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May 11, 2012
By Jackie Vinnick Strides to Thrive was created to make a difference in the lives of adults with disabilities – so that my sister Debbie and other JFGH residents could take part in more social and recreational activities in our area and lead more healthy, active lives. Now in its third year, hundreds of people have walked with us in support of JFGH and its new “Let's Get Fit” program that provides a range of activities designed to enrich residents’ lives. Our event has funded swimming club memberships, swim lessons, laughing yoga classes, exercise equipment instruction, and customized personal training. A new walking program has given residents an opportunity to get out and about. The program has increased overall physical activity for group home residents, and provided new opportunities for fun and socialization. Please consider joining us on Sunday, June 10 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Washingtonian Center/RIO to meet the residents and support the Let's Get Fit program. Once again, we'll have an at-your-own-pace walk around the Rio Lake, followed by music, games, giveaways, and lots of food and drinks provided by Whole Foods Market, Panera Bread, Honest Tea, and Starbucks Coffee Company. All donations are tax-deductible and include breakfast, a T-shirt, and a gift bag. For more information and to register for the walk visit www.stridestothrive.com. If you’d like to volunteer at the event, email info@stridestothrive.com. On behalf of my sister Debbie and other adults with disabilities, thank you for your support!
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March 30, 2012
Linda Yitzchak, Chaplain and Volunteer Administrator Some of my earliest memories are from Pesach... my mother’s sponge cake, singing Dayenu with my cousins, learning the Four Questions and surprising my grandfather by chanting the Kiddush. At JFGH, we have been planning for two months to ensure that our residents can experience similar memories. We spend that time finding Seders for our residents to attend, training our staff, providing Kosher for Passover food and cookware to our homes, cleaning/prepping the homes, teaching residents and staff about Pesach, and connecting volunteers to make the holiday more meaningful. More than 10 synagogues are hosting our residents at community seders, truly exemplifying the concept of inclusion. The Ina and Jack Kay Home and the Marge and Chuck Levin Homes are hosting their own seders with the help of a volunteer family and the parents of one of our residents. Other residents have seders with their own families and friends. Once community seders are located, we start matching residents to congregations and volunteers. Before our homes can be Kosher for Passover, our staff has to be trained in the ins and outs and of how to Kasher a home for Pesach. All of our staff hired since last Pesach are required to take our 4 hour Passover Intensive Training. We review of the story of the Israelites being enslaved in Egypt and how we were redeemed from slavery. We continue with the intricate laws of how to get the home ready for Passover including cleaning the entire home and van (the original spring cleaning), changing over dishes, pots and pans, flatware, etc., purchasing and using packaged food that is clearly marked Kosher for Passover, getting rid of the chametz (bread, pasta, crackers, cookies, etc.) and the final details down to cleaning the microwave and covering the kitchen counters with aluminum foil. The training also includes cooking demonstrations for making matza ball soup, fried matza, doctoring up gefilte fish, charoset and homemade macaroons. Thanks to the PJLL, the Frog-Teller and Haggadah Helper is an invaluable tool for spreading new knowledge about Pesach and for asking good questions and sharing new insights and understanding with our residents and staff. With all of this, Pesach is still one of my favorite holidays. I still love the music, the seder, the food and even the challenges of getting ready for Passover even multiplied more than 20 times. Some would see this as a daunting task, I see it as a blessing because it enables me to assure that our residents truly celebrate Pesach, the season of our redemption from slavery and the beginning of the Jewish people. May you have a kosher and meaningful Pesach, Linda Yitzchak
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February 08, 2012
By Annie L. February is Jewish Disability Awareness Month. As part of this, I attended Friday night services at Leisure World on February 3. Vivian Bass, our CEO, spoke and then she invited me and my house mates to join her on the bimah. It was overwhelming because I do not have many chances to talk in public about what it is like to have a disability and live in a JFGH home. We shared the kind of work we do and about our hobbies. I work at ROI and I love animals except for snakes and spiders. The Melvin and Estelle Gelman Home gives me a safe environment. We have great staff and great food. I have Williams Syndrome. People say it is the happy gene disability and that makes me be a very loveable and outgoing person. I wish that people would not say that we are retarded. We are the same as any other person. Sometimes it is a challenge for me to have a disability especially when I cannot do the job that my work asks me to do. I get frustrated. It felt good to be able to share about my disability with the people at Leisure World. The people came to me and told me that I spoke very beautifully. I would like to go to other places to talk and teach about my disability.
