Direct To You 1

J e w i s h F a m i l y S e r v i c e s , I n c .

Direct toYou

remember how much we appreciate your dedication to our clients and our agency.

In this issue, you will meet another ESL volunteer and also learn about emergency situations: what they are and how to handle one. Written by JFS staff guest author Carin Pittleman, A.P.S.W., M.S.S.W., JFS Case Manager and Lifetime Service Program Coordinator, the article will outline the steps to take in an emergency. Miriam Fleming, JFS Board Chair writes about the JFS housing movement and there’s plenty of news on upcoming JFS events too!

One Reminder: Please remember to report your volunteer hours for this past quarter ( January, February and March). With our changeover to an online format in September, the routine of returning volunteer time reports in the past two quarters has lost some of its steam.

See the last page of the newsletter for ways to report your first quarter hours.

Enjoy, Susie

The Big Thaw! Baseball ads! Patio Furniture! Garden Supplies! Spring is here and signs of it are everywhere. Spring cleaning is another aspect of the season that often comes to mind and is put into action. Spring cleaning usually means clearing closets, airing rugs, opening windows, and moving plows & shovels out to make room for clay pots & tomato rings. Yes, it’s a time for renewing your rooms, refreshing your home and re-committing to all the warmer outdoor opportunities that ‘spring’ up.

We usually don’t think of it, but spring is also a time to renew other things in our life as we dust off the long fall and winter months. Take a few moments to think about all of the ways that you can renew, refresh and re-commit to your volunteer work.

For instance, you can rebuild your motivation to volunteer, refine your volunteer goals, reflect on your client’s needs, reinforce your belief in the JFS mission, , rejoice in the remarkable work that you do or reward yourself for making a difference in our community.

Consider renewing and refreshing your commitment to being a JFS volunteer this spring and be sure to

A Newsletter for JFS Direct Service Volunteers

Dear JFS VolunteersContents

Dear JFS Volunteer 1

Working together 2

What’s News at JFS 3

Who is a JFS Volunteer 4

Things to Do, Places to go 6

Online Newsletter 7

Emergency Situations 8

“Go-To” Site 10

Celebrate Service 11

Quarterly Report 11

Jewish Family Services, Inc.1300 N. Jackson StreetMilwaukee, WI 53202

ph: 414-390-5800fax: 414-390-5808www.jfsmilw.org

Editor: Susie GruenbergDesigner: Melinda Toy

Welcome to Possibility...

Direct To You 2

who expressed their concern over the lack of safe, affordable, and accessible housing for their children to live independently.

Residents of this new “neighborhood” began moving into their new home this past November. Thirty of the sixty apartments have Section 8 vouchers from Milwaukee County and are reserved for individuals with developmental or physical disabilities or chronic and persistent mental illness. Working together with the County and Movin’ Out, we were able to quickly fill the building, which now has a waiting list of over 140 people. Bradley Crossing has proven that the impact of not-for-profit and government partnerships cannot be overlooked in making a difference in the lives of individuals.

Without hesitation, JFS Housing fulfills the mission of Jewish Family Services, which is to provide supportive services that will strengthen families, children and individuals throughout the life cycle within the context of their unique needs and traditions. From our youngest resident at Bradley Crossing (a newborn) to our oldest resident at Deerwood Crossing, JFS Housing is providing a valuable service to our community.

This new campus we have created is the source of stability, strength and equality which have been hallmarks of Jewish Family Services since the beginning. Our programs and services are available to anyone in need regardless of income, lifestyle, religion or ethnicity. These ideals have carried over to JFS Housing, which is setting the standard for affordable housing in Milwaukee.

Working Together Towards the FutureMiriam Fleming, Jewish Family Services Board Chair

The core mission of Jewish Family Services is to provide supportive services to individuals and families in need of assistance. The lack of available, safe and affordable housing for our clients was a need JFS had identified for many years. So, in 2008, JFS established JFS Housing to provide housing and supportive services for older adults and people with disabilities to meet the needs of JFS clients and the broader community.

Agency leadership recognized that in order to provide such a benefit to our clients and the community that we needed a proven, experienced development partner and the cooperation of a community who understood and believed in this need as much as we did.

JFS selected the Village of Brown Deer for developing its projects because of its prime location in Milwaukee County. In addition, the Village leadership was receptive to revitalizing this particular neighborhood through new construction and affordable housing and recognized the overall benefit to the rest of the community. JFS then identified General Capital Group, which has extensive experience in the development of tax credit housing projects and is well-respected by the Village of Brown Deer leadership.

