Teen Philanthropists Address the Needs of Local, National and International Communities

The Jewish Community Youth Foundation (JCYF) celebrated its 19th year at its annual Check Presentation Ceremony which was held online on February 27th.  More than $36,000 was distributed to 21 non-profit organizations by 121 teens representing 12 Synagogues and 29 area schools.

JCYF is a project of JFCS of Greater Mercer County and the Ricky and Andrew J. Shechtel Philanthropic Fund.  The program has disbursed $967,043 since its inception 19 years ago.

Highlights from the evening included a live trivia quiz about this year’s program.  The quiz winner designated one of the JCYF recipient agencies as the winner of an additional grant.  The Annual Alumni Award was presented to Robbinsville alumna Mandi Lichtenstein, class of 2020, for her outstanding work at Elon University.   Mandi designated Mazon – A Jewish Response to Hunger as the recipient of her $360 award prize.  Jonah Adler of Lawrenceville spoke about how wisdom, understanding and divine inspiration impact the important decisions we make.

This year, teens from all over Mercer and Bucks counties met to discuss ways to make a difference in local, national and international communities.  They enjoyed meeting again in person and on Zoom where they were exposed to a broader range of agencies and resources.  One participant commented that a highlight for them this year was “Being together in person again with my friends working on helping our Jewish community.”  Agency representatives from all over the world were interviewed and explained how their projects could help those in need.  Part of this year’s curriculum included Amplify Our Impact 2021, which provided an opportunity to increase giving by reaching out to family, friends and community contacts.  One participant said “I enjoyed reaching out to my family members and talking to them about JCYF and how it supports great causes.”

Harrison Fehn, class of 2022, of Bordentown explained “[JCYF’s] value is immeasurable on Jewish youth as it teaches us, from a young age, how to evaluate grants, allocate funds, and most important of all, collaborate.  JCYF is an organization that I would deem necessary for any aspiring Jewish leader to partake in before they have graduated.”

Sophie Berman, a member of the JCYF Senior Class and Hamilton resident mentioned, “I developed a passion for helping others and giving to those in need. JCYF taught me the importance of philanthropy and my Jewish identity. I have learned copious amounts of leadership skills that will aid me as I move into the next chapter of my life.”

Scott Nahoum, West Windsor resident and member of the graduating class said “JCYF strengthened my commitment to giving while maintaining my Jewish identity. I now have a passion for social justice and engaging volunteers to fight poverty in the Jewish community and beyond.”

For more information, contact Celeste Albert, Coordinator of Teen Programs at JFCS of Greater Mercer County, at 609-987-8100 x210 or celestea@jfcsonline.org, or visit the JCYF Web Page.

See this story on CentralJersey.com.

Watch our full VIRTUAL Check Ceremony, held on Sunday, February 27, 2022.

Congratulations to 2022 JCYF Distinguished Alumni Award Winner, Mandi Lichtenstein

JFCS 2nd Virtual Annual Fundraiser Welcomes over 500 guests, raises $211,000

On February 24, Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Mercer County (JFCS) held their 2nd virtual annual fundraiser. The event, Trivia Night with JFCS, welcomed 525 guests to participate in a team trivia competition via Zoom. Bristol Myers Squibb was honored for their dedication to the mission of JFCS, and agency programs were highlighted with a special focus on mental health services.

“Last year, with our first virtual event, we were very impressed with the turnout,” said Michelle Napell, JFCS Executive Director. “We never could have imagined we’d welcome over 500 guests at our 2nd virtual event. The accessibility has proven a big draw to our local community members.”

The event, JFCS’ single largest annual fundraiser and significant source of unrestricted funds, raised over $211,000 through sponsorships, tickets sales and a live Text-to-Give appeal during the event. Two private donors agreed to match the first $10,000 raised for Text-to-Give; along with donations from guests, the total amount raised for the live appeal was $27,522.

“In recent years, we have continued to increase our Text-to-Give goals. With over 500 guests this year, we knew we could raise significant funds,” says Napell. “It was humbling to see the level of support, especially from so many guests who were unfamiliar with our agency until that night. The benefit of the virtual event was being able to welcome our community members’ friends and family from across the country.”