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December 01, 2011
If there was such a thing as a Professional Lifecycle, it would be how I describe my experience during my 11 years at JFGH. Although I had 7 years of social work under my belt, starting as the JFGH Social Worker was like being in the infancy stages of learning about supporting individuals with disabilities. Thanks to so many meaningful experiences I had working to enhance and develop our programs into the state of art services they have become, I grew in my knowledge and responsibilities. Perhaps more importantly, I also matured as a professional. There are countless memories I have which have defined my evolution from a social worker to a senior manager. The most special ones to me are the relationships I have made with our JFGH program individuals, their families and advocates, the JFGH Board of Directors, and our fantastic JFGH staff. As with most lifecycles, one stage moves to the next. I feel fortunate that everything I’ve learned and experienced at JFGH has become a springboard for me to continue my work in this field. My plans are to continue assisting families to help create and design the independent and self-directed lives they envision for their loved ones. Reflecting on the last 11 years, my experience at JFGH feels more like a journey than a job. I will take with me each of the exceptional relationships and use their success to create new connections. I look forward to staying in touch with JFGH and being a part of new collaborative efforts. I will be distributing contact information before my last day at JFGH on January 3, 2012. Warmest regards, Rebecca
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November 16, 2011
By Marcy Bennett, Sally and Robert Goldberg Maryland MOST™ Program Administrator 
Every week Sally and Robert Goldberg Maryland MOST™ Program participants work with Manna Food Center to help provide “Smart Sacks” for children at risk of hunger. Nick and Chuckie, two of the participants in the program, go each week to Manna Food Center pick up boxes and bring them back to the Joy W. and S. Robert Cohen Building so the sacks can be put together and then delivered to Twinbrook Elementary, one of 50 elementary schools in the program. Packages of food are pulled from boxes to prepare enough packages for two weeks of snacks. After the two prepare the smart snacks Nick goes with a staff member to deliver them to the school. Manna founded the Smart Sacks initiative in 2005. Manna partners with businesses, organizations and elementary schools and in a joint effort provide the children with backpacks full of kid-friendly food every Friday so they have food on the weekends when there are no school meals to sustain them.  All of the participants are able to help out at the Manna Food Center in any way that they are able and really enjoy the opportunity to do meaningful activities while in the program.
This experience allows the participants in this one year transition program to gain skills in a way that is meaningful to them and beneficial to the community. During the year in the Sally and Robert Goldberg Maryland MOST™ Program each participant engages in various activities and programs to fulfill their own individual goals and work to a successful transition into further education, employment, vocational or other day programs. (To learn more about the Sally and Robert Goldberg Maryland MOST™ Program click here.)
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MOST
Manna Food Center
Smart Sacks
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November 02, 2011
By Dani Marx “For the first time people are learning that they have a voice in the activities,” said Elizabeth Weintraub, the Co-Chair of the Jewish Foundation for Group Homes (JFGH) Residents Council. The Residents Council is a group of individuals from each of the Group Homes and the apartment program that meet to discuss what events they are interested in having.
“One of the goals is to give the residents a safe place where their voices can be heard,” said Chaplain and Volunteer Administrator Linda Yitzchak. “They can express what they are interested in, [and] they can express their concerns so that they have the ability to make choices and learn that they have the right to stand up for themselves and be their own self advocates.”
Self-advocacy is commonly discussed in the meetings.
“Before I learned about self-advocacy, I didn't think I couldn't disagree with my parents or others,” Weintraub said. “I believe that once people learn and practice using their voices, with encouragement, they will not stop using their voices.”
The JFGH Residents Council began about two years ago, and it meets four times a year. “Before we had the Residents Council other people would decide [which] large group activities the residents would do in their free time. But just like other adults they have their own preferences and why shouldn’t they be involved in making those choices?” Yitzchak said. Yitzchak, who helps plan the Residents Council meetings, said that she is in awe of what happens in the discussions. “From the first meeting, their eyes were alive. They are so pleased to have a place where they can be heard, where their word is very important, and where they can vote,” she said. “The residents really feel empowered. They feel important that they are heard and that they represent the other residents.” Weintraub agrees with Yitzchak. “I believe that they are happy that JFGH cares to ask for their opinions,” she said. “The empowerment, having their voices heard, it just raises the sense of who they are. Also, the fact that they are representing other people, brings it to an even higher level,” Yitzchak said. “Every time that we do something new, they absorb it. Which really shows us the potential that people with disabilities can attain if given the right venue.”
Dani is a student at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School and editor of the Lion's Tale, The CESJDS Student Newspaper.
If you are interested in getting involved with resident activities and programs please contact Linda Yitzchak, Volunteer Administrator and Jewish Living Chaplain, 240-283-6022 or lyitzchak@JFGH.org.
