s also part of what senior advocates are calling “the village movement,” a community effort that links neighbors together to help each other. The Village to Village Network, an organization created in 2010 to provide start-up help to new villages, says there are more than 100 of the groups across the country.

In Florida, there are villages in the works in Maitland, Celebration, both near Orlando, and Wellington in Palm Beach County. “A church or another already existing community group is… a good starting point because there are already structures in place to collaborate,” said Natalie Galucia, member services coordinator for the Village to Village Network.

The concept began in Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood in 2001. A group of residents, led by two older women living alone, founded a nonprofit to provide or negotiate services and support for seniors who wanted to stay in their homes. “They realized they needed help coordinating all of the supports and services to make this a reality and there was nothing like this readily available for them in the community,” Galucia said.

The Beacon Hill Village proved popular, first in urban areas and then in suburbs and smaller rural communities. While each village differs depending on the needs of the members, most offer discounted services that have been vetted by the organization.

Changing demographics support the village concept. The 65 and older set numbered 41.4 million in 2011, an increase of 18 percent since 2000, according to the federal government’s Administration on Aging. That number is projected to almost double by 2040, with much of the growth from the over 85 crowd, expected to jump from 5.7 million to 14.1 million.

Those are the people who will need more of the kinds of services Surf Bal Bay Club provides. Almost 12 million older Americans live alone, and twice as many women than men do. Numerous surveys show that they prefer to stay home, among familiar surroundings and with longtime friends nearby. That option is also cheaper than going to an institution, which can run into tens of thousands of dollars annually.

“There’s a challenge here,” JCS’ Stock said, “because the older a person gets, the more services they need, but also the more comfortable they are in their own home.”

The first concierge service in Florida was launched in Coral Gables about five years ago by the Coral Gables Community Foundation. It eventually closed when it couldn’t sign up enough members. Lutz, who served as its director for a time, said the program registered 120 members but needed twice as many to stay afloat.

JCS’ version is different, with the agency building on an already existing system of resources and venues to provide services. “We already have an array of programs, so this has allowed us to do a relatively quick start up,” Stock said.

Part of the challenge may be to convince members to use more of their membership privileges. The Largevers of Bay Harbor Islands — Barbara, 77, and Arnold, 86 — use a discounted service to employ a companion four days a week. She drives them to appointments and occasionally does light cleaning. “It’s an absolute godsend,” said Barbara.

But the couple knows the club provides plenty more and is planning to explore educational programs and cultural activities.

“They have events all the time, and I hear they’re fantastic,” she added. “We really have to take advantage of what they’re offering.”

Surf Bal Bay Club
305-403-6515 / www.sbbclub.org
A program offered by Jewish Community Services
305-576-6550 / www.jcsfl.org

Read the article online here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/06/11/3443670/concierge-service-helps-seniors.html#storylink=cpy

Photos Galore from JCS’ Annual Meeting

kgillett — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 21:24:12 +0000

JCS’ Thirteenth Annual Meeting, held June 6th at Beth Torah Benny Rok Campus, was a celebration of the organization’s achievements over the past year. Over 100 guests gathered to hear JCS President and CEO Fred Stock report on future plans and strategies for the agency which will allow JCS to continue to deliver its vision of a healthy South Florida community.

The program also included the installation of a new Board member, Ron Friedman, CPA, and the announcement of current Board Vice Chair Dan Jacobson as Chair Elect, with his term to start in 2014.

Twenty-seven employees received recognition for 5, 10 and 15 year anniversaries with JCS, and four staff members were singled out for exceptional longevity — 20 year employees Donna Cutler, Aracely Montano and Susan Nierenberg; and 25 year employee Bridget Cross.

In addition, Winn-Dixie Stores received a Corporate Connection Award, The Closet was named Community Partner, Ross Stores was recognized as Employer of the Year and Darnell Williams was given the Outstanding Achievement Award.

