direction s SPRING 2021 In this issue Hag Sameach program steps up BIG Career Services responds to increased unemployment JFCS conducts multi-pronged effort to address food insecurity A big THANK YOU to all our volunteers! ANNUAL REPORT PAGES 25–29 >> And more! RESPONDING TO NEED AND STAYING CONNECTED JFCS THROUGH A 2020 PANDEMIC Senior Services Being a caregiver is hard. I’m always worried and overwhelmed. Who gets to decide what I need help but don’t know happens to dad? where to get it. I’m taking care of my mom and my own family. I am really How do I get my dad stressed and don’t know to the doctor’s office what to do first. when I need to be at work? How do I decide when my mom needs services in her home? I don’t know where to begin. just call Senior Services. Individualized care with boundless compassion Changes are happening and you don’t know where to start. Caregiving is hard and lonely. JFCS can JFCS, in partnership with Jewish Family Service of support your decision making, make connections to resources, provide education and help you St. Paul, will host a virtual conference, “Keeping the maintain balance in your own life. If you are feeling Spirit Alive: The Conference for Caregivers and Those overwhelmed just call JFCS and we can help. Supporting a Loved One with Dementia” on Sunday, May 2. For more information, see the back page of this issue. www.jfcsmpls.org Inside this Issue 4 Hag Sameach steps up big during winter holidays 5 High unemployment: Career Services meets the moment 6 JFCS conducts multi-pronged effort to address food insecurity 8 A “Million Reasons Why” it’s great to support JFCS’ annual campaign 9 Support JFCS’ Passover Hag Sameach program 10 A big thank you to JFCS’ 725+ volunteers! 12 Honor/Memorial Card Tributes 20 Endowment Funds 25-29 The 2020 JFCS Annual Report directions magazine is published by Jewish Family and Children’s Service JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA of Minneapolis, a beneficiary of the Minneapolis Jewish Federation. www.jfcsmpls.org jfcsminneapolis Board President Writer/Editor FACEBOOK Jeff Barin Marc Ingber LINKEDIN Jewish Family and Chief Executive Officer Graphic Designers Children's Service of Minneapolis Judy Halper Jen Clough Communications Director Megan Wiese INSTAGRAM jfcsminneapolis JFCS is committed to the inclusion of all people. Lori Leavitt directions • Winter 2020 3 Hag Sameach program steps up Staff from Children’s Hospital with Hag Sameach’s gift bags. The program provided gift bags for inpatients at nineBIG Hennepin County hospitals during Chanukah in 2020. Gift program serves more than 1,040 individuals in one of its biggest years yet ith needs at an all-time high, and the extra challenge of Making volunteering COVID-safe operating while needing to follow COVID safety protocols, In recognizing that we would need to adjust our volunteer opportunities JFCS’ Hag Sameach program achieved what is arguably its for safety reasons during the pandemic, Hag Sameach opened up shifts mostW successful year yet during the 2020 winter holidays! starting in August and had people come in either alone, or with up to More than 1,040 individuals received gifts this holiday season from Hag nine people who they already “bubbled” with, to do meaningful and Sameach, which works with local synagogues, the Minnesota JCC (Sabes essential projects for the program. Center Minneapolis), PRISM and other organizations Another change for volunteers this year was that rather to ensure that people in our community in need of “We were utterly shocked than having a block of all one type of shift at a time extra assistance have a resource for holiday gifts and with the amazing surprise of (bagging, gift wrapping), they had the option to choose essential items. The number of people served this year one type of shift or to do a hybrid experience where was an increase of more than 300 over 2019, which two huge bags of Chanukah they could divide their time and experience a couple itself was an increase of more than 180 from 2018. presents. It truly made our of different options. The program keeps on growing! holiday. We can't thank you “Having this fluid experience where we had multiple Hag Sameach Coordinator Mindy Teele said that all enough. May you guys continue opportunities happening at the same time allowed donations, big and small, make an impact for the for us to be incredibly productive while maintaining program’s clients. “As we inquire about what their to share happiness with all safety,” Teele said. interests are, and if they have any specific needs or the Jewish people throughout accommodations, it often happens that an item that For deliveries, Hag Sameach staff placed the gifts is donated is exactly what the recipient has on their Minneapolis. Sincerely and humbly directly in volunteers’ car trunks