JFS Volunteers Needed!

Volunteers are the heart of JFS. Throughout each year, more than 1,300 people of all ages, races and ethnicities contribute more than 200,000 hours of service to JFS!

We are always in need of passionate, committed individuals who want to help serve our community. Two new volunteer positions have recently opened up:

1. Shabbat Party Volunteer

Every Friday, JFS { Freda Mohr Multipurpose Center hosts a Shabbat Party for seniors in the community. We are looking for a volunteer to help every Friday from 11:45-1:15. The volunteer will help pass out challah and grape juice during Kiddush and will sing and dance along with our seniors to our weekly entertainers.

2. JFS { CONNECT Volunteers

Our JFS { CONNECT program is looking for volunteer drivers to accompany seniors on errands in the West Hollywood area. Volunteers must commit 4 hours a month and the schedule is flexible. Volunteers will be matched with seniors who need companionship, along with help with transportation to various appointments and errands. 

For more information about any of these programs, please contact Rebecca Kraemer, Coordinator of Volunteer Services, at (323) 761-8800 or rkraemer@jfsla.org.

JFS Tours Warner Brothers Studio!

Yesterday, members of the JFS Resource Development team, and Communications Department had the opportunity to do something very cool. We took a private tour of the Warner Brothers Studio Lot in Burbank!

Our 2012 Anita & Stanley Hirsh Award Honoree Jeff Nagler reached out to our team and extended this invitation as a thank-you for making his night at the 2012 JFS Gala Awards Tribute Dinner so special.

Jeff, who is the Executive Vice President of Warner Bros. Studio Facilities Group, took time out of his busy schedule to spend an entire afternoon with our group, treating us to lunch, introducing us to various people on the WB lot, and showing us a special "behind-the-scenes" look at the ins and outs of the television & film industry. He even drove us around personally on a tram!

Here are some pictures from our tour. We ate a delicious lunch in the WB cafeteria (complete with frozen yogurt!), visited a "foley" studio, walked through the hundreds of racks in the costume department, visited the set of "The Big Bang Theory", toured a special museum with props & set pieces from movies such as Harry Potter and the upcoming The Dark Night Rises, and even saw the Central Perk coffee shop set from Friends!

Our group had an INCREDIBLE day seeing all the special things that go into making television and movies so extraordinary. Special thanks also goes out to Jeff's assistant of more than 25 years, Mirna Cannon, who helped coordinate our visit. 

Jeff, we had the best afternoon ever with you. Thank you so much for having us!

Our JFS Executive Board Visits Israel!

Recently, a group of JFS Executive Board Members and Executive Staff took a trip to Israel to learn about and become acquainted with the various social service programs offered on the other side of the world.

More than a dozen board members and their spouses joined JFS Chief Executive Officer Paul S. Castro and JFS Chief Operating Officer Susie Forer-Dehrey in touring through Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and several cities in the north. The ten-day trip featured tours of centers and meetings with professionals in Israel who are working to help those in need; interestingly, many of these programs and services are similar to programs JFS offers to the community here in Los Angeles. 

In addition to visiting places such as the Jaffa Institute Food Distribution Center, the Beit Ruth Hostel for Teenage Girls, the Israel Center for the Treatment of Pyscho Trauma, Yad Sara, and the Israeli version of Café Europa, the group also had the opportunity to sightsee and enjoy the unique beauty of Israel. 

Check out some of our pictures from the trip!

Special thanks to Debby Barak for taking these great photos. Shabbat Shalom everyone!

JFS { Gala Photos Are In!

Our 19th Annual JFS { Gala Tribute Dinner was a huge success!

At the event, which was held on Tuesday, May 29th at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, JFS honored Tami Kupetz Stapf and David Stapf with the Spirit of Humanity Award, and our Immediate Past Board President Jeff Nagler with the Anita and Stanley Hirsh Award for Outstanding Community Leadership. The event also featured a special musical performance by singer, songwriter, and philanthropist John Ondrasik from the band Five for Fighting.

Most importantly, nearly $1.1 million was raised for our agency's valuable programs and services, which will go directly towards helping the members of our community who need it most. We are grateful to our committed donors who showed their support for JFS and our clients, staff, and volunteers.

Please enjoy some photos from the event!

Special thanks to our photographer, Jonah Light, for his great images. If you'd like to see more pictures, please click here!