Guests were able to join from anywhere and participants tuned in from across New Jersey as well as across the country, from California, to Florida, to Massachusetts and more. Attendees were able to create their own teams which allowed family and friends to connect whether they gathered together in person or over Zoom from different locations.

“While we had hoped this year’s event might bring us all together, it was amazing to see so many people supporting JFCS. It was fun to see so many Zoom rooms filled with lots of people who were able to be together, I was able to gather with 25 friends at our local synagogue as we broke into multiple teams to compete in the trivia event,” added Scott Sussman, JFCS Board Vice President and Event Chair.

Funds raised from the event will support all agency programs, several of which have grown with demand in the past two challenging years. JFCS maintains a counseling department which is seeing rising demand as everyone navigates the next stage of the pandemic, particularly youth who are experiencing ongoing emotional stress.

Additionally, JFCS maintains several food relief programs including an on-site food pantry, available 5 days/week, two Mobile Food Pantry vehicles that bring the pantry directly into areas of greater Mercer County with the greatest obstacles to accessing available resources, as well as meal and grocery delivery to homebound seniors.

JFCS also boasts a senior service department which provides geriatric care management available to the broader community. Seniors have continued to rely on the support of the JFCS senior service team throughout the past year for resources, information, and the comfort and understanding of our staff.

“Our agency has successfully navigated the past two of challenges thanks to the generosity of individual and corporate supporters; however, we have learned that to be prepared for anything, our agency needs to remain adaptable to any challenge, and to do so, we will continue to rely on the incredible support of this community. The success of this event helps us continue to move forward, together,” said Napell.

See a full recap on our event website!

JFCS thanks all event sponsors including Champion Sponsors Abrams Foundation/Nati Kushner; Bristol Myers Squibb, Personal Home Care of New Jersey, Roundview Capital, Dina & Michael Shaw, Elaine & Barry Sussman, and Troutman Pepper; Patron Sponsors Access Property Management, Matt & Holli Elias, Homewatch Caregivers, JZA+D, Lennar, Mercer Bucks Pickleball Club, and the Schwalbe Family; Partner Sponsors; Partner Sponsors The Gershen Group LLC, Lowenstein Sandler LLP, Newman Paperboard, NJM Insurance, and Stark & Stark; and Supporter Sposnors Dundon Advisers LLC, Faegre Drinker, First Bank, the Gordon Family, Hill Wallack LLP, Jill & Gregg Jaclin, Mercadien, Northfield Bank, Orland’s Ewing Memorial Chapel, Sheryl & Joseph Punia, Heidi & Marc Shegoski, Szaferman Lakind, Stacey Wasserman & Ian Zimmerman and Audrey & Marc Wisotsky.

Resources for Supporting Ukraine & Coping with Crisis

How to Support

The Jewish Federation of Princeton Mercer Bucks established a Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund to provide critical assistance to more than 200,000 Jews in Ukraine. Thank you to those who have already joined this effort. Please support the most vulnerable.

CLICK TO DONATE

The emergency campaign dollars will go to American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) to support on-the-ground humanitarian effort.

How to  Talk to About Crisis and Cope

The war in Ukraine has triggered strong emotions for many of us. If you are feeling anger, fear, anxiety, depression, or helplessness, you are not alone. For many, it is the first time watching such horrors unfold in their lifetime. For some, these images and videos can be triggers from past trauma.

It is in our physiological nature as human beings to feel some amount of empathy and sorrow for others dealing with a traumatic event. Even though we’re not physically present, we still feel the mental health effects of what’s going on. We may not be able to diminish these emotions, but there are ways to make them more manageable.

How to cope will depend entirely on what works best for you. Below are some suggestions that you may find helpful:

  • Limit your time watching/listening to the news.  Repeated exposure to this kind of content can be distressing or numbing. 
  • Relieve some of that anxiety and tension by gently moving your body. This could mean going for a walk, doing some light stretching, taking an online yoga class, or whatever it is that helps you feel good.
  • ​Self-compassion. Ask yourself: What are you feeling, both emotionally and physically? This may include a quick head-to-toe body scan. Try using words to identify and name these feelings, like “I​’m feeling helpless, and it feels like there is a pit in my stomach.” Try your best to just witness these feelings rather than talking yourself out of them or trying to change them.
  • Coloring can relax the fear center of your brain, the amygdala. It induces the same state as meditating by reducing the thoughts of a restless mind. This generates mindfulness and quietness, which allows your mind to get some rest.

