Health & Wellness · February 22, 2021
No part of our body talks to us in quite the same way as our heart does. While we may not always be listening, our hearts communicate with us regularly, methodically, and (one should dearly hope) constantly. It only makes sense, therefore, that we’d want to keep the conversation going.
February is American Heart Month and perennially that time of year when we are urged to be more disciplined, change our habits, and start treating our hearts with respect.
Holocaust Survivors · February 05, 2021
“Holocaust survivors are our teachers and our heroes,” said Mark Wilf, the chair of The Jewish Federations of North America’s (JFNA) board of trustees. “With inspiring strength and conviction, they teach us about the past. Now, they are teaching us how to better serve all older adults who have survived trauma.”
JFNA’s Center on Aging and Trauma, a project of the Holocaust Survivor Initiative, has just awarded Jewish Family Service a one-year, $66,666 grant.
Health & Wellness · January 25, 2021
"Our people are leading by example," said Jewish Family Service CEO Liz Vogel. "By stepping up and getting the COVID-19 vaccine, we are showing others in our community that it is a safe, proactive step toward stopping the pandemic."
The passage from 2020 to 2021 was a transition that many in our country experienced as a kind of symbolic catharsis: out with the dreaded old year; in with the promising new year.
Caregiver Support · January 08, 2021
“If you don’t take care of yourself, then you can’t take care of anyone else,” explained Leslie Brody, LISW-S, LICDC-CS, the Director of Care Management, Counseling & Crisis Intervention at Jewish Family Service. “A lot of people who are good at being helpers are not always comfortable being helped.” That’s why AgeWell Cincinnati is teaming up with Jewish Family Service to create two new virtual support programs: one for caregivers and another for people who are struggling with grief.
Counseling & Mental Health · December 18, 2020
“It was one of my worst times,” says Gloria (identities changed for privacy). The interview takes place in the dining room of her small, freestanding home. There are signs of love all around—lots of green plants in the windows—but dust piles on the flat surfaces, and the curtains are faded. We are talking about when she finally fought free from addiction to pain medicine. (This interview occurred pre-COVID-19; at the end we share how Gloria is faring during the pandemic.)
Post-Adoption Services · December 06, 2020
“Jewish Family Service is committed to keeping these family histories alive,” said Amanda Huecker. Huecker is a Post-Adoption Social Worker at Jewish Family Service and works with families who are part of what she calls the adoption triad.
“The adoption triad is made up of adoptive parents, birth parents, and the adoptees,” she explained. “The services we offer are varied, depending upon the level of privacy that triad has set up."
Older Adult Services · November 21, 2020
The human body has been called an incredible machine and with 206 bones, over 600 muscles, and more than 4,000 tendons, it surely is that. But to function effectively, these attributes of the body must operate against a strong central core. And the relative importance of a strong core only increases with age; core strength promotes balance, prevents falls, prolongs lives, and even helps with incontinence.
Giving & Volunteering · November 15, 2020
“Young people can inspire others, just like adults can. They have a ton of power. And I think sometimes we forget how much good a single dollar can do—or a single can of soup.”
Chrissie Blatt couldn’t help but beam during a recent interview about her daughter Ella’s bat mitzvah project for Jewish Family Service: a canned soup drive to support Jewish Family Service Heldman Family Food Pantry at the Barbash Family Vital Support Center.
Counseling & Mental Health · November 06, 2020
“With the decision to move to working from home, we only had a short amount of time to change how we deliver counseling services,” said Leslie Brody in regards to Jewish Family Service’s COVID-19 response. “Overnight we had to pivot to phone counseling with most clients, and audio/visual telemedicine for those clients who had access to the technology.”
Brody is the Director of Care Management and Counseling & Crisis Intervention at JFS.
Food & Financial Assistance · October 19, 2020
Jewish Family Service is making sure the High Holiday season is special for everyone. To help, a longtime volunteer, Pam Barbash, and her family prepared brisket and matzo ball soup that were later handed out to clients of Jewish Family Service Barbash Family Vital Support Center.
“Every year, she prepares the meals in her own kitchen,” said Jonathan Magrisso, manager of the Heldman Family Food Pantry. “It’s just an extra way we can make sure everyone feels included.”