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September 19, 2011
JFGH President Lisa Reiner Cohen and CEO Vivian Bass's remarks from the Annual Meeting on September 15, 2011 As I conclude the first year of my term, I want to thank JFGH for the honor and privilege of allowing me to serve as President of this amazing organization. From the direct care staff, to the administrative team, all the way up to Vivian, you make JFGH what it is and I am so proud to be a part of it. I am also enormously grateful for the wisdom and expertise of JFGH’s Board of Directors who have guided and advised me this year. I especially want to thank the members of the executive committee and in particular our Vice Presidents – Jennifer Margolius Fisher, Nan Bender, Leonard Bebchick, and Dr. Sara Rubinow Simon All have been instrumental in insuring the continued success and excellence of JFGH. The past presidents have always played an essential role, not only in past policy decisions but in forming visions for the future. Your individual and collective efforts have given JFGH the solid foundation that we continue to build upon. I especially want to thank Immediate Past President Dennis Speisman Thank you for your continued support and involvement. Tonight our CEO Vivian Bass and I will share our reflections on an exceptional year in accordance with JFGH’s Strategic Plan. Let me begin by bragging. We are proud that JFGH has earned Charity Navigator’s highest given, Four-Star Rating for nine consecutive years. Charity Navigator is the largest evaluator of non-profit organizations in the United States. Only 43 non-profit agencies out of several thousand nationally, earned this consecutive 4-star distinction. Additionally, for the third consecutive year, we have sustained the Seal of Excellence from the National Standards of Excellence Institute. JFGH is the only Jewish non-profit agency in the United States to have earned this highly regarded certification. Thank you to the administrative and direct care staffs, as their continued hard work and dedication is crucial in JFGH earning these well-deserved accolades year after year. The Board of Directors developed and adopted a strategic plan in the spring of 2008, and it guides much of the work we do at JFGH. The plan details major priorities: Programs Enhancement and Expansion, Development, Fiscal Health, and Governance. I will defer to Vivian at this time to share highlights regarding the first two strategic goals Financial Health: Fiscal year 2011 marked the 6th consecutive year that JFGH maintained a balanced budget which is truly remarkable particular in this fiscal climate facing all non-profits. Vivian and her Executive Management Team are to be commended for developing and implementing changes that result in improved operating efficiencies while continuing to maintain our superior level of care. Jewish Foundation for Group Homes, Inc. and Jewish Foundation for Group Homes Endowment, Inc. chaired by John King, Sr. continue to collaborate on “The Campaign for the Future”. This effort has two major goals: to provide capital funding for our Joy W. and S. Robert Cohen Building, and to insure the long-term financial health of our agency by growing our permanent endowments. The campaign, co-chaired by Melvin Cohen, of blessed memory, and Jerry Stempler, has met 99% of its $13.2M goal. AMAZING!! We also recognize our generous family of donors who continue to keep JFGH in their hearts as they loyally honor their multi-year pledges. Efforts by the JCRC and others were critical in advocating for the State of Maryland’s hard-won Alcohol Tax went into effect as of July 1st. Revenue gained from this tax will benefit programs and services for individuals with disabilities as well as public schools throughout the state. In the first year, the Developmental Disabilities Administration will receive $50 million to use for providing much needed supports to individuals on the state’s waiting list. Governance: JFGH’s board is comprised of committees that oversee various aspects of JFGH’s operations. These committees now conduct business in a more formal manner, in accordance with their charters. They meet regularly and report to the Board with greater clarity and sophistication than at any time previously. In addition, our board meetings have been well attended with full participation. The management team and board are continuing their leadership roles at various other organizations, including Vivian’s new appointment as a member of the Jewish Women International (JWI) Board of Trustees, and Keith’s new appointment to the Maryland Association of Community Services (MACS) Board of Directors. We are so proud of the work that our leadership does both for JFGH and other important organizations throughout the community. As I enter my second year as President, I continue to visit our homes and am happy to report I have now been to nearly every home for a meal or other gathering. I reflect back over the past 25 years of volunteering with JFGH and it STILL gives me such great joy to participate in activities and programs like Judith and Skip Monsein’s Swim Extravaganza, OAP Game Night or even just planting flowers outside with the MOST™ participants. On a sad note, I’ve joined the Extended JFGH Family in mourning the loss of residents and benefactors. The residents and MOST™ program participants continue to amaze me with each and every story, accomplishment and proof of independence they share. Most importantly, the residents and staff alike continue to open their homes and hearts to me for which I am forever grateful. I would once again like to acknowledge that our wonderful successes, this year and in the past, would not have been possible without our exceptional staff. There are many parts in this wonderful wheel we call JFGH and all of them must work together to be effective. My job is made easier and more pleasurable because of your excellence.
