Generosity of Jackson Charitable Trust Helps Unemployed

Pittsburghers haven’t been immune to the downturn in the nation’s economy, and our Career Development Center is busier than ever serving those who have been impacted by the recession and are looking for work. For more than two decades, the CDC has helped clients to quickly find meaningful employment by providing top-notch services including career assessment & counseling, workshops and job search assistance.

However, JF&CS is facing a perfect storm of rising community needs and declining revenues to support current, let alone expanded, levels of service. Government support for workforce programs like those offered by the CDC have been cut or reduced dramatically. And with increased demand for services, the timing couldn’t be worse. Due to these cutbacks, fewer agencies are providing intensive employment services like those offered at JF&CS’s Career Development Center.

We are pleased to report that the trustees of the John E. and Sue M. Jackson Charitable Trust, administered by the PNC Charitable Trusts, approved a grant which will support the CDC’s work.

As client satisfaction surveys and correspondence attest, our CDC is valued not only for the staff’s expertise, but also for their compassionate support — something that cannot be underestimated during what is understandably a very stressful period in one’s life. We are very grateful for the support of the John E. and Sue M. Jackson Charitable Trust.

For more information on CDC services for individuals, or on the outplacement and recruitment services CDC offers to companies, please visit the CDC website or call 412.422.5627.

JF&CS helps change the face of Pittsburgh

During the steel mill era in the not-so-distant past, immigrants from all over the world came to Pittsburgh to earn a decent living and to put down their roots. Immigrants still come to Pittsburgh today for the same reasons but now they are looking for jobs in high tech, light manufacturing, hospitality and healthcare fields.

Jewish Family & Children’s Service plays a significant role in helping immigrants successfully settle in our region, thus diversifying our workforce and at the same time helping to reverse the population losses of the past several decades. In fact, over the past ten years, JF&CS has helped over 10,000 refugees and immigrants successfully resettle in Greater Pittsburgh communities.

Jewish Family & Children’s Service is ensuring that immigrants have a positive, productive start in Pittsburgh by providing legal employment and support services to immigrants and refugees. JF&CS is the only local U.S. Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) recognized agency providing immigration related legal services to newcomers to our country and region.

Through our Career Development Center we offer employment services that can help immigrants identify their skills, find specialized training sources and ultimately find work that fits their experience level and interests. We also offer a Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) to help individuals for whom English is a second language file and pay their taxes.

Recently, JF&CS accredited immigration representative Jamie Englert was part of an immigration panel for the WQED show “Horizons.” Hosted by seasoned local television personality Chris Moore, the “Horizons” episode focused on healthcare, transportation, education and other issues that immigrants arriving in Pittsburgh are faced with. You can click here to watch the 30-minute segment.

Panelists also discussed the many positive, tangible contributions that immigrants are making to the Pittsburgh economy and community. They are opening businesses and paying taxes, joining churches and other places of worship and in general are adding to the cultural mixing pot that is Western Pennsylvania.

Pittsburgh welcomes those who are visiting or relocating to our great city. For more information on JF&CS services for immigrants, please visit our website or call 412.422.7200.

Long-time partner: Ladies Hospital Aid Society

Sometimes crises aren’t obvious to outsiders. Passing a couple or a family on the street, many of us could never deduce that domestic violence, hunger or poverty may be causing distress. In our day-to-day interactions, we may not realize those who we come in contact may be struggling.

Jewish Family & Children’s Service recognizes that the first step to help those facing a crisis is to identify the problem or need, whether it’s spousal abuse, not having enough to eat, struggling not to lose a house to foreclosure or feeling the pressure to care for an aging parent.

While individuals reach out to JF&CS for help, we, too, rely on the support of others to assist us in fulfilling our mission.

Ladies Hospital Aid Society (LHAS) is one such organization.

LHAS has remained responsive to the changing health care needs of the entire Western Pennsylvania community for more than a century. From providing support for the poor and the sick to those who are in need of emergency help, LHAS has shown incredible care, compassion and fortitude to help individuals and families right here in Pittsburgh. They do this through several LHAS programs and by supporting programs of organizations such as JF&CS which share LHAS’s commitment to making a difference.

Since 1992, LHAS has graciously given in excess of $219,000 to JF&CS programs and initiatives. More than half of that amount LHAS has designated to domestic violence programs at JF&CS, helping to bring the problem of abuse at the hands of a spouse to light and enabling us to provide free counseling sessions to women experiencing abuse.

