AGENCY HIGHLIGHTS
JFS Akron Executive Receives 2014 Women of Power Award
The Akron Urban League is a non-profit social service agency, National Urban League affiliate, and United Way affiliate, which seeks to improve the economic, cultural, social, educational, and recreational conditions affecting all citizens of Summit County, particularly African Americans, other minorities, and those most in need.  Women of Power Awards are granted to women who have made a difference in the organizations where they work and also to the community at-large. Gizelle Jones has been employed by Jewish Family Services of Akron for 13 years and had been the Executive Director for the past three years. Under her leadership, she has developed and implemented case management, counseling and community education services for seniors and their families. Her newest initiatives include outreach services for LBGT seniors and a financial program to help seniors avoid scams and fraud. Continue reading here.
| |
JFCS San Francisco Announces New Center for Dementia Care
The Bay Area, as well as the country as a whole, is facing a crisis in dementia care. Estimates are that one of every two people 85 and older in the Bay Area has some form of dementia, and that by 2020, the region will experience a 49% increase in residents with Alzheimer's disease, not to mention other forms of cognitive impairment. Fortunately, Jewish Family and Children's Services of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties' Seniors At Home, the largest provider of senior care, is leading the charge for enhanced support for people with dementia-related conditions, as well as for their families and caregivers, with the opening of the new Center for Dementia Care. Continue reading here.
| |
Norman & Ruth Rales JFS, MAZON Partner to Help Hungry Seniors
An alarming numbers of U.S. senior citizens (including many throughout the tri-county area) are either unaware of - or ignore - governmental support they are eligible for to get the food they need to alleviate their hunger and stay healthy..
This issue has reached a critical point as 10,000 "Baby Boomers" turn 65 every day with 56 percent of U.S. retirees having outstanding debt. One in three seniors is "food insecure" ("having limited access to adequate food") and/or disabled. Thirty percent must choose between food and medicine.
According to Abby Leibman, president/CEO of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, one in six seniors lives in poverty and 65 percent of seniors eligible for Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) funds do not use them.
MAZON is the only national Jewish organization focused exclusively on issues of hunger and is considered one of the leading anti-hunger organizations in the U.S.
Continue reading here.
| |
Do LGBT Seniors Have Special Caregiving Issues?
(The following article appeared in the October 3, 2014 issue of j. - the Jewish news weekly.)
I am a 55-year-old daughter, mother, and caregiver. My parents are divorced; both of them are aging and need help. My father came out as a gay man at midlife. He has been estranged from our family, but now he is an older adult with multiple challenges and requires medical and social services. What concerns and caregiving issues could come up with my dad? - K.S., Oakland
It sounds like you are committed to providing care and support for your father, which is fortunate and enriching for both of you. I'm sure there are many particulars of your father's situation and I encourage you to contact geriatric care managers and others who can help you assess his needs and options as he ages.
In general, elders in the LGBT community share the same concerns as heterosexual elders, such as financial stability, access to affordable healthcare and maintaining independence. Continue reading here.
| |
Calls & Webinars
Visit AJFCA's Calendarto learn more about free calls and webinars. For more information login to the Member Resources section of the AJFCA website, followed by Webinars. Contact Megan at 410-843-7327 with questions.
| |
|
Stay updated on AJFCA offerings, agency news & current trends . . .
|
|
|
D'Var Torah
Lee I. Sherman
President/CEO
This past Monday morning, Vice President Joe Biden was the keynote speaker at the Jewish Federations of North America's General Assembly. The Vice President was introduced by Nesse Godin, a native of Siaulia, Lithuania, and a survivor of a ghetto, concentration camp, four labor camps, and a death march. For many years, Nesse has spoken to groups and schools in the Washington, D.C. area, telling her story and keeping the memory of those who perished alive. Nesse's introduction of the Vice President was compelling and her words led directly into the Vice President's remarks, which opened with his personal connection to the Holocaust, it's importance for his father and how he has transmitted that to his own children, and a recognition of the critical work being done in the Jewish community to remember all Nazi victims and to care for those remaining. In referring to the work being done nationally, Vice President Biden specifically mentioned the Association of Jewish Family & Children's Agencies, as well as our VISTA program with AmeriCorps. It was a special moment and made me proud of the incredible efforts being made by so many of our members with and on behalf of survivors in their communities.  This week's parashah, Hayyei Sarah, begins with the death of Sarah and ends with the death of Abraham. In between, we read about the marriage of Isaac to Rebekah, an integral link to the continuation of the Jewish people. Death is a natural part of the human condition, but so is the opportunity for succeeding generations to carry on the legacies, traditions, and lessons of the earlier generations. As I listened to Nesse Godin on Monday, I thought how privileged I am to be in the presence of this remarkable woman who can connect me to Jewish life prior to the onset of Nazi terror. Yes, she has her own children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to continue her legacy, but she also has each of us to remember, honor, and take responsibility for all of the victims of the Holocaust. Have a peaceful Shabbat.
|
|
Combating Food Insecurity: Tools for Helping Older Adults Access SNAP 
"Combating Food Insecurity: Tools for Helping Older Americans Access SNAP," a joint toolkit from FRAC and the AARP Foundation, offers practical tips and examples to help organizations of all sizes address food insecurity in all types of communities with a goal of increasing senior SNAP participation. The toolkit walks through the basics of SNAP, and then provides practical resources to help organizations craft successful programs of education, outreach, and application assistance. It includes real examples of collateral and messages that have worked in communities across the nation, and offers strategies on how to measure success. Click here to access the toolkit.
|
Transportation Strategies for Older Adults and  People with Disabilities
Cultural and Ethnic Diversity in Inclusive Coordinated Transportation Planning: Garnering the Support of a Diverse Range of Stakeholders in Human Services Coordination
State & Local Experts Discuss How 5310 Works To Enhance Seniors' Mobility
|
|
AGENCY PROGRAMMING/OPERATIONS
|
Building Our Collaborative Muscles 
Building Our Collaborative Muscles, November 7, 2014, Stanford Social Innovation Review, by Rick Reed, Ruth Rominger, Jennifer Berman, & Kate Wing
We're in a new age of collaboration, where foundations and organizations are joining together to design and effect strategies for social change. When our organization, the Garfield Foundation, first began exploring a collaborative approach more than 12 years ago, we felt like an outlier in a philanthropic sector that loved individual theories of change, developed in-house and handed down to grantees. Now we get three or four calls a month from groups that want to engage in and support impact networks. It's inspiring to see the growing awareness that indeed, if you want to go far, you have to go together, and that experts can't solve today's adaptive challenges solo. Continue reading here.
|
When Should Nonprofits Consider Making a  Transformative Change?
When Should Nonprofits Consider Making a Transformative Change? November 9, 2014, The Huffington Post, by Eugene Fram
There is no "quick fix" to some nonprofit problems. A new hire, a board retreat, another task force -- all good nonprofit "fixers" -- are simply not equal to major challenges that call for transformative change. The evidence of more than one of the following signals suggest the necessity for different and possibly radical action. Learn more here. |
Older Adult Services Website & Survey 
AJFCA is thrilled to announce a new sub-site of our website focused specifically on older adult services. The website aims to increase referrals to member agency programs, streamline referrals between agencies, and act as an information hub on all matters of senior services. A central feature of the website will be an older adult services searchable directory. All member agencies that would like to shine a spotlight on their older adult services by being listed on the new website MUST tell us about their services and catchment areas here by Friday, November 14th. The new older adult services website is set to launch in Spring 2015, so keep an eye out for updates as we move forward with this exciting initiative. Please contact Zahava with any questions. |
Good Deeds Day Webinar  Good Deeds Day, held on March 15th celebrates doing good for the benefit of others and the planet. All over the world, hundreds of thousands choose to give of themselves, putting into practice the simple idea that every single person can do a good deed, be it large or small, to improve the lives of others and positively impact the world. Good Deeds Day, held March 15, 2015. Learn how to organize a project in your own community and activate your goodness.
Good Deeds Day Webinar
|
|
Addictions Practice Group Conference Call 
Professionals from AJFCA member agencies are invited to join your colleagues from across North America in a discussion of current trends and key issues in addictions services in your community.
Addictions Practice Group Conference Call
Wednesday, December 10th, 2pm ET - REGISTER HERE
|
|
How to Solicit Gifts for a Nonprofit 
How to Solicit Gifts for a Nonprofit, Memphis Daily News, November 11, 2014, by Mel & Pearl Shaw
It's time to ask, but just exactly what do you say? As the year comes to a close nonprofits look to board members, volunteers and donors to ask their friends, family members and colleagues to consider making a meaningful gift. You may have the internal fortitude to overcome your fear of asking (read, fear of rejection), but what exactly do you say and do? Learn more here.
|
|
COMMUNICATIONS & DEVELOPMENT
|
|
4 Ways to Win Over Year-End Donors 
4 Ways to Win Over Year-End Donors, November 10, 2014, Chronicle of Philanthropy, by Jason Sau
Whether it is the spirit of the holidays or a personal squaring of accounts ahead of tax season that drives donations, nearly a quarter of household charitable giving happens between Thanksgiving and New Year's, according to a study by Indiana University's Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. So during this opportune time for giving, how can your organization secure funding by persuading donors that it best meets the needs they care about most? Continue reading here.
|
|
Asking the Right Person for the Right Amount 
Asking the Rigth Person for the Right Amount, September 21, 2006, Nonprofit Quarterly, by Kim Klein
Nonprofits are heading into a heavy fundraising season, how do you make every ask count to the utmost? In this article from the Nonprofit Quarterly archives, the guru Kim Klein reintroduces us to wrong and right ways to make "the ask." Continue reading here.
|
|
The Three A's of a Successful Agency:  Accountability, Accessibility, and Affordability
To assist members in their transition to electronic record-keeping, AJFCA has partnered with Foothold Technology, entitling AJFCA agency members to a discount on Foothold's software and service package. Learn more about the changes facing nonprofit agencies at the webinar, The Three A's of a Successful Agency: Accountability, Accessibility, Affordability.This online session offers specific strategies for using technology and metrics to help agencies operate more efficiently and economically while improving their quality of care.
The Three A's of a Successful Agency
Presenter: David Bucciferro
|
VOLUNTEERS/YOUNG ADULT ENGAGEMENT
|
Motivating Millenials: How to Activate Young  People to Take Action for Your Cause
Don't underestimate the power of millennials. They're out to change the world, and Foundation Center has teamed up with DoSomething.org to help you reach them. If you're wondering...
- What should we ask millennials to do?
- How do we talk to millennials to engage them?
- What are the best ways to reach them?
...then reserve your spot today to get answers to these questions. For only $9.99, you have nothing to lose and millennials to gain.
Motivating Millenials
|
|
|
