Jewish Care [Victoria]

Jewish Care Victoria provides essential services for those in need throughout the State.

Contact details:  8517 5963

Jewish Care’s Mission

 

 

JEWISH CARE NEWS

Melbourne couple honoured for supporting JewishCare

Decades of service to the community received recognition when Jewish Care honoured Don and Sonia Marejn with its inaugural award for outstanding philanthropy at its recent Gala Dinner.

Awarded for “extraordinary financial and personal contribution to the community,” Bruce Rosengarten, President of Jewish Care, recounted how as a young couple leaving war torn Bialystok for Australia, Don and Sonia had to nominate an address on their suitcases. “With their entire families decimated in the Holocaust, the only address they could cite at their distant destination was that of Jewish Welfare in Victoria.”

Thanking Jewish Care, Mr Marejn told the guests at Leonda, “Being able to write down that address gave us some security and comfort during an otherwise traumatic time.  More important than the material help was the feeling that there was someone to turn to.”

In accepting the award, Mr Marejn explained that caring for the elderly residents of Jewish Care was an opportunity which he and his wife cherished because the opportunity to care for their own parents, had been so tragically denied them.

“Nearly 60 years on and the Marejn’s have spent their lives giving back to the organisation that was their lifeline when they landed on these foreign shores, significantly contributing towards Jewish Care’s ability to provide a home and nursing care to elderly residents at Montefiore Homes Community Residence, Mark and Dina Munzer Community Residence and Gary Smorgon House,” Mr Rosengarten explained.

Modest and charitable in equal measure, Mr and Mrs Marejn allowed their generosity to be publicized in the hope that it might encourage others to do the same.

Mr Rosengarten said Mr and Mrs Marejn’s  contribution had been long standing and significant and had made a difference to the lives of hundreds, even thousands of people in need in the Jewish community.

“Their selfless dedication and generosity truly embodies the spirit of ‘My Community. My Choice’  -  the message at the heart of Jewish Care. “

“Jewish Care belongs to the community – each of us owners and stakeholders. With ownership comes responsibility. We each play a role in ensuring the care of those in need,” Mr Rosengarten said.

The Dinner’s Patron, David Smorgon OAM, called on the community to champion Jewish Care’s 2010 Annual Appeal in support of people in crisis in our community.

Smorgon said he was “honoured to be the Patron of Jewish Care” and stressed the organisation’s vital role in responding to 5,000 people in crisis that call each year.

“Our Jewish community is a representation of the wider community with all of its issues. Yes, we do have poverty, domestic violence, drug and alcohol issues and even homelessness in our own backyard,”  Smorgon added.  “Jewish Care is at the forefront of helping people to meet the challenges they face. Jewish Care now needs our support.”

The Gala Dinner launched Jewish Care’s 2010 Annual Appeal with donations and pledges on the night totaling several hundred thousand dollars.

Bruce Rosengarten, President of Jewish Care commented, “I am heartened that so many of our supporters have chosen to increase their donation, having understood the enormity of the care we provide.”

Speaking before a capacity crowd of 400 people, Mr Rosengarten said this year’s target of $2.5 million was “absolutely critical to enable us to continue to provide support services to our community.”

“80 people in our community face homelessness every month;  2,000 households in our community survive on less than $249 per week;  one in five adults struggle with mental illness; one in 10 Jewish Victorians over 65 are affected by dementia and  one in three families have experienced some form of family violence. These are not just numbers – these are lives of people in our community.”

“Our neighbours, our friends, our families, our community,” Rosengarten continued. “Anyone,” he pointed out “…can be hit by crisis.”

As Manager of Community Support Services, Lorraine Raskin’s heartfelt presentation helped bring to light the range and complexity of the calls which are received by Jewish Care on a daily basis and how the organisation impacts on individual lives.

The organisation estimates 30,000 people in the Victorian Jewish community are affected by the services it provides.

The evening provided an opportunity for the community to be addressed by Jewish Care’s new Chief Executive Officer Bill Appleby, who commenced with the organization on 1 February. “I am excited by the potential, the mission and the human spirit at Jewish Care,” he said.

Appleby made reference to the upcoming holiday of Purim,  “ whose hero figures represent faith, determination and the courage to stand up for one’s convictions.”

“I will be standing firm in my resolve and have courage in my convictions,” Mr Appleby continued, “ … to ensure that Jewish Care’s services continue to evolve to respond effectively to the changing needs of our community.”

Bill Appleby and Bruce Rosengarten also extended their appreciation to David Smorgon and the organising committee of Annette Smorgon, Jasmine Dindas and Karen Goldenberg for their “time, effort, commitment and dedication in making [our] Gala Dinner a tremendous success.  Their involvement with Jewish Care is a model of support and partnership which we hope will have a ripple effect on our entire community to support the important work that we do,” Mr Appleby said.

Jewish Care launches appeal

Melbourne’s Jewish Care has launched its 2010 appeal.

Why we ask our community to support our 2010 Annual Appeal

Of the broad range of services we provide, only 75% is funded by government and service fees, leaving an annual shortfall of nearly $10 million.  Many of our services and facilities would not be possible without the gracious assistance of our donors.  As a not-for-profit organisation we rely heavily on the generosity of our donors and volunteers to ensure that our community needs are met 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Our Annual Appeal target of $2.5 million is absolutely critical to enable us to continue to provide support services to our community.

2010 Annual Appeal Key Messages

Jewish Care receives 5,000 crisis calls a year on issues ranging from youth issues, family breakdown, aged care needs, emergency housing, domestic violence, mental health issues, poverty and violence.

• o 80 people face homelessness every month
• o 2,000 households in our community survive on less than $249 per week
• o 1 in five adults struggle with mental illness
• o 1 in 10 Jewish Victorians over 65 are affected by dementia
• o 1 in three families have experienced some form of family violence

These people are our neighbours, our friends, our families.

By caring for clients and their families, we touch the lives of over 30,000