Based on JFS’s 145 year history in serving older adults, the partners embarked on our first project: Deerwood Crossing Senior Residences. Opened in June 2010, the 66 unit apartment complex is for adults age 55+ who are looking for independent and assisted living with an “age in place” concept. The project has been so successful that we are well into the planning of Phase II, which will add another 30 apartments, 25 of which will be at affordable rates.

On March 21st, we celebrated the opening of Bradley Crossing Supportive Housing Community. The question of the need for housing for people with disabilities began with many individual requests from parents of disabled young adults

Direct To You 3

What’s News at JFS?

There are many exciting events coming up this spring and summer. Be sure to save the dates and we hope you will attend! For more information on any of the events, please visit www.jfsmilw.org.

Tough Guise on May 1JFS is bringing Jackson Katz, Ph.D., educator, author and acclaimed lecturer, to Milwaukee to speak at the Italian Conference Center on Wednesday, May 1, 2013. A continental breakfast and registration will begin at 8:00am, followed by Katz multimedia presentation, “Tough Guise: Violence, Media and the Crisis in Masculinity,” from 8:30-11:30am. Katz will illustrate how mainstream media images from sports, television, Hollywood film, and music videos help to promote violent masculinity as a cultural norm. Katz will be available for a book signing immediately after the program. The event is free and open to the public, but rsvps are required to katz@jfsmilw.org or 414-225-1372 by April 22.

Luncheon of Champions on June 6Jewish Family Services is honored to recognize Andrew, David and Greg Marcus for their commitment to improving the communities in which they live and work. We hope that you can join us along with Steve Marcus at the Pfister Hotel as we present…My Three Sons.

Milwaukee Masterpiece on August 24 - 25The Milwaukee Masterpiece is a weekend-long event celebrating the rich history and beauty of automobiles and motorcycles. Exhibitors join us from across the United States, Canada and Europe. This year, celebrate the anniversaries of Ferrari, Porsche, Corvette, Aston Marton and Harley Davidson motorcycles. Each day presents different vehicles, so plan to attend both days. Proceeds from the Milwaukee Masterpiece benefit Jewish Family Services. For more information, visit www.milwaukeemasterpiece.com.

JFS clients received Purim Mishloach Manot bags made by the Milwaukee Jewish Day School students.

The Milwaukee Jewish Day School 2nd graders made Valentine’s Day Cards for JFS clients.

Direct To You 4

Who is a JFS Volunteer?Alan Steinke loves to communicate and he communicates in so many ways.

At three years of age, Alan Steinke’s family moved from Kenosha to an area mid-way between Steven’s Point and Waupaca where 191 people lived and potato fields were his neighbors. A post office and two bars were nearby,

but Amherst Junction, the closest town, was still a mile and a half away. Alan attended K-12 in Amherst, another town, and had 59 students in his graduating class. These close-knit communities of family, townspeople and students were Alan’s foundation in communication. It was in fourth grade, at age ten that Alan began taking guitar lessons and found another way to communicate. He also added trombone to his repertoire and was part of the jazz band, concert band and choir from 6th through 12th grades. Alan studied Arts Management and classical guitar at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point and, of course, graduated from UW-Milwaukee with a bachelor’s degree in Communications.

Alan pursued his graduate studies in Communications at UW-Milwaukee. He has been studying classical guitar and classical voice at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music for the past 22 years.

Alan studied Education and Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) at Cardinal Stritch University. Through his studies there, a professor referred him to Jewish Family Services to volunteer as an ESL Teacher. First starting at the Shorewood Library, the class of two students moved to the community room of their apartment building so they wouldn’t have to walk in the cold weather. Alan

starts each class with a discussion of “What’s going on?”, then moves into work sheets and finishes the class with reading from one-day entries of diary-type books. Alan has been teaching the same two students for the past 13 years.

He has also been employed by Goodwill Industries as a Rehabilitation Technician, then a member of the Enhancement Team, and now as a Recreational Assistant for over 15 years, serving the needs of people with disabilities. He creates programming to suit the needs of the clients who range from 22 to 90 years of age.

Alan teaches cooking classes, presents travelogues, leads group discussions on current events and runs creative writing activities. He has a large personal musical collection and uses it in everything he does.

Weaving together his love of teaching, learning and communicating, Alan focuses his work on the importance of engaging the clients in dialogue, keeping clients’ brains active, promoting creative thinking and employing each person’s faculties to the best of their abilities.

