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JANUARY VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER
Because YOU are JFS...
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Happy New Year! It's 2015 and we couldn't be more excited about what's to come! It's also National Mentoring Month and we couldn't be more grateful for our volunteers who mentor at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School. In this month's newsletter you'll meet one of those wonderful mentors, learn what national mentoring month is all about, see a new recruitment video for Patient Navigator, learn about upcoming opportunities with planning Seize the Dream, and more!
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 Occupation: Retired Electrical Engineer/ Math Educator Time with JFS: 8 months Volunteer Position: Math Academy Mentor
Paul joined JFS in April 2014 after he started following his passion for math education. He is a retired electrical engineer who in his early retirement decided his next passion would be education. He was volunteering at the middle school and learned about Math Academy and thought it was an opportunity he could not pass up. When asked what he likes about the program he said, "Volunteering with Math Academy is a joy. I find fourth grade students to be magical. Math Academy has taught me the importance of mentoring and helped my training as a mentor." He also referred to his own academic challenges growing up and said, "I feel a responsibility to be there for my students." In his spare time he enjoys traveling and studying mathematics. He also enjoys sharing his passion for math with all of his students.
Thanks Paul for joining the Math Academy program, your sincerity and passion really make a difference for the children you work with!
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January is National Mentoring Month which was started 14 years ago as a public awareness campaign to highlight the importance of quality mentoring programs and to help recruit volunteers as mentors. JFS is lucky to have a strong group of mentors helping at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School. You can watch this video to see the great work going on there.
Mentoring can have a significant impact on youth and data has shown that mentoring can address community challenges such as low graduation rates, juvenile crime, and workforce development. You can visit this website to learn more about national mentoring month and the effects of mentoring on youth today.
Key Takeaways:
- The mentoring effect strengthens communities
- Mentors come from all walks of life and all sectors of our community
- Mentoring has been shown to give young people the tools to make responsible decisions
- As a community, we can't afford to leave mentoring to chance
- Be someone who matters to someone who matters
We are always looking for volunteers to join us as mentors so if you or someone you know is interested, please let us know! Whether it's with us or with another worthy organization, we encourage everyone to be someone who matters to someone who matters.
Most of all - THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR WONDERFUL MENTORS
for doing all that you do for children in our community!
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Seize the Dream Volunteers
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Do you like event planning? Want to help JFS through fundraising? Well, now is the time!
JFS is looking for volunteers to help with the food and auction committees for the annual fundraising gala.
Auction Committee (2-3 people):
Volunteers will help JFS recruit auction items, follow up on potential items, collect items, and create signage for the event. Project will culminate at annual gala on May 3rd, 2015 with help running the auction at the event. 1-2 hours a week, some can be done from home. Required skills: strong communication skills, comfortable with phone calls and computers.
Food Committee (1 additional person):
1 volunteer needed to join the food committee and help recruit and follow up with food providers. Part of what makes Seize the Dream so great is the wide selection of food offered by area food providers. We need help getting them on board! 1 hour a week, some can be done from home. Required skills: strong communication skills, comfortable with computers and phone calls.
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Patient Navigator Recruitment Video
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Thanks to one of our amazing volunteers, Judy Faust with Connect Your Stories Video Production, we now have a wonderful tool to use in helping recruit volunteers for the Patient Navigator program! Check out the video and spread the word!
 | | Connecting Volunteers with Older Adults |
The next Patient Navigator training is January 14th from 9am-3pm. Contact us if you are interested in joining this training!
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 This month volunteers contributed 234 hours in the Metrowest community! Thanks to everyone for all your hard work this year! Click here to visit our blog and see a summary of all that you've accomplished this year!
Once you've reached 20 hours of service you are eligible for a t-shirt. This month these volunteers reached that benchmark!
- Leticia De Oliveira
- Juju Magalhaes
- Eva Sunberg
Let us know how you'd like to collect your t-shirt! For those who have previously been eligible and have not gotten your shirt yet, let us know!
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Refugee Resettlement
Newly arrived refugees, asylees and their families have received assistance from JFS since 1979. While the program started with resettling Jewish
 refugees from Former Soviet Union countries, the program now serves refugees from all over the world including Iraq, Somalia, Cuba, Ukraine, Russia and much more. Newly arrived immigrants receive case management support, are connected with ESL and employment services, and provided with cultural orientation to help them learn about their new home.
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JFS has lots of upcoming and ongoing opportunities. Here are a few of the new opportunities available. You can visit our website to learn more about the ongoing opportunities available. - Volunteer Communication Specialist: Looking for a volunteer to join the volunteer department and help us with communication. Responsibilities include maintaining web postings for volunteer positions, assistance with newsletter communications, and help with flyers. Experience with computers and ability to learn different applications.
- Family Friend Mentor: Become a family friend mentor and help a newly arrived refugee/immigrant family adapt to a new home, new culture and new life in the United States of America. You can kindly welcome a family into our community by serving as family friend, a guide and an advocate. Your mentoring experience would involve different forms such as home visits, going on scheduled appointment, or events together. Mentors help refugee/immigrant families become familiar with new systems and community resources and help families learn how to manage with challenges they may encounter.
- Pre-Employment Mentor: Help refugees prepare for their first jobs in the U.S. as a Pre-Employment Mentor! JFS of Metrowest would like provide newly arrived refugees/immigrants with the opportunity to learn critical skills they will use in their search for employment. The Pre-Employment Mentor will assist with job search, building a resume, filling out applications, job-related English vocabulary, practicing for interviews, and work appropriate behavior. This is an excellent opportunity to gain experience in teaching, tutoring and employment services, in addition to learning about local refugee/immigrant communities.
Please contact us if you are interested in any of these or other volunteer opportunities, and please tell your friends! You are our best recruiters!
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Happy January!
Sarah Roth, MSW
Coordinator of Community Engagement
& Immigrant Services
508-875-3100 x320
sroth@jfsmw.org
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475 Franklin St. Suite 101, Framingham, MA 01702
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