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June 24, 2011
By John Paukstis, Executive Director Habitat for Humanity Montgomery County Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County, MD (HFH-MC) is most well known as being a builder of simple, decent homes and providing low-income families affordable homeownership opportunities. Many community members do not realize that we also work on rehab and weatherization projects. Recently, we had the pleasure of working with JFGH on a weatherization project. The weatherization program was launched with the goal of providing free basic weatherization services to increase energy efficiency in the home. For us, this program allows us to expand from building and improving communities, to also working to sustain them. The HFH-MC weatherization program is currently funded by the EmPOWER Clean Energy Communities Low-to-Moderate Income Grant Program administered by the Maryland Energy Administration. This competitive grant program allows organizations, like HFH-MC, to help low to moderate income residents in Maryland ensure their homes remain financially and environmentally sustainable so they can focus on thriving and not just surviving. Through our partnership with JFGH, the program has allowed us to serve a new client base, maximizing Habitat’s impact on a variety of Montgomery County Residents. The first step in weatherization work is to improve the building envelope of any structure. This is achieved by improving the air sealing as well as adding insulation to areas such as attics, walls, floors and basements. When air sealing work was done, the goal was to reduce air infiltration by 20%. We were able to exceed these expectations and reduce air infiltration by over 40% in three of the JFGH units. In addition, we estimate that there will be an 18% reduction in energy usage across all twenty JFGH units based on the work performed. The Weatherization program, as one component of HFH-MC’s effort to revitalize Montgomery County communities, aligns with our long term goals of serving more members of the community and focusing on environmentally sustainable practices and programs. This was a unique opportunity for HFH-MC to partner with another local, non-profit organization in order to leverage services to support a different population. John Paukstis is Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County, MD, Inc. (HFH-MC), an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International. Since 1982, Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County has been partnering with the community and low-income families living in substandard conditions, to build simple, decent, affordable housing. To date, HFH-MC has served 95 local families. HFH-MC supports the notion that good, stable housing matters for neighborhoods. Better quality of living leads to stronger citizens and families. Habitat for Humanity is about changing lives, one home at a time. Visit our website at www.habitat-mc.org. 
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May 16, 2011
By Katie Carroll, Communications Associate On May 12 the Autism Society sponsored “100 cities one night for Autism.” The film Wretches and Jabberers was screened at theaters across the country. My roommate and I walked into the AFI Silver Theater Thursday night with a handful of other people; several were watching the film for a second time. Wretches and Jabberers, directed by Geradine Wurzburg, follows two men, who have autism and cannot speak but communicate through typing, across the country to spread the message that they “are more like you than not.” Tracy, 42 and Larry, 52, Travel to Sri Lanka, Japan and Finland with their assistants Pascal and Harvey and in each country meet others who like them are also autistic and communicate through typing. Many things about this film struck a cord with me, but what I found the most powerful, especially after working for JFGH, was that Tracy had no permanent place to live. Larry is able to live with his sister and get the extra support from her, but Tracy expresses that he lives out of a backpack and sleeps at a different house every night. He types to the interviewer that most nights he sleeps in the homes of the people who are paid to take care of him. Some nights he lives in a shelter for people in crisis. He communicates that he’s lived in 12 different places, “No hope of finding a place to hang my hat,” He types. When Larry and Tracy travel they meet Chami in Sri Lanka, Naoki in Japan and Henna and Antti in Finland. Their new friends range in age from 16 to 35 and all struggle with a similar degree of Autism and similar challenges in the societies they live in. When Tracy and Larry get together with Chami, Naoki, Henna and Antti they type together the challenges they face in not being able to speak to people, and the assumption people make that because they can’t speak they are not intelligent. Tracy and Larry prove throughout this film exactly how intelligent they are. My favorite moment is when the men visit a Buddhist Temple in Sri Lanka. Everyone is asked to take off their shoes before entering which makes Larry uncomfortable to begin with. Inside there are a lot of noises and things going on in the temple and he decides to walk out. Afterward Larry and Tracy sit with their assistants at a table near by and Tracy types to Larry that the experience of being in the temple was incredibly powerful and humbling and how much he wished Larry could have relaxed for it. Larry types back that he wishes he could have too; if not for “autism’s death grip.” Wretches and Jabbers is an incredibly inspirational film and Tracy and Larry’s stories show how many things people with autism and other disabilities are able to do. The video below from State of the Art was shot of Larry and Tracy after the film was made. The interviewer asks Tracy if his living situation has changed and he says no. At JFGH we consider ourselves the answer to the question parents with disabilities ask “what happens when our child grows up and we and our family can’t take care of them?” But what happens if support like what JFGH provides in this area isn’t available, or if the services available aren’t accessible?
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Wreches and Jabbers
Intellectual Disabilities
Autism
AFI Silver Theater
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May 10, 2011
 We are so proud of our resident, Gillian for receiving the 2011 MACS Acheivement Award!
During this past year Gillian (Gillie) moved into her own apartment, although she has been living independently for 12 years. Gillie has worked for three years at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility doing custodial work. Below you can find art work from Gillie, just one of many things she enjoys doing in her free time. 
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