For instance, Alan is a vegetarian and each month he chooses a country to coordinate cooking classes with a travelogue. In February, he demonstrated Potatoes Bravo and a Garlic Mushroom Tapa with a travelogue to Spain. Alan finds the work very rewarding because he can do everything he loves with his extended family of 60 – 70 clients; communicating through teaching, music and caring.

For the future, Alan’s dream is to serve the elderly with performances at retirement homes and adult day centers. Thank you, Alan, for ‘communicating’ your story.

Direct To You 5

1. Why do you volunteer with JFS? Volunteering as an ESL Teacher is rewarding for me and rewarding for my two students. I am always learning something from them and over the years, I have seen their English improve. Now, their friends are asking them how to say something in English and they are helping others with paperwork and documents

2. What is your favorite part of your JFS volunteer job? I love to learn about the Russian culture and share my culture with the students. It’s a nice exchange and they can definitely explain their culture much better now. Every year, I also sing for the students and engage them in a sing-along as another way to practice their English.

3. What is the JFS volunteer moment that you are most proud of? There was an emergency situation at their apartment 2-3 years ago and one of the students was able to explain to others what was happening and help people better handle the emergency. I was very proud to hear that she could do that.

4. What was your very first volunteer job? As a Cub Scout at 8 or 9 years old, I participated in food drives and recycling drives. My community was very close-knit so it was very easy to ask people to donate items.

5. Who have been your major influences in volunteering? There have been a few. My high

Who is a JFS Volunteer, continued from pg. 4

school choir director showed me how big, how expansive life can be and gave me the courage to perform and act in the high school musicals. My classical guitar and vocal professors and instructors at UW-Steven’s Point, UW-Milwaukee and the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music have been very giving individuals and good role models for giving of oneself. Finally, the caregivers who are involved with clients at work sacrifice such a lot of time and energy in giving the client’s “a life” and “family feel”. When you give, you always get more back than what you gave out.

6. Where were you when you decided to change the world? My grandmother was one of the strongest people I ever knew. From the age of three in 1971 until her death in 1996, I spent a great deal of time with her. She was always so giving and I learned a lot from her.

7. What is the last movie that you saw? Skyfall.

8. What place would you like to visit and why? I would like to visit Australia. I hear that it is a very unique country.

9. What is your favorite local restaurant? Coquette Café.

10. What is your favorite word? Communication.

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

~Dr. Felice Leonardo Buscaglia

Direct To You 6

Things to Do. Places to Go.

According to Amber Rae, author of the article, “6 Simple Rituals To Reach Your Potential Every Day” in the December 2, 2012 issue of Fast Company, becoming and staying productive isn’t about hard-to-follow programs; it’s about self-care. As we move into spring, a time of renewal, here are some daily “things to do” that you can practice for yourself or share with your clients, students or group member for some new rites of spring. Amber begins first with the profile of two people and asks which one is more likely to be productive and effective in their day. I’m sure you know people similar to Jane or Joe.

Jane was up until 4am reading a novel, woke up late and rushed to select her clothes for the day. She gulped a shot of espresso, grabbed her purse and ran out the door feeling hungry and tired. She arrived on time for her meeting but felt anxious and flustered.

On the other hand, Joe went to sleep at 10pm, woke up at 7am, had a glass of water, ran two miles, meditated for 15 minutes and drank a smoothie. He dressed in the clothes he picked out the night before, took his computer and arrived for his appointment 10 minutes early, feeling calm and eager to begin the day.

Amber interviewed Mike Del Ponte, Co-founder & CEO of Soma, for the article and he said, “Every day I need physical energy, mental clarity, and emotional balance to tackle everything that comes my way.” Self-care is the secret to performing at the highest level.” Here are the 6 simple rituals that he uses to help him perform at his best:

1. Drink a glass of water when you wake up. Your body loses water while you sleep, so you’re naturally dehydrated in the morning. A glass of water when you wake helps start your day fresh.

2. Define your top 3. Every morning Mike asks himself, “What are the top three most important tasks that I will complete today?” He prioritizes his day accordingly and doesn’t sleep until the top 3 are completed.

3. The 50/10 Rule. Be more efficient by working in 50/10 increments. Use a timer to work for 50 minutes on only one important task with 10 minute breaks in between. Mike spends his 10 minutes getting away from his desk, going outside, calling friends, meditating or grabbing a glass of water.

4. Move & sweat daily. Regular movement keeps us healthy and alert. It boosts energy and mood, and relieves stress.

5. Express gratitude. Gratitude fosters happiness, which is why Mike keeps a gratitude journal. Every morning, he writes out at least five things he’s thankful for. In times of stress, he’ll pause and reflect on 10 things he’s grateful for.