“Domestic abuse is an issue that has been in the news at least daily,” said Dee Dee Troutman, executive director of LHAS. “Since we started as a women’s organization 114 years ago, it’s a cause near and dear to our hearts.”

LHAS also has provided grants in support of the Squirrel Hill Community Food Pantry, which last year distributed nearly 250,000 pounds of food to 600 households; caregiver and escort services which help aging adults; and our SOS Pittsburgh emergency assistance program, a program that prevents crises from upending lives.

We are very grateful to the leadership, members and staff of LHAS for their staunch support and look forward to many more years of partnering to improve lives.

Recognizing International Holocaust Rememberance Day

The Holocaust (Hashoah, in Hebrew) was the systematic,  state-sponsored persecution and murder of approximately six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators between 1933 and 1945.* Jews were the primary victims, though gypsies, people with disabilities and others were also targeted for decimation for racial, ethnic or national reasons.

This Friday, January 27 is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. In 2005, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution designating January 27 — the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp — as an annual day of commemoration to honor the victims of the Nazi era.

In the U.S. we also honor the victims and survivors on Yom Hashoah, (established in 1951 by the Israeli Knesset) on the 27th day of Nisan of the Hebrew calendar (typically during the month of April). This date coincides with the anniversary of the Warsaw ghetto uprising and the liberation of the concentration camps in Western Europe.

Sixty-seven years ago this coming Friday, the gates of Auschwitz-Birkenau opened and those who survived are living memorials to those who were lost. As Elie Wiesel once said, remembering has become “the sacred duty of all people of goodwill.”

These days of Remembrance serve to remind us of not only man’s capacity for evil, but also his capacity for good, as evidenced in documented acts of courage. Some are more famous like the German industrialist Oskar Schindler at his factory in Poland and Miep Gies who hid Anne Frank in Holland. And some are less familiar: ordinary people who acted in extraordinary ways, like a couple who hid a jewish family in their attic or a government official who forged identity papers.

At JF&CS, we are proud of the fact that we’ve been working with Holocaust survivors since the atrocities of World War II ended, and we helped to resettle many survivors here in our community. But sixty-seven years later, those who survived are either gone, or in advanced age, with a critical need for care. Thanks to a recurring annual grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, Inc., JF&CS can provide this care to survivors.

Like most older adults, Holocaust survivors often want to remain safely and comfortably in their homes for as long as possible, and our confidential, comprehensive social services work toward that objective. These services include initial consultation and needs assessment, coordination of in-home support services and ongoing care management. Many survivors are eligible for direct assistance and receive help with the cost of caregivers or household maintenance. Our social workers also help survivors to access government benefits and Holocaust-related restitution payments.

To learn more about our Holocaust Survivor services and the people we’ve helped, click here or contact Sandy Budd, LCSW (sbudd@jfcspgh.org; 412-422-0400). To learn more about JF&CS’s other services for Older Adults, click here.

*Source: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

A look at JF&CS’s special needs services during Jewish Disability Month

February is most commonly associated with Super Bowl parties, romance and predictions of an early spring (or lengthier winter). But February also welcomes Jewish Disability Awareness Month, a time when Jewish communities and organizations unite for the purpose of raising awareness and supporting meaningful inclusion of people with disabilities and their families in every aspect of Jewish life. Many synagogues hold special disability awareness Shabbats and days schools may provide sensitivity training or other disability awareness programming.

At JF&CS, we strive to make resources available year round for families with special needs. We also offer special events and programming, including two upcoming events:

A free training session, “Long-term Planning for Your Family Member,” will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, January 23, at Rodef Shalom Congregation. For most individuals with disabilities, estate planning is needed to ensure sufficient financial resources for personal needs beyond what a parent or guardian can provide. In this workshop, presented by The Pennsylvania Training Partnership for People With Disabilities And Families, an experienced estate planning attorney will explain trusts for individuals with disabilities. Planning offers the opportunity for family members and individuals to have peace of mind when it comes to their loved one’s future, regardless of whether they live with parents, in a residential facility or by themselves, says JF&CS resource coordinator Linda Marino.

The second event is a free screening of the film “A Place for All: Faith and Community for Persons with Disabilities” from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 1 at JF&CS.

Linda Marino, along with Terry Feinberg-Steinberg of the Agency for Jewish Learning, will host this engaging film. All faiths are explored, says Linda, who has more than 25 years of experience in special needs information & referral, service coordination and advocacy. She is the parent of an adult child with special needs.

“Including people with disabilities can be enriching to everyone,” Linda says. “Accepting everyone, especially in religious aspects, benefits us all.”

