I was a volunteer for an Israel-based organization for many years before I was approached by Jewish Family Services. As a volunteer, my experiences had always been rewarding, and I also felt it was time to rededicate my commitment to Jewish identity and values. I was very pleased to accept this new challenge.

At JFS, I was most fortunate to work with an incredible staff of group and lay leaders. Together, we explored issues that the organization felt were important, and got the word out that these issues were taking place. The name of one campaign in particular says it all: “Countless Reasons Why We’re Here”—we provided a wide range of social services. Our school support services provided counselling and also addressed problems such as bullying and drug addiction.

One of our most successful endeavors was the creation of our Parlour Meetings. At these meetings, parents would sit with animators in order to discuss the problems they had with their adolescent and pre-teen children. The topics would range from dating, to issues on school, to drug abuse. It became hugely successful, with more than 35 groups of parents attending each meeting. In addition to the Parlour Meetings, the School Intervention Team was called upon on several occasions to talk about issues such as student suicide. In doing so, our team members were recognized as experts, which was very rewarding for all the workers and volunteers involved.Le Mercaz was an initiative that provided food and clothing to those in need. Le Mercaz also sponsored Dress For Success, which helped women who wanted to get back into the workplace.

During my time at JFS, we received a grant from Health Canada and were able to put out a series of booklets entitled “Family Front and Center”. This bilingual resources guide became quite popular in the community. Another successful campaign was “The Paper Jammers”, which provided jobs for adults with mental health issues. In 2004, JFS started doing intake and referral in the West Island. Our Exceptional Case Committee (ECC) had a special type of expertise that would guide our social workers into making the right decisions.

For 140+ years, Jewish Family Services strived to answer the needs of the community, and I am happy to say that Ometz has continued to do so. One of Ometz’s great strengths is its ability to adapt to the times and move forward, while keeping the mission and vision constant. I am very proud of my involvement with both Federation and Jewish Family Services.