6. Reflect daily. Bring closure to your day through 10 minutes of reflection. Mike asks himself, “What went well?” and “What needs improvement?”

While Fast Track magazine is written for young business professionals, any of the six rituals can easily be adapted to our own lives or shared with one of the JFS clients that you see. Maybe a client has a ritual to share with you! Perhaps you can write gratitude journals together and discuss them! Whether you do this for yourself or discuss these with a client, they offer new “Things to Do” and perhaps new “Places to Go”!

Direct To You 7

Second Online Newsletter! Third Online Newsletter!

We are almost a year online!! Apparently, our second newsletter at the end of 2012 was not recognized by everyone when it came through online. The e-blast was originally sent from Lindsey Riesinger, our Development & Communications Department Assistant and perhaps Lindsey’s name seemed unfamiliar to some of you. We did re-send the newsletter to everyone with my name on it and I think we fared better that time.

Since we are still in our “infant” stage, please let me know how we did this quarter with sending you the newsletter online. I’m sure there is still plenty of room for improvement, so please be a part of our “Improvement Team” and let me know how we can make this online format better and better.

By the way, please meet Lindsey Riesinger, our trusted and fearless Development & Communications Department Assistant. Lindsey frequently designs our newsletters, party materials and helps with so many other Volunteer Services Program components. Lindsey is also the contact person for donations to The Wish Room. Donations such as new or gently-used kitchen and bath items or new personal care and cleaning supplies are accepted. You can reach Lindsey at 414-225-1302 to donate items. Thanks, Lindsey!

Like Us? We Like You! Are you on Facebook? We would love you to be friends with us on Facebook. We always share noteworthy and newsworthy information on Facebook that can keep you current with all of the JFS news that’s “fit to print.” Then, you can also share JFS on Facebook with your friends and family and let them know more about where you volunteer! Be a JFS Facebook ambassador and share all the good news!

Direct To You 8

Emergency Situatons: What To Do

To help with your decision-making, it’s important to know that medical emergencies differ from psychiatric emergencies and how they would present themselves. Below are situations that define each area:

Medical EmergenciesAccording to the American College of Emergency Physicians, the following are warning signs of a medical emergency:

•Bleeding that will not stop•Breathing problems •Change in mental status•Chest Pain•Choking•Coughing up or vomiting blood•Fainting or loss of consciousness•Head or spine injury•Severe or persistent vomiting•Sudden injury •Sudden, severe pain anywhere in the body•Sudden dizziness, weakness or change in vision•Swallowing a poisonous substance•Upper abdominal pain or pressure

Carin Pittleman, APSW, MSSW, Exceptional Needs Case Manager, JFS Clinical Psychotherapist

As a JFS direct service volunteer who works off-site, you may have asked yourself these questions once or twice: “What would I do if there were an emergency situation with a client that I visit or that is in my group?” “Am I prepared to handle an emergency situation?” To help you feel more comfortable if such a situation were to arise, here is some basic emergency information.

How do I know if I should call for help? Emergency situations are often unexpected and frightening. As a volunteer and not being a medically trained professional, it can be confusing and difficult to know if and when you should call for emergency help. If you were to find yourself in this situation, first and foremost it is important to REMAIN CALM. You can also use the word “ACT” as a helpful reminder of the general guidelines for handling any emergency situation:

A = Assess the situation in terms of danger to yourself and the client. Keep yourself safe and then handle the safety issue for the client. Is this a life threatening emergency for the client? If so, DIAL 911 immediately!

C = Choices are your main concern at this point in time. Is it safe for you and the client to stay in the current location or do you need to move immediately? In most cases, DO NOT move the individual unless their life would depend on it; as in a fire or a hazardous situation.

T = Take Action and follow your instinct if it is telling you that emergency personnel or paramedics are required in this situation. They are the best people to evaluate the situation for medical and/or psychiatric needs.

Direct To You 9

Emergency Situations, continued…

Psychiatric EmergenciesAccording to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the following are warning signs of a psychiatric emergency:

•Experiencing uncontrollable anxiety•Having a severe reaction to medication•Expressing dangerous thoughts•Acutely distressed by things that do not exist• Gravely disabled and unable to care

for him/herself•Attempting to harm him/herself or others

What do I do if it is an emergency?Once you have decided that this is an emergency situation, medical or psychiatric, call 9-1-1 immediately. On the phone, remain calm and be ready to be as specific as you can be. You will be asked to give your name, your relationship to the person, the address and to describe the client’s current situation.