Next Page ›

JCS Annual Meeting 6-6-13 (53 photos)

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JCS proudly presented a Senior Torah Academy Lecture called “Art History: Understanding Jewish Russian-born Artist Marc Chagall.” Art Historian Laura Sheridan Raiffe regaled the JCS Surf Bal Bay Club audience with tales about the background and impact of the Jewish Russian-born artist Marc Chagall.

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Matzah Mitzvah & More 3-17-13 (88 photos)

About 550 volunteers from throughout Miami-Dade County came out on March 17th for Jewish Community Services to assemble and deliver Kosher for Passover food baskets to seniors, the disabled and homebound. Children hand painted pots containing plants and made Passover cards that were also delivered to seniors, activities sponsored by the PJ Library Miami and the JCS Kids for Kosher Food Bank.

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Thanks everyone who participated in our Winter Wonderland event ! It was a great success! The blankets crafted will warm the hearts and bodies of our Kosher-Meals-On-Wheels clients served by JCS. A great event for the JCS Alliance and Moishe House! We hope to see you March 17.

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Test!!

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Memorable Thanksgiving with JCS - Nov 22, 2012 (46 photos)

Thank you to everyone who came to the JCS meal site in Miami Beach! Your efforts were tremendous in helping to make a memorable Thanksgiving for our seniors.

Junior Achievement Job Shadow's Visit JCS (17 photos)

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Wine Tasting- Dezer Collection (127 photos)

9/23. Wine Tasting. Raffle. Cars! To Benefit the Kosher Meals on Wheels Program of JCSFL Photography by: Jacqueline Berenson

Milk & Honey 9-9-12 (76 photos)

Six hundred volunteers gathered on Sept. 9th, 2012, to assemble Rosh Hashanah baskets for JCS' Milk * Honey food distribution event. Many then delivered them to seniors, the homebound and the disabled throughout the community.

JCS Alliance Milk & Honey at Federation Towers 9-9-12 (97 photos)

Members of the JCS Alliance visited the seniors at Federation Towers to deliver Milk & Honey food baskets and celebrate Rosh Hashanah.

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JCS Matzah Mitzvah & Much Much More (49 photos)

Participants assembled 600 food boxes which were distributed either by screened volunteers on March 25th, International Good Deeds Day, by JCS Staff or thru JCS' Meals on Wheels food distribution program.

Pearly Lapciuc Passover Initiative (14 photos)

Pearly Lapciuc, an eight grader at Sha'arei Bina Torah Academy in North Miami, collected over 300 bags of Passover food to benefit the families served by the JCS Kosher Food Bank. We applaud your efforts!

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Jewish Journal Reports on School Project Benefiting JCS Kosher Food Bank

kgillett — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:55:25 +0000

The Jewish Journal featured an article about a project the second grade students of the Rabbi Alexander S. Gross Hebrew Academy did called Mathelicious, in which they took orders and served food to parents and faculty. All funds raised benefited the JCS Kosher Food Bank.

Please click here to read the article.

Hot Off the Press: JCS’ 2012-2013 Annual Report

kgillett — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 20:45:52 +0000

We invite you to read our newly published Annual Report for 2012-13, which contains lots of valuable information and statistics about the programs and services of JCS. JCS is proud of what it has accomplished over the past year and thinks you, our friends and supporters, will enjoy finding out more about what we do.

Please click here to see the Annual Report.

Mitzvah Proves You’re Never Too Young!

kgillett — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 20:24:06 +0000

The JCS Kosher Food Bank received a visit from the students of the Joni and Stanley Tate Early Childhood Center of Temple Israel. These three, four and five-year-old students collected food for three months and then brought it to the Food Bank and stocked the shelves. They even made the beautiful poster that is now hanging beside the reception desk. A big thanks to this wonderful group of students, parents and teachers from Temple Israel. This just proves that you’re never too young to start doing Mitzvoth!