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Volunteer Opportunities

Rafael Spiritual Healing Center Bereavement Support Group Begins August 5

Rafael Spiritual Healing Center, a program of Jewish Family Service, will offer an eight-week Spiritual Healing Bereavement Support Group beginning on Wednesday, August 5, from 4:30-6 p.m. at the Healing Center, located in the JFS building at 3201 S. Tamarac Dr.

 

The group, which will meet weekly over an eight-week period through September 23, will provide spiritual and psychological support for those who have experienced the loss of a loved one. It will offer a unique Jewish perspective to the grieving process.

 

The Spiritual Healing Bereavement Support Group will be co-facilitated by Rabbi Eliot Baskin, D.Min., Jewish Community Chaplain, and Arleen Gershen, LCSW, a JFS psychotherapist.

 

The fee for attending the group is $10 per session and advance registration is required. Participants are asked to make a commitment to attend all eight sessions.

 

Information: Cynthia Heller, (303) 597-5000, ext. 392, cheller@jewishfamilyservice.org.

 

Volunteer RIDE Drivers Needed

Jewish Family Service is currently seeking volunteer RIDE drivers to provide transportation for homebound seniors to doctor and dental appointments in the Denver area. Hours are flexible and you get to choose when and where you drive. Volunteer drivers are a lifeline for people who can’t drive to medical appointments.

 

Information: Nancy Benyamin, (303) 597-5000, ext. 369, nbenyamin@jewishfamilyservice.org.

 

Volunteers Needed for High Holy Day Services

JFS will host High Holy Day services for Jewish residents of long-term care facilities and assisted living facilities in metro Denver. Volunteers are needed to help serve food, hand out holiday prayer booklets and song sheets, and assist the residents during the service.

 

For more information on this fulfilling volunteer opportunity, please contact Nancy Benyamin, director of volunteer services, (303) 597-5000, ext. 369 or nbenyamin@jewishfamilyservice.org.

 

JFS at Home Provides Compassionate Home Care

JFS at Home, a division of Jewish Family Service, provides compassionate support and comprehensive services to help seniors and those with chronic illnesses live safe, healthy, independent lives in their own homes. Independence, however, doesn’t mean having to do it all alone. Whether you need a little or a lot, JFS at Home can help you or your loved one. Please call (303) 750-4000 or visit www.jfsathome.com for more information and a free in-home assessment.

 

Help JFS Make a Difference. Donate Your Vehicle.

Donate your car, truck, van, boat, or RV! Your tax-deductible donation will benefit Jewish Family Service’s wide-ranging programs and services. Car donations are handled by our nonprofit partner, Cars for Charity. Please visit www.carsforcharity.net or call (303) 853-GIVE (4483) and request JFS as the beneficiary of your contribution.

 

Clean Out Your Closets to Help JFS

Please donate your usable clothing and household items to JFS’s Healing Minds program and turn your stuff into funds that help JFS heal the minds of children and adults dealing with emotional issues. Help the JFS Counseling Center serve the uninsured and underinsured, and receive a receipt for your tax-deductible contribution!

 

Clothing donation bins are now available in the JFS parking lot, 3201 South Tamarac Drive, for your convenience. Please bag your donated clothing in advance and simply drive up to drop off your donations! For more information, please call (303) 232-GIVE (303-232-4483).

 

To schedule a pickup, please visit the Healing Minds Web site www.healingmindspickup.org.

We are again cosponsoring the Community Passover Project. This project is a way to ensure that members of our Jewish community have the foods required to celebrate Passover in a meaningful way. We invite you to help us deliver baskets of Passover foods on Sunday April 5th. The baskets will be packed and ready to be picked up at JFS on April 5th between 9 a.m. – 10a.m. and will be delivered to metro area families in need.

The second volunteer opportunity is through our Nursing Home Outreach Program. In addition to Sabbath services, three times a year (High Holy Days, Chanukah and Passover) we help residents of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, retirement communities, correctional facilities and a mental health facility celebrate the Jewish holidays. JFS volunteer Para Chaplains, along with Rabbi Eliot Baskin, the Jewish Community Chaplain and Donna Lutz, our Nursing Home Outreach Coordinator, will lead 24 mini-Seders. Additional volunteers are needed to pass out prayer books and distribute the food. It is easy for the residents of these facilities to feel isolated from the Jewish community. By bringing in community volunteers, we help the residents feel connected to their Jewish heritage. The services last about one hour. I have attached a schedule of the services. Help is needed at the services in blue.

