In 2008, the On the Go program was born. It provided free and low-cost transportation for older adults to help them feel more independent and connected to the community. Transportation to doctor’s appointments, the grocery store, the theatre, shopping, and more. It’s astonishing that we are now celebrating our 100,000th On the Go ride – just four years after the program began. We couldn’t be happier and more proud.

Last Friday, dozens gathered at Congregation Beth Israel for a lovely lunch and celebration of this huge milestone. KUSI news was there and ran a brief piece on it that night (watch it again here). I was honored to be able to thank the amazing people who’ve made this program the success it is today– among them, the staff, donors, volunteers, Jewish Community Foundation, and the Jewish Federation.

The volunteer driver who gave the 100,000th ride was Bill Farmer, a retired police officer who has provided nearly 100 rides since May 2010. The rider was Sara “Suzanne” Tell, 80. Both received a plaque commemorating the honor.

I have to say, I’ve never seen a more committed group than those volunteers who drive for On the Go. Time after time, I hear drivers say that they get more out of the program than the riders do!

Another example of a dedicated volunteer is Wayne Bradbury (recipient of our Jack Stern Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service in 2010), who has given over 3,000 rides in four years. At the celebration, he addressed the crowd and said with a smile, “You don’t get any money, but it’s the best job in the world.”

Now that it’s reached 100,000 rides, On the Go isn’t content to rest on its laurels. The program currently has more than 250 volunteer drivers with a goal of adding 100 more this year. Please help us reach this goal and make it easier for more seniors be mobile and independent. I promise you, it will be a rewarding experience. For more information, click here.

Brenda Bothel (On the Go Director), Bill Farrar (volunteer driver), Suzanne Tell (lucky rider!), and David Weinberg (Eastern San Diego Rides & Smiles Coordinator)

Thank you to everyone who made this Thursday, June 16, Ruby Schulman Memorial Golf Tournament such a smashing success. We welcomed 125 attendees, and together raised almost $75,000 to support Jewish Family Service’s many necessary community services and programs. Congratulations to the first place team of the tournament: Steve Bee, Josh Finkenberg, John Mills, and Scotty Patel! Second place went to Brett Feuerstein, Michael Feuerstein, Scott Holtgrieve and Andrew Gordon. The Women’s Longest Drive was hit by Tara Riley and the Men’s Longest  Drive  went to Mike Carpenter. Greg Oggell hit Closest to Pin and Scott Wild clinched the Putting contest. Perhaps the most memorable moment of the day was at the dinner ceremony when everyone in attendance gave Ben Schulman a standing ovation for his efforts in making this event a reality.

Click here to see more pictures of the tournament>>

We did it – again! It is my pleasure to announce that we have earned a Charity Navigator 4-Star rating, their highest rating, for the fourth year in a row. The rating is based on a nonprofit’s “ability to efficiently manage and grow its finances.” Some of the major factors Charity Navigator looks at include program, administrative, and fundraising expenses; financial sustainability; and revenue growth. According to Charity Navigator, only 8% of the charities they reviewed nationwide have the distinction of receiving the highest rating four consecutive years. This accomplishment is a testament to our Board of Directors and staff who take great pride in fulfilling our mission and managing our resources so we can help as many clients as possible in our programs. It addresses perhaps the greatest donor concern—that  your money is stewarded wisely and put to good use. As Charity Navigator puts it, “this exceptional designation differentiates Jewish Family Service of San Diego from its peers and demonstrates to the public it is worthy of their trust.” I encourage you to read our review by clicking here. Thank you again to our donors who demand accountability and transparency from us, and continue to bolster our efforts. Together we can continue improving so many lives and provide a lifetime of support.

Jewish Family Service has hit another major milestone today as North County Inland Older Adult Center client Helen Cohen traveled in the On the Go limo on the program’s historic ride. Helen praised the program, “My favorite part is the volunteers. I have volunteered most of my life and can truly appreciate their work. These people are caring and punctual, and I love them from the bottom of my heart.” When asked about how she felt about being the one to take the historic ride, Helen was in disbelief, but not so much that she didn’t jokingly ask for a balloon to commemorate the occasion. Congratulations to Rides & Smiles® and the whole On the Go team on reaching this momentous mark and continuing to impact our community!

Many military families are struggling in these tough economic times. To combat this, First Lady Michelle Obama, and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden’s wife, Dr. Jill Biden, have teamed up to help families through Joining Forces, a national initiative mobilizing all sectors of society to give our service members and their families the opportunities and support they deserve.