A Special Day: Our JFS { Chaverim Shining Star Fundraiser

This year's JFS { Chaverim Shining Star Fundraiser was a very special day for everyone involved!

At the event, held on June 10th, more than 200 people came out to show support for the JFS { Chaverim program and honor three dedicated Chaverim volunteers. The 11th annual afternoon celebration also featured entertainment by the Heartland Band featuring Andy Hill and Renee Safier, and performances by the Chaverim singers.


JFS { Chaverim is a social friendship program for adults (ages 18 and over) with development disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders. JFS { Chaverim offers members the opportunity to attend field trips and community outings, develop relationships and make new friends, enhance life and social skills, participate in activities such as bowling and picnics, and become more connected to the Jewish community.

Pictured above: JFS Board President David O. Levine, Honorees Rachel Andres, Lisa Kodmur, and Leah Kitz, JFS Chief Program Officer Vivian Sauer, The Jewish Federation's Carol Koransky and Andrew Kushnir, and JFS { Chaverim's Gerry Dicker.

Thank you to everyone who helped participate in this special event! We will be posting more photos very soon!

A New Video Featuring Our JFS { Yaran Program

Did you know? One of the unique services JFS offers is a special program designed specially for the Persian and Farsi-speaking community.

Iranian immigrants can access services and receive information about available resources in a culturally and linguistically sensitive manner by calling this special peer counseling telephone helpline. The telephone helpline is staffed by trained volunteers and supervised by a social worker. The Peer Counseling program has expanded its services through the Yaran Program, and has paraprofessionals available to provide on-site services with other agencies in order to better serve the Farsi-speaking community.

Check out this great video about JFS { Yaran, sponsored by the California Community Foundation:



For more information about JFS { Yaran, please contact Mastaneh Moghadam at mmoghadam@jfsla.org, or call the Iranian Counseling Peer Help Line at 818.464.2864.

A Recipe from JFS's Own Chef Hugo Perez!

Five days a week, the JFS { Senior Nutrition Program provides nutritious meals and a chance for socialization for older adults (and their caregivers), giving them the opportunity to eat healthy, well-balanced food while socializing with peers and friends. 

Food is prepared by our culinary team at the JFS { Hirsh Kosher Kitchen, led by Chef Hugo Perez, the Food Service Manager for JFS. Today, Chef Hugo is sharing a delicious AND nutritious recipe on the blog! 

Easy Quinoa Salad 

Makes 10 servings

Ingredients:

Quinoa = 2 cups

Boiling water = 4 cups

Finely diced celery = ¼ cup

Diced red bell peppers = ¼ cup

Peeled diced cucumber = ½ cup

Fresh chopped cilantro or parsley = 2 bunches

Roma tomatoes (seeded and diced) = 1 cup

Minced garlic cloves = 4 cloves

Diced onion = ¼ cup

Olive oil = ½ cup

Lemon juice = ½ cup

Black ground pepper = 1 tsp

Kosher salt = 3 tbs

Almonds, slivered/roasted = ½ cup

Strawberries or mint springs for garnishing

 

Directions:

1. In a large pot, pour water and half of the salt. Bring it to boil.
2. Rinse quinoa in a strainer with cold running water and add it to the boiling water.
3. Cover the pot and let it simmer for 10 minutes on low.
4.  Wash and dice all vegetables and keep them in a bowl big enough to combine them all.     
5. Remove quinoa from fire and empty it in a shallow pan. Let cool.
6.  In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, pepper and salt to taste.
7. In the large bowl, combine quinoa and chopped vegetables. Toss well with the olive oil dressing, adding almonds last.
8. Garnish with fresh mint springs and strawberries. Serve cold and enjoy!

Chef Hugo calls this recipe "delicious, easy, healthy, gluten-free, and perfect for summer!" Looks tasty to us!

How JFS { Freda Mohr Celebrates Shabbat!

Every Friday afternoon, the JFS { Freda Mohr Multipurpose Center celebrates Shabbat in a very special way. Dozens of older adults, volunteers, and JFS staff gather together to spend an hour singing, dancing, and ringing in Shabbat together.

"I come every week - I love the music and dancing!" said a JFS client. Her friend held up a cup of grape juice after the entire group had recited the blessings for challah and wine. "L'chaim!"

What a special way to end the week! Shabbat Shalom!