All are welcome to both programs. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Linda at 412-802-5945 or lmarino@jfcspgh.org.

Jewish Family & Children’s Service is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization. Services are provided and referrals are made without regard to race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, place of birth, sex, sexual orientation, familial status, age, handicap or disability.

GPLC gives boost to Refugee Program

Each month, Jewish Family & Children’s Service helps resettle dozens of refugees who have fled from oppression, fear of persecution, imprisonment or worse. The Refugee Services staff at JF&CS is there to pick up refugees as soon as they arrive at the airport. We arrange apartments and make sure they are equipped with the basic necessities of living including clothing, furniture and food. We help arrange schooling for children and provide referrals for enrolling in Welfare and Social Security programs.

But the initial set up is just the start. That’s where our three AmeriCorps service participants come in.

AmeriCorps is a national service program, providing opportunities for individuals to do community service through a network of partnerships with organizations which recruit and deploy AmeriCorps service participants in non-profits in their communities.

The Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council (GPLC) is one such organization, and through their generous support, JF&CS is able to host Americorps service participants Jessica Browne, Brendan Coticchia and Cecilia Mok.

AmeriCorps service participants (l-r): Jessica Browne, Cecilia Mok and Brendan Coticchia.

Jessica, Brendan and Cecilia accompany refugees to doctor appointments, find employment in the Pittsburgh region and coordinate volunteers for in-home programs, respectively. They work to establish stability in the lives of refugees who are, essentially, starting over while helping them navigate through everyday challenges.

“We see how incredibly needy refugees are. They come from impoverished backgrounds and have little or no education and they need all kinds of support,” said Don Block, executive director of GPLC. (The GPLC partnership extends beyond their AmeriCorps program: refugees participate in GPLC English as a second language programming. For refugees coming to America with little or no spoken English, gaining English language proficiency is critical to succeeding with everyday living and in the workplace.)

Thanks to dedicated partners like GPLC and the hard work of our staff and AmeriCorps service participants, JF&CS can proudly say that 86 percent of refugees served achieve self-sufficiency within three months. AmeriCorps service participants extend what JF&CS is able to do for refugees: helping families establish their new lives and encouraging them to be successful in America.

Creating meaning and purpose in the New Year

“The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.” – Mitch Albom, author of “Tuesdays with Morrie” and “The Five People You Meet in Heaven”

We’ve always known that Pittsburgh is an incredibly giving, philanthropic city. Every day, dedicated community members devote themselves to very worthy causes like JF&CS. During the holiday season, the outpouring of community largesse is even richer. This year, several very generous local businesses and organizations devoted their time and efforts to raising funds or goods for JF&CS, including:

• My Little Outback owners Todd and Erin Schachter organized a toy drive to benefit the children of refugee families resettled by JF&CS. When refugees come to America, they typically come with little more than the clothes on their backs and a limited understanding of America’s vast and complex culture. From the moment JF&CS staff and volunteers meet them at the airport and take them to the apartments they’ve established for them, we work tirelessly to help refugee families successfully resettle in our community.
• Hillel JUC, Rodef Shalom Congregation, the JCC South Hills and Hillel Academy also held toy drives, but for our Squirrel Hill Community Food Pantry households with children. The unexpected gifts from these toy drives were greeted with glee by the children and gratitude by their parents and are yet more examples of our extraordinarily caring community.
• ‎Animal Friends donated 745 pounds of Chow Wagon pet food to the Squirrel Hill Community Food Pantry. Pet food can be expensive, and for families who are already struggling to afford food for themselves, providing for their furry friends can be difficult. With the help of Animal Friends, clients with pets can take cat or dog food while shopping for their own groceries.  In addition to the bi-monthly donation of 245 pounds, Halo Pet Food gave another 500 pounds of pet food this year!
• Chabad House at the University of Pittsburgh, together with AEPi fraternity, arranged the second annual Canorah display in the William Pitt Student Union. Students raised funds to purchase 300 industrial-sized cans of food they used to construct a menorah, and then donated their can struction menorah to the Squirrel Hill Community Food Pantry at Chanukah’s end.  In November, the Food Pantry served a record, 21,150 pounds of a food. Donations like this enable us to meet the needs of households that face food insecurity, a number that is steadily rising.

This list is by no means exhaustive – we are eternally grateful for the many gifts of volunteer time, money and goods that came our way this holiday season.  We hope you also will keep JF&CS in mind throughout the year as there is an incredible amount of need all 365 days of the year.  Every one of us at JF&CS is committed to improving lives — every day, for every client — and we thank you for helping us to deliver on that promise.