1. " Oneday your life can change and you realizethis wonderful agency ... is thereto he lp.
Fami$s connection with JFCS
creates peace of mirrd, friendships
ad things seem to
happen in threes.
For Eve and Greg's
family, three would
have been a relief.
But, with the help of JFCS,
their family's challenges have
led to positive changes and
the inspiration for a program
that will help others.
Call for help
Alter Greg lost his job, he
called JFCS and spoke with
Neal Gillett, Intake and
Resource Connection Coun-
selor. After coordinating
flnancial assistance,
Gillett referred Greg for
career counseling and help
re-writing his resume.
With the holidays approach-
ing, Gillett also told the fam-
ily about the "Hag Sameach"
(Happy Holiday) Program.
"My children had a wonder-
ful Chanukah last year be-
cause of Hag Sameach," Eve
said. "We had not celebrated
since the economic turmoil,
and this brought a holiday
into the home when you
worry ifyou can even have a
holiday."
Support for Sam
Shortly after things seemed
settled, their young son,
Sam, was diagnosed on the
autism spectrum. His pre-
school refused to accommo-
date his special needs. Eve
called JFCS and was referred
to Inclusion Specialist Nanci
Fine, who helped Eve flnd a
preschool that would accom-
modate Sam's special needs
and is in his home district.
WWMarw;'uNanci Bobbie
Fine Goldfarb
Fine learned that. in order
lor Sam to continue his
specialized therapies, the
family needed to purchase
equipment they could not
afford. She helped secure
JFCS endowment funds. and
soon Sam was practicing his
lessons at home.
"Nanci had all her resources
available for where I should
go and r,vho I should call,"
Eve said.
Relief from fears
Then Eve shared with Fine
that she had recently been
hospitalized for the sudden
onset of a life-threatening,
chronic illness.
Once home. Eve talked
through tears to Fine about
the anxiety and trauma
she was experiencing. Fine
suggested trve might ben-
efit from relaxation training
and individual therapy, "and
boom, I was there," Eve said.
"As a parent you always
take care ofyour kids. Nanci
makes you stop and say,
'What about you?"'
Erre is back at work and says
that, while there are still
challenges, her life is more
full than ever before.
Friendships evolve
For Erre, "one of the biggest
mitzrrahs" is that Fine
brought Bobbie Goldfarb,
JFCS Big Brother/Big Sister
Program Coordinator, into
her children's lives.
Sam's older sister, Abby, is
gifted in a variety of ways.
"This is a 10-year old who
is so smart, and in spite of
family challenges, her at-
titude toward life is like a
dance." Goldlarb says.
Still, siblings of children with
special needs often take on
adult roles and can get lost
in the shuffle of daily life.
Goldfarb sprinted into action
and arranged for Abby to
have a volunteer Big Sister
as well as two BITS (teen-
age Bigs-ln-Training). For
Sam. Goldfarb has found two
PALS [young teens who pair
up to serue together as a Big
Brother).
"lt just means so much to
me to harre Big Sisters to talk
to, to do things with, to have
a friend, someone you can
count on to be there for you,"
Abby said. "They are just
wonderful people. I love to
hang out and be with them."
Abby gives back
In their short time together,
Abby and her Bigs have gone
to an art museum, the beach
and the Metrodome (for the
annual Create a Memory
event, where they got to play
baseball). These opportuni-
ties sparked Abby's interest
in giving back to others. She
made some phone calls to
local stores and her school
principal, and soon set up a
program of her own to help
others.
"To have this commitment
from her Big Sisters is prob-
ably going to be a lifetime
connection." Eve said. "I told
Bobbie that if there were
25,000 people in front of me,
I could not find belter
matches than she found.
They're 100 percent
everything my daughter
could dream of - everythlng
a parent could dream of. As
a result, she is doing things
she is not able to do with
us."
'Wonderful agency'
To say the family is grateful
to JFCS is an understate-
ment. "l want to say how
thankful we are to JFCS
for helping us pull through
these tough times," Greg
said. "It has meant so
much."
"One day your life can
change and you realize this
wonderful agency, with
their many facets, is there
to help," said Eve. "lt has
touched in many ways every
one of my family members.
I don't know how we would
have ever gotten by without
their support."
Familg names were changed
to protect their priuacg.
Call 952-5 46-0616 for
help with any need.