Additional Resources on how to talk about the crisis and cope:

As always, if you feel you are withdrawing from others, or feeling intense emotions that are affecting daily functioning, please reach out to talk to one of our professional staff at JFCS​ by calling 609-987-8100.

The Commencement of Tax Season – and Scams

NJCCIC Alert about Tax Season Scams

The federal tax filing season began this week and threat actors are quickly targeting taxpayers. The NJCCIC observed phishing campaigns attempting to be delivered to New Jersey State employees, with the intent to download and install malware. Threat actors spoofed the sender’s display name to a known source or entity to convince the recipient to trust the email without verifying its legitimacy. The sender’s display name is purported to be from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS); however, upon further inspection, the sender’s domain name was “irs.com” instead of the legitimate “irs.gov.” Additionally, the email signature claimed to be the “Government department” in the IRS to add a false sense of legitimacy and authority.

The subject line displayed “Information Regarding Your Tax Form” to convince their target to open the email and take action. Although the email referenced an attached “TAXFORM.pdf,” it contained an attached Microsoft Word name “Tax Form.doc” that, if clicked, downloads and installs malware. In addition to the IRS, threat actors may also spoof popular tax brands to trick their victims into divulging sensitive information, which can then be used to file fraudulent tax returns, collect refunds, and engage in other identity theft schemes. Additionally, companies required to provide customers with tax documents may also be impersonated in attempts to convince victims into opening malicious links or attachments.

The NJCCIC recommends users and organizations educate themselves and others on these continuing threats and tactics to reduce victimization. The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text messages, or social media channels to send or request personal or financial information. Please review the NJCCIC Product Beware of Tax Scams to learn more about common tax scams—including tax identity theft, IRS impersonation scams, and fraudulent tax preparer scams—and cybersecurity best practices to help protect your identity, data, and tax refunds. Additional tax scams and consumer alerts can be found on the IRS website.

 

JFCS Hosts Virtual Trivia Night Fundraiser Open to Community

Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Mercer County (JFCS) is holding their annual fundraiser on Thursday, February 24, 2022 at 8 PM – a virtual Trivia Night open to the community. 

“Our annual fundraiser is our chance to bring together our supporters, donors, and partners to highlight the agency’s programs and recognize partners who are honored for their dedication over the past year,” said Michelle Napell Executive Director. “This year we are pleased to honor Bristol-Myers Squibb for their commitment to our mission and financial support of our on-site and mobile food pantries.” 

In addition to honoring Bristol-Myers Squibb, the event will include program highlights of JFCS services, particularly the counseling department. 

“Mental health remains an important topic now more than ever as our community, and the world, enter the second full year of the pandemic,” says Napell. “Our counselors have remained flexible, compassionate and committee to their clients through the ups and downs of the past two years.” 

The pandemic has exacerbated mental health concerns amongst many, in addition to the mental and emotional toll felt by all as everyone experiences challenges during the pandemic – isolation, uncertainty, fear. The JFCS counseling department provides individual, couple and family counseling to any in the community who need support. 

“A year ago, we would have hoped to be back in person for our annual fundraiser, but we are confident we’ll be bringing our community (near and far) an engaging and entertaining experience with Trivia Night,” adds Scott Sussman, JFCS Board Vice President and Event Committee Chair. “While everyone may not be able to be together physically, this event will bring a spirit of togetherness and camaraderie to all guests. May the best team win!” 

The virtual event will feature trivia played team-style on Zoom. Guests will be able to form their own teams of 6 – 10 individuals and compete for prizes for the top 3 teams. 

 Event Information including sponsorships and registration can be found on our event site.