Depending on the type of emergency, you may be asked for additional information. In this instance, make your decisions on a “need to know” basis; balanced between the information that is being requested for the immediate emergency situation and the confidential information you may have as a volunteer. Until the professionals arrive:

•Stay calm•Be polite, respectful, low-key and reassuring•Maintain ongoing communication with the client

When the professionals arrive:

•Identify yourself•Be as specific as possible• Be prepared to repeat the information you gave

over the phone• Stay on the premises until the client has been

taken to the hospital

What do I do after the emergency?It is important to report any emergency situation to Jewish Family Services staff members. Depending on the situation, please follow one of the guidelines below:

• If the emergency occurs during the weekday, call the Case Manager or Program Manager to report the incident or leave a message on their office phone if they are not available. Please also follow-up with the Director of Volunteer Services.

• If the emergency occurs after work hours or on a weekend, call Jewish Family Services (414-390-5800) immediately. Instruct the after-hours-on-call service to contact the Case Manager involved in this case and follow-up with the Director of Volun-teer Services during normal work hours.

• If this was a non-emergency situation, please contact the Case Manager and the Director of Volunteer Services during normal business hours to report the situation.

Jewish Family Services’ volunteers have not encountered an emergency situation; however it is still important to be prepared for any kind of emergency, even in our daily lives. In the unlikely event that you do experience an emergency while volunteering, I am hopeful that this document and information will give you the direction that you

Direct To You 10

Remember www.jfsmilw.org as your volunteer “Go To” site.

We have added many volunteer-related items to our JFS website (www.jfsmilw.org) for your convenience and support. To access these additions, visit the website and you can find the following: On the Home page:

• Click the blue Publications tab to see this year’s Direct to You volunteer newsletters

On the Volunteer page: • See the sidebar and click

on Newsletters to read this year’s Direct to You Volunteer newsletters.

• Volunteer Resources to find past JFS staff articles on specific topics that may be useful to you in your work.

• For Current Volunteers to print your own Quarterly Volunteer Activity Report form either for the quarter that we just finished or for the quarter we are just beginning (you can use last quarter’s form to report and mail-in your hours and/or use the next quarter form to record your hours for the upcoming quarter).

Welcome!JFS would like to give a big “hello and thank you” to our new JFS volunteers: Kay Koester, Brian Lloyd, Dan Lozoff, Brian Pack, Sarah Johnson, Tiffany Schafer, Claudia Vasquez, and returning volunteers, Mary Ann Renz, Sue Greenwood, Emily Olson, Bill Windle, and Ally Ward. We wish you an enjoyable volunteer experience and welcome you to a wonderful volunteer team.

Direct To You 11

Happy National Volunteer Week to You! It’s National Volunteer Week, April 21 – 27 this year. Did you know that there is a weeklong celebration just for you? Started in 1974, the National Volunteer Week celebrates people doing extraordinary things to improve communities across the nation. This one week focuses on the impact and power of volunteerism and highlights the enormous contribution that volunteers make every day.

Since our nation’s founding, volunteers have been the source of action and the core of service. Two hundred and thirty-seven years later, the energy of volunteers continues to move our country forward and expand our compassion to others.

The same is true at JFS. Since our founding (by volunteers!) in 1867, volunteers have made JFS what it is today and one hundred and forty six years later, volunteers continue to move the agency forward and enhance the services we provide.

On behalf of the Board and Staff at Jewish Family Services, we celebrate the direct service that you give every day, every week and all year long; bringing us ever closer to meeting our mission and bringing change to our community.

Remember to celebrate your week, April 21st-27th and remember that we will be celebrating YOU in July with our Annual Volunteer Appreciation Party! Watch for the Save-the Date notice soon.

Celebrate Service!

Your Quarterly Volunteer Activity Report

The hours you serve are important to JFS clients and to JFS. Please make sure your volunteer time is counted as one of the many ways that JFS serves the community. Please return your volunteer hours to me in one of the following ways:

•Ifyoureceivedthisbyregularmail,youcanmailintheenclosedform•Ifyoureceivedthisbyemail,accesstheformonthevolunteerpage(VolunteerResources)ofourwebsite(www.jfsmilw.org) and email it back or send it in•Callmewithyourvolunteerhoursforthisquarterat414-225-1390•E-mailmewithyourvolunteerhoursforthisquarteratsgruenberg@jfsmilw.org.

Please reply by April 26, 2013.

Have a Great Spring!!

Susie