Brain Fits-Use It!

Brain Fits-Use It!, an 8-week brain fitness course taught by the JFS Health & Wellness department, hit the ground running at the David Specter Shalom House on October 25th! The course is based on the “Engaged Aging: Building Fitter Brains” curriculum developed through the CIAIP grant. After an exciting kick-off breakfast with 17 in attendance, the residents of Shalom House show continued enthusiasm to participate. Brain Fits-Use It! is a course that teaches participants how to incorporate exercise - both physical and cognitive, creativity, and nutrition into their daily lives to promote optimal brain fitness. Each class includes a lecture topic, physical exercise, samples of brain foods, a creative and cognitively challenging activity, as well as stress reduction techniques.

JFS Health & Wellness team staff also provides individual support to set and achieve brain fitness goals that residents can work towards throughout the course. Some of the activities planned for the residents are a nature walk, chair exercises by Health & Wellness staff, a game fiesta, and creative arts activities using the non-dominant hand. The response and commitment from residents is tremendous and exciting. “Residents were really engaged, in tuned, excited about us being there. The timing is right.” said one participant after the first class. Catherine Towers, Congregate Meal-Site Coordinator for the Shalom House community who is assisting with the course commented, "Brain Fits-Use it! was a hit! Shalom House residents are still talking about yesterday's class today. Thank-you so much to the Health & Wellness team!”

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Great Funding News!

JFS is proud to announce that the Albuquerque Community Foundation awarded JFS with a grant to support our community food pantry. We are very grateful to the Albuquerque Community Foundation for their continued support of JFS. Last year they provided funding for the Senior Transportation. This year they are providing $7,000 for the JFS Food Pantry, $6500 of which will go directly towards food purchases and $500 that will be used to reimburse volunteers of the HANDS program (home delivered food boxes to shut-in seniors) for their fuel costs. The Albuquerque Community Foundation has funded JFS multiple years in the past and we value their continued partnership in our mission!

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Don’t Miss the JCC CHANUKAH FEST 2011

This year’s Chanukah Festival put on by the Jewish Community Center (JCC) will be held Sunday, December 11th from Noon until 5:00 p.m. at the Albuquerque Convention Center. You can purchase discount tickets in advance online by clicking above or by calling Robin at 348-4518. The celebration is December’s “don’t miss” event with tons of entertainment for grown-ups and kids alike! There’s something for everyone - Klezmer bands, Singing, Dancing; Bouncers, Games and Crafts for Kids; and holiday gift shopping with over 30 artisans, books, art, crafts and specialty items. Not to mention endless Latkes and a NY Deli Station! Contact Robin or Phyllis Wolf 348-4500, for more information or visit www.jccabq.org/main/events_programs.php?event_id=307#eid307

JFS and...Rugby?

If you’ve had the opportunity to meet our Health & Wellness team, you know they are kind and helpful professionals. What you may not know is that two of them are talented athletes who recently traveled to Norfolk, VA for the Division 2 Women’s Rugby National Championships! Catherine Burke, Wellness Specialist and Marica Martinic, Wellness Manager are teammates on the Albuquerque Atomic Sisters Women’s Rugby Club with ten years of combined rugby experience. The Atomic Sisters joined Division 2 last year and in their first year surprised the nation by making it to the final match against Albany, NY! After finishing 2nd last year, they had to live up to their new reputation and left for Nationals this year with an undefeated record and a mission to bring home the 1st place trophy.

The first game against Burlington, VT was hard fought and the Atomic Sisters came out with a 12-0 win. In the semifinal match they met Pittsburgh, PA for a more difficult challenge. After 80 minutes of hard hitting, Pittsburgh proved to be the stronger team that day with a 24-7 win. On the final day they played a tough consolation match against Sacramento, CA and came away with 4th place. But hey - 4th in the entire U.S. of A. ain’t bad! The Atomic Sisters are very proud to have represented the West Region, New Mexico, and Albuquerque at Nationals this year (and plan to again next year.) If you’d like to learn more about rugby and the National Championships, visit www.scrumhalfconnection.com and www.rugbymag.com.

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Diaper Brigade Update - Unbelievable!

At last count we have received over 7,000 diapers thanks to Susan Dooreck’s Diaper Brigade for the JFS Food Pantry. JFS couldn’t be more excited about this tremendous effort on the part of Ms. Dooreck. Not only has she solicited diapers and gift card donations from various donors, but she’s taken the funds donated to JFS for diapers and gone out and purchased them herself! Seeing Ms. Dooreck make one of her many “diaper deliveries” to the Food Pantry, one client, a single mother named Lynn, told us “Diapers are very helpful because there’s no money to buy diapers. I really appreciate & thank JFS.”