On Wednesday, I proudly spoke with the First Lady on a conference call she hosted for Joining Forces along with only seven organizations chosen nationwide to speak about outstanding military supportive efforts. More than 1,100 organizations including nonprofit, corporate and governmental entities were part of the audience. As many of you know, JFS has a very active history in supporting military families. In February 2007, the Hand Up Youth Food Pantry started The Military Outreach Project of Jewish Family Service of San Diego in response to a 2006 article describing how some military families were finding it difficult to make ends meet and in particular were having a hard time affording groceries.  To date, we have hosted 77 events to distribute food, diapers, and other supplies to more than 3,000 military families at Camp Pendelton and a separate military housing complex. In addition to items being distributed, a JFS Case Manager is always on-site to provide families with a full needs assessment, linkages to community resources, public benefit enrollment assistance, and financial assistance in the form of self-sufficiency grants. JFS also has provided counseling and no-cost parenting classes to more than 200 military families.  Indeed, JFS has earned a reputation for providing high quality and accessible care in the military community.

Our efforts are particularly poignant several times a year. A few weeks ago, the Hand Up Food Pantry held a special Mother’s Day event for military mothers and their families. I am happy to say that our work was very well received and I wanted to thank you for your ongoing help and contributions. Click here for more information about Joining Forces. If you’d like to volunteer or show your support for the Hand Up Youth Food Pantry, click here.

Our annual Project Sarah Game Day was incredibly well-attended. Packed tables spilled well past Congregation Beth Israel’s Social Hall and into the hallway. At this pace, next year’s attendees might spill into the sanctuary. Thank you to everyone who attended in support of this great cause, and to all our generous underwriters who covered the majority of the event costs. All contributions go directly to survivors of domestic violence.

Shimmy and Shaking! At the College Avenue Older Adult Center, we had a joyous event with older adults and students from the SDSU Hillel. Under the theme of old Hollywood glamour, many of the participants dressed to the nines in glowing gowns, suits and tuxedos. Some of the older adults showed the college students a step or two as the Big Band roared through Swing to Cha Cha sets with a little electric slide thrown in for good measure. Staying Young, having fun, and being social—that is what JFS Older Adult Centers are all about.

Debra Stern-Ellis, the Director of Community Services for Jewish Family Service of San Diego, has been named the Clinical Social Worker of the Year by the California Society for Clinical Social Work’s (CSCSW) San Diego District. The award was presented to Ms. Stern-Ellis at the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the CSCSW, San Diego District’s annual event on March 25, 2011 which celebrated March as “Social Work Month.”

The CSCSW, San Diego District, Clinical Social Worker of the Year annual award goes to a LCSW in our community who has been an outstanding professional role model. This includes going above and beyond in her professional work as a clinician, leader and teacher as well as contributing to the well-being of our community as a volunteer.

Linda Hutkin-Slade, Senior Director of Community Services, praised Debra’s work, “Debra Stern-Ellis is not only a talented clinician, but she is a gifted mentor. She is fearless, endlessly energetic and enthusiastic.  Debra runs an extremely busy department and meets the various demands of her staff, and the clients they serve, with a great deal of composure and patience and clinical expertise.  She is an incredible asset to JFS and in turn to the community as she has launched countless initiatives to care for the most vulnerable.”

PICTURED:  Ethan Stern-Ellis, Debra Stern-Ellis, Heidi Stern-Ellis, Mikayla Stern-Ellis

I’d like to thank everyone who participated in making the Foodmobile’s 40th Anniversary such a tremendous success. The event, held at our College Avenue Older Adult Center, was attended by Congresswoman Susan Davis, Mayor Jerry Sanders, Councilmember Todd Gloria, Portland Bates (representing Supervisor Ron Roberts), our dedicated volunteers, staff and many others. A special thanks to Ruth Anfangar (see photo) who has faithfully volunteered in the Foodmobile program all 40 years. What an amazing achievement! To cap off the festivities, the City of San Diego proclaimed that today, March 25, 2011 was officially Foodmobile Day and the City of La Mesa added a commendation as well.

More than a dozen employees from NBC 7 News came into our Hand Up Youth Food Pantry last week to volunteer. It was so neat watching them stack, lift, sort, and create food bags for San Diego’s hungry. With so many people struggling these days, it’s such a great thing to see people come together to make a difference during these tough times.

The employees held a food drive at their office, donating nearly 800 pounds of food to Jewish Family Service. After the drive, they decided to experience the food pantry first hand. Employees including anchors Catherine Garcia and Marianne Kushi, worked tirelessly for a few hours, sorting the 800 pounds of food they had donated and creating 300 bags of food to hand out to clients.

Thank you NBC for all of your help! You truly made a difference.

Read the online article about their experience by clicking here>>

Watch the news clip of their volunteer time by clicking here>>

Find out how you can volunteer in the Hand Up Youth Food Pantry by clicking here>>