without contact. In wish list,” she said. grateful for all you guys do.” addition to providing fun snacks for them to enjoy while delivering, we also offered masks, hand sanitizer A big part of Hag Sameach is community outreach. – Hag Sameach recipient and gloves. After a successful pilot project in 2019 where we engaged with chaplains from five Hennepin County hospitals to provide gift bags “While there were certainly a lot of changes we needed for inpatients during Chanukah, this year we increased it to nine hospitals. to make this year due to the pandemic,” Teele said, “we looked at this as Also, when staff heard that residents at Sholom senior community were less of a problem and more as an opportunity to assess how the program having a difficult time with isolation due to the pandemic, we put together flows.What we discovered is that some of these changes were so successful, 321 gift bags for them that were distributed between both its campuses. we will be continuing with them in the future.” • For more information on the Hag Sameach program call 952.546.0616 • 4 Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis Career Services An unprecedented time of need UI (Unemployment Insurance) Claims filed in MN JFCS’ Dislocated Worker Program provides counseling, retraining and 1200k 633,426 job search assistance to people who lose their jobs due to layoffs. 1000k • This program is now more vital than ever, as there are whole industries that are devastated by COVID (travel industry, hospitality, food 800k service, entertainment, etc). women 600k 610,757 • Since March of last year, we have enrolled 150 individuals in this program – 95 are enrolled in training programs, ranging from 400k marketing to nursing, from basic computer skills programs to software men engineering, from project management to curriculum development. 200k 136,763 2019 2020 Just a couple of many success stories SOURCE: DEED UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE CLAIMS STATS Melissa was working as an administrative assistant, and after getting laid off, decided to pursue a job in the tech field. She participated in JFCS’ Dislocated Worker program, as well as our IT Pathways program, which connects individuals with the needed resources to prepare for success in IT jobs. She completed the UX (user experience) program in November 2020 and was hired in a well-paid position as a UX & web designer in January 2021. Ayaan, another IT Pathways program participant, became unemployed in September 2019 and decided to pursue a career field she could advance within. She completed the UX program in May 2020, in the midst of the early months of the pandemic. She maintained a positive perspective and continued to work the process of job searching and networking as the months passed. Her hard work paid off, as she was hired as a designer at Software for Good in January 2021, also earning a strong salary. JFCS Career Services has adjusted to meet the moment • While working remotely, employment counselors have found ways to engage clients via email, telephone and Zoom. • All training providers have also shifted to virtual classrooms. • With unemployment expected to remain high, we continue to collaborate with our partners to provide the highest level of service and meet the needs of our clients. Through dedication, innovation and a highly trained, compassionate staff, we remain Here for All. Always. For more information, call our Career Services Intake Line at 952-417-2111 or fill out an Interest Form at jfcsmpls.org/career-services-interest-form www.jfcsmpls.org JFCS addresses food insecurity With need at an all-time high, JFCS conducts multi-pronged effort to address food insecurity ith food insecurity at record-high levels in the Twin Cities, JFCS has added to its food security services by fighting hunger in new ways this fall. These efforts include securing food Wdonations, emergency food box deliveries, outreach to local food shelves and legislative advocacy plans. According to Second Harvest Heartland, before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, one in 11 Minnesotans struggled to afford food. Now, one in eight Minnesotans face hunger. JFCS is here to help. The Stillman Family Foundation, led by JFCS Board Member Andy Stillman, in December donated 20,000 pounds of dried fruit and nuts, which JFCS distributed to local organizations who, in turn, distributed the food to individuals and families in need. A second food delivery in February included more dried fruit and nuts along with granola and other nutritious, shelf-stable food. More deliveries are expected. JFCS stores the food in its Hag Sameach warehouse, and arranges to get the food out to community members through the anti-hunger network in which it participates. JFCS volunteers deliver the food to organizations without cost.