Champion Sponsors Abrams Foundation/Nati Kushner, Personal Home Care of NJ, Roundview Capital and Troutman Pepper; Patron Sponsors Access Property Management, Homewatch Caregivers, Lennar and Mercer Bucks Pickleball Club; Partner Sponsor Stark & Stark; and Supporter Sponsors Dundon Advisors, First Bank, Hill Wallack LLP, Jill & Gregg Jaclin, Mercadien, Orland’s Ewing Memorial Chapel, Szaferman Lakind, and Audrey & Marc Wisotsky. 

JFCS: Moving Forward into 2022 with Help, Hope and Healing

The end of year is always a time to reflect and set goals for the year ahead. JFCS is sharing inspiring stories of how our programs have helped the individuals, families and community we serve move forward after another challenging year for all.

Valerie’s Journey of Healing…

Valerie reached out to JFCS after recognizing the severity of the anxiety and depression she was experiencing. After making the commitment to counseling and putting new skills into action, Valerie felt empowered to address the root of her most severe symptoms – low self-esteem caused by lack of boundaries in challenging relationships. By tackling the causes of her anxiety and depression, Valerie soon felt confident to move forward from therapy.

“My counselor was exceptional and did an excellent job listening without judgment and providing professional support. I am extremely grateful for this experience and am looking forward to moving past my anxiety.”

Helping Arthur and Ruth Move Forward with Confidence…

The JFCS senior service team received a call from Arthur, who lives out of state, and was concerned about his 90 year-old mother who lives alone in the Princeton community. While the son was in town, one of our geriatric care managers scheduled an appointment to meet with both Arthur and his mother, Ruth. The care manager did a thorough assessment including home safety, social supports, meal shopping/preparation and transportation options. A plan of care was developed to address these issues. Arthur left for home feeling like a “weight had been lifted from his shoulders.”

He knew he was no longer alone to deal with the challenges that lie ahead. JFCS receives many calls like this and our expert team of geriatric care managers is available to provide guidance and support to those in similar situations.

Melinda Finds Hope at the Pantry…

Melinda is a grandmother who serves as the primary guardian to both grandsons. She lives on a fixed income and is the full-time caregiver to both children, one of whom has significant physical special needs, requiring in-home therapy and care. It is difficult for Melinda to get out of the house, but thankfully, she is in counseling with one of our JFCS therapists who referred her to the pantry team. Our pantry team was able to identify one of our local mobile food pantry stops where Melinda can easily and conveniently pick up groceries. Melinda was also able to receive gift cards through the LIGHTS program so she could purchase holiday gifts for her grandsons, something out of reach without this support.

“With a resource coming right to my neighborhood, it is a huge relief. I face serious financial challenges as the sole caregiver for my grandsons, and I am so appreciative of any help. Even the smallest gesture makes a big difference in our lives.”

Stories like those of Valerie, Arthur, Ruth and Melinda are just some examples of the impact we have made, together, over the past year. You can read further about how JFCS has served the community this year in our latest Annual Report.

We thank all of those who have supported us, especially in these ongoing, challenging times. We hope you can once again trust JFCS to care for those in need with an end of year gift. Help us move into the new year with help, hope & healing.

IN THE NEWS: Volunteering Can Have Positive Impacts on Recipients and Volunteers

Princeton Perspectives recently shared a feature about the positive impact of volunteering, not only for the community and those who benefit from social services, but for those who are providing volunteer service.

JFCS’s own Director of Clinical Services, Shirley Bellardo, LCSW, LCADC, and Volunteer Coordinator, Eden Aaronson provided their perspectives on how volunteer has added to the lives of those who support JFCS.

Read the full article here.

IN THE NEWS! JFCS One of Four Organizations to benefit from Diversified Rack & Shelving

Diversified Rack & Shelving partnered with East Windsor Township Mayor Janice S. Mironov, to present $10,000 in donations to four community organizations: $2,500 to RISE Community Service Partnership to support their food distribution program, $2,500 to Mercer County Meals on Wheels, $2,500 to Jewish Family & Children’s Service for their mobile food truck, and $2,500 to the East Windsor Senior Trust Fund for senior programming.

Read more on MidJersey.News or CentralJersey.com.