Are diapers a basic need? In this country - yes. Without them the baby’s parent can’t work, can’t use public daycare, and can scarcely leave the house. According to a study authored by the Director of the Institute of Human Development and Social Change at New York University, the average mother in the U.S. spends 2 percent of her household income on diapers. With the New Mexico 3-Year-Average Median Household just under 44K, the cost of diapers adds nearly $900 a year to the list of household expenses. A third of U.S. mothers find buying diapers a financial hardship that requires cutting back on food and other essentials. One in five U.S. women reports running out of money for diapers-and when women run out of money for diapers, they don't have many choices. Diapers cannot be purchased with food stamps so finding diapers at the community Food Pantry makes life a lot better for mom and her baby. If you would like to contribute to Susan Dooreck’s “Diaper Brigade” please click below to make a secure online donation. Thank you!

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Brain Fitness and Creative Arts Program

JFS is pleased to now offer a new program tailored for individuals in their homes, as well as for groups in community centers throughout Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Creative arts serve to activate mental acuity and so we’ve added them to our ongoing Brain Fitness Program as an enhanced feature. JFS Care Manager Jennifer Pretzeus introduced this new activity to one of her clients. During their first meeting, Irving (pictured) told Jennifer that he had “absolutely no interest” in painting or attempting any creative endeavors whatsoever. Jennifer encouraged him to watch while she and his wife did some simple line drawings. It wasn’t long before Irving had a pencil in his hand, then some pastels, and then a paintbrush! “The process really transformed him,” Pretzeus said. “He had a huge smile on his face and was so pleased with what he had created. He told me that he couldn’t wait to see what he came up with the next visit. The first time I met him, it took some real convincing to get him out of his recliner. Now he’s sitting at the kitchen table waiting for me when I arrive.” Irving has officially declared himself a “watercolor artist” and puts great thought into titling his pieces. He is seen here working on “I Wish There Were Sky.” This service is available from JFS on a fee-for-service basis. Contact Terri Tobey at 348-4488 for more information.

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Educating Caregivers on the Challenges of LGBT Elders

A much needed national spotlight has been put on challenges LGBT Elders face in the US. How important is this issue to New Mexico? Based on 2000 Census data, the Movement Advancement Project estimates the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender population of New Mexico include 68,411 individuals. A recent needs assessment report found 19% of LGBT New Mexican respondents were 60 or older. Several studies published last year, including a report called Improving the Lives of LGBT Older Adults and a study of LGBT Older Adults in Long Term Care Facilities highlight the trend of “out” elders going back into the closet as they face transition decisions. These studies also busted the myth of “gay wealth” and showed that poverty is a major challenge for LGBT elders. Generations of discrimination including federally sanctified discrimination like the Defense of Marriage Act, have stripped LGBT elders of financial protections in areas of Social Security, Medicare, and Veterans benefits. LGBT Elders face legal and financial challenges, poverty, social isolation, discrimination and abuse and major health disparities. They are also the least likely population to seek help and services for fear of prejudice. This is why it is vital that aging service providers educate and train their staff and create inclusive and affirming environments for LGBT Elders.

The recently created National Resource Center on LGBT Aging (NRC) has excellent resources on this subject and offers technical assistance to service providers. They offer cultural competency training free of charge to many regions of the country. New Mexico is lucky to have a National Trainer, Lisa Schatz-Vance, Director of the Senior Citizen’s Law Office, available to train service providers. Request a training here. JFS will help our staff recognize this population in need by providing this training to the entire staff. In addition, the agency as a whole is committed to being an affirming service provider addressing the needs of all Senior Citizens in New Mexico, including those specific to LGBT Seniors. We hope to lead and support other agencies and organizations in this important endeavor.

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Help Our Community - Volunteer with the JFS Food Pantry

The most stubborn economic downturn since the 1930s just won’t let up and has left a record number of Americans unemployed, under-employed and in poverty. According to the October Census report, the number of impoverished Americans swelled to a record 46.2 million in 2010, rising faster between 2007-2010 than any other three-year period since the early 1980s when households suffered under skyrocketing energy costs and high unemployment. Government programs such as the extension of unemployment benefits and Social Security have kept some out of poverty. Millions more are receiving the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps) to try and keep food on the table. Per the Census report, the number of households getting food stamps has nearly doubled to 21.4 million since the recession began in 2007. The average benefit is about $290 a month - less than half the estimated cost to feed a family of four in 2007 on a low-cost plan per the 2010 Census report.

Community food pantries such as the JFS Food Pantry are doing what we can to help feed families. Information and Assistance lines such as United Way’s 211 line and the JFS I&A line are heavily used by those seeking assistance, with help for utility bills, housing costs, and food assistance being the most common of the many inquiries received every day. You can help people struggling in our community by donating funds to support these programs offered by JFS, or by donating your time and energy as a Food Pantry volunteer.

Brighten your own day by seeing the eyes of a homebound senior light up when they see you at their door with a box of food. See the relief on the face of a single mom when she’s handed a box of desperately needed diapers for her baby. Feel how humble the shining gratitude of a homeless person makes you feel when you hand them a grocery bag teeming with food. Join JFS as one of our monthly HANDS drivers, or a weekly Food Pantry volunteer. Lend your strong back to help with the weekly Wednesday morning food delivery from Roadrunner Food Bank or add your organizational skills to our food box packing team. Our community needs you! Please call Debbie at 291-1818 to volunteer.

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Program at Zuni Pueblo - Update

You may remember news about the handicap accessible ramp project in our August 2011 e-newsletter. The Community Innovations in Aging In Place Grant is making this project possible and it’s helped many people in the pueblo. For Phase II of the Ramp Project, Carrie Hamilton, JFS' CIAIP Project Director, and Violet Richards (of Zuni Pueblo) JFS' Zuni Outreach Worker, were looking into implementing metal loaner ramps instead of the permanent wood ramps they install during home remodels.

The Zuni Loaner Ramp Project is now a working partnership between the Zuni Housing Authority (ZHA) and Zuni Education and Career Development Center (ZECDC), Zuni Senior Center (ZSC), and JFS. The ZECDC provides work experience for Zuni community members who are interested in learning the construction trade while the ZHA oversees the education on ZHA renovation work sites. The Senior Center and JFS provide referrals to the programs for those elders in need of handicap accessible ramps. If needed, ramp materials are provided by the CIAIP project. Violet Richards has provided the specifications to the ZHA to ensure the ramps will be able to be dismantled easily for reuse by other elders in the future.

The annual Zuni Woodhauling Project has made four excursions to gather wood to meet the winter heating needs of frail elders. The Zuni Senior Center staff and volunteers have been thrilled with using the new chainsaws, axes, and mauls provided through the CIAIP project and McCune Foundation funding. The new equipment makes the work faster and easier, allowing them to collect a greater quantity of this much needed resource. JFS is very grateful to the McCune Foundation for contributing to the success of the Woodhauling Project.

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Rabbi Min’s Message
In case you are new to our e-newsletter, let me share this explanation for this space of the e-newsletter. The mission statement of Jewish Family Service of New Mexico reads: "Guided by Jewish values, we offer targeted social services that help preserve and improve the quality of life for New Mexicans." What are these Jewish values? How do they help guide the day-to-day work that we do at JFS? When new employees join the staff of JFS, they are introduced to eighteen of these basic Jewish values. (Why eighteen? Because that number is associated with life; the word "Chai" has a Hebrew numeric value of 18.) I’ll introduce these values one at a time, along with a brief idea of how each value informs JFS’ work.

Basic Jewish Values #16 Yirah - Awe, awareness of something bigger than ourselves
The word “yirah,” here translated as ‘awe’ is the same word that is often translated from the Biblical text as “fear”, the source of the concept of being a “G-d-fearing” person.” The original meaning of the word is not “fear” as in being scared or afraid, but “in awe,” as “in wonder,” “astonishment” or “amazement.” The Jewish value of yirah reminds us that our everyday lives, worries, accomplishments and interactions are part of something much larger and more complex. Whether we are among those who have a belief in a Creator or not, whether we experience awe in nature, in personal relationships, in meditation or in a really good dinner, the underlying understanding is the same. To quote part of a poem by Marge Piercy: “We are part of a great web of being joined together.”

At Jewish Family Service, we are reminded every day that we are part of this web of connectedness. One client may be seen by the Care Management team, who might realize that the client could benefit from a Chaplaincy visit. A Health and Wellness staff member might refer a client for Housekeeping/Companion Services. The Senior Transportation drivers might bring their concerns about a client to the Nurse Case Management staff. Volunteers at the Food Pantry keep an eye on repeat clients. Board members keep an eye on overall JFS growth and development, while Administrative staff makes it possible for it all to work together. When we stop and think, we are in awe, recognizing this web of interconnectedness, something larger than each of us, greater than the sum of its parts.

If you or someone you know could benefit from JFS’ Jewish Community Chaplaincy Services or you would like to view the Grief and Loss Support Group schedule, please visit JFS’ website’s Community Chaplaincy and Calendar pages.

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Catch the Shul Shuttle - December 9th

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JFS is a beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation of New Mexico, a participating agency of United Way of Central New Mexico, and is supported by dozens of other organizations and hundreds of donors. Please visit www.jfsnm.org for more information.

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