Lastly, we have our Para Chaplain training on the following dates: April 23, April 30, May 6, and May 13 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. here at JFS. We are in the process of interviewing candidates for our Para Chaplain program. If you are interested, or know of anyone who might like to explore this volunteer opportunity, please let me know. Our volunteer Para Chaplains provide a Jewish connection to Jewish residents of non-Jewish long term care facilities by bringing in Yiddishkeit. Our Para Chaplains visit one on one with Jewish residents of non Jewish long term care facilities, such as nursing homes, hospitals, and prisons, and they also lead holiday and Shabbat services.

For additional information about any of these meaningful volunteer opportunities, please contact me.

Nancy Benyamin
Director of Volunteer Services
Jewish Family Service
3201 South Tamarac Drive
Denver, CO 80231
nbenyamin@jewishfamilyservice.org
 

The following additional volunteer opportunities are available at Jewish Family Service:

  • Office Administration
    Often we need extra help copying documents, filing, preparing mailings, and other tasks around the office. It’s satisfying work, and it helps the agency run smoothly.
  • Older Adults
    As the nation ages, finding ways to assist older adults with everyday activites that allow them to maintain their dignity and independence is paramount. Our volunteer opportunities attempt to keep older adults connected to their community while alleviating lonliness, promoting healthy aging, and fostering spiritual growth and development.
    • Friendly Visitors
      Dozens of elderly individuals throughout the greater Denver area keep in contact with the community through the loving attention of our Friendly Visitors. JFS clients thrive on personal visits and regular telephone calls. Caring and meaningful relationships reduce the risk of depression and enhance quality of life. Those who volunteer for this activity find the reward is definitely mutual.
    • RIDE Drivers
      RIDE is a volunteer-based program that provides transportation for homebound seniors to doctor and dental appointments in the Denver area. Hours are flexible and you get to choose when and where you drive. Volunteer drivers are a lifeline for people who can’t drive to medical appointments.
    • Bikur Cholim Para-Chaplains
      Bikur Cholim (Visiting the Sick) Para-chaplains bring Jewish connections to Jews who live in long-term care facilities or who are isolated in their own homes. Some para-chaplains lead Shabbat and holiday services and others visit patients in hospitals, prisons, or other long-term care facilities. Para-chaplains help create a warm Jewish connection and provide spiritual support to the client. Enrich your own life by doing a mitzvah and making a difference to people suffering from serious illness or isolation.
  • People With Disabilities
    • JFS Group Home
      Organize fun and exciting adventures that will leave a lasting impression on the members of the JFS Group Home. In the past, activities have included picnics, going to the zoo, attending sporting events, and having a bbq and croquet tournament at the house.
    • Jewish Disabilities Network
      We need your help planning social and recereational events for people with special needs.
  • Refugees & Immigrants
    The difficulties that refugees face upon arrival to this country are enormous. They encounter radically different customs and a new language while bringing only a few possessions and an education that is of limited value to them. We find them housing and teach them about the customs, culture, and values of America.
    • English Tutor
      You can help by becoming a tutor for a refugee who is adapting to a new language and culture.
  • Safety Net - Helping Neighbors in Need
    When you donate your time to the Weinberg Food Pantry, you become a partner in the fight against hunger. JFS provides a fun and rewarding volunteer experience for businesses, church and school groups, and individuals while helping to feed the hungry in our community.

    If you are interested in helping us fight hunger, here is some ways that you can help:
    • Volunteer in the Pantry by helping with food distribution, collection, shelving, and bagging.
    • Adopt a family or a senior for the holidays (Bright Holidays).
    • Deliver food to homebound clients.
    • Start a neighborhood food drive.
    • Donate food, funding, supplies, or time to the Family Safety Net Program.
    • Participate in the Family Safety Net Youth Corps.
For these and any other JFS volunteer opportunities, please contact Nancy Benyamin at 303.597.5000 x369.