Highlights of 2006

• Beth Schwartz, LSW, was named Executive Director of Jewish Family Service after joining the agency in 1999 as director of Older Adult Services, being promoted in 2003 to associate director, and serving as acting executive director for eight months.

• Over 350 people learned strategies for families to connect to each other and to the community at the 3rd Annual Miriam O. Smith Educational Series with keynote speaker Mary Pipher, PhD, author of the bestseller Reviving Ophelia.

• The ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) program received the highest ranking possible from Ohio Department of Education.

• Jewish Family Service staff and volunteers received special training from Bet Tzedek Legal Services House of Justice in Los Angeles to help Holocaust survivors receive Hungarian Holocaust restitution benefits.

• A special needs infant was successfully adopted and is thriving in her adoptive home after being born prematurely at 28 weeks. JFS staff, volunteers, and foster family regularly visited and provided frequent loving contact during the child’s 10 weeks in intensive care.

• An award supporting Jewish Family Service Food Pantry operations was received from Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger.

• Since becoming naturalized citizens, approximately 25 students from the Voting Education class voted for the first time.

• Adoption Connection increased pregnancy counseling outreach to local pregnancy care centers, women’s centers, and social service providers.

• Jewish Family Service connected an Orthodox Jewish refugee couple from Cuba with our Jewish community, and matched them with a Spanish-speaking former refugee JFS resettled years ago.

• Rockwern Charitable Foundation signed on as the lead sponsor for the 8th annual Cincinnati Pesach Delivery Project, which employed the assistance of 115 volunteers to collect and deliver Passover meals to more than 375 people in need.

• JFS collaborated with other Cincinnati Jewish agencies serving seniors to host JASSFEST, an educational fair promoting healthy aging.

• Miami University evaluated the Options Cincinnati aging-in-place program and found a positive correlation between Options residents and their attitudes regarding age integration, belongingness in community, and health assessment. JFS research determined 75% percent of Options Cincinnati residents who were at risk of moving out remained in their own home.

• More than 1500 teens were taught the warning signs of abuse in a relationship through the Youth Violence Prevention program.

• With a careful eye on the bottom line, the agency reduced a significant operating deficit by 95%.

• 100% of refugees who took Jewish Family Service Citizenship classes were granted citizenship.

• JFS collaborated with Suburban Pediatric Associates to host a community panel discussion on current trends in ADHD featuring local experts. This event attracted 77 attendees.

• 570 clients received counseling, helping them meet life’s challenges to move forward in their lives.

• Jewish Family Service helped build 18 families through domestic and international adoption.

• JFS welcomed the second Action Reconciliation Service for Peace volunteer from Germany, bridging the gap between today’s Germans and local Holocaust survivors.

• Funding was received to introduce a new Refugee Family Enrichment program teaching healthy relationship skills.

• With the support of several local organizations and National Council of Jewish Women, Jewish Family Service hosted the first annual women’s seder to raise awareness about domestic abuse in the Jewish community.

• Through a collaboration with Jewish Hospital, Jewish Family Service Jewish Visiting Initiative: The Bikur Cholim Project created the Hospital Shabbat Visiting program and trained volunteer visitors to help Jewish patients observe the Jewish Sabbath.

• 58 pregnant women received one-on-one counseling for all aspects of the pregnancy, including adoption options, parenting issues, resources and referrals.

• Jewish Family Service became a counseling provider under the PASSPORT program.

• 1340 volunteers donated 11,800 hours of direct and non-direct services.

• Having been selectively invited, Jewish Family Service testified about older adult issues at a hearing before the US Senate Subcommittee on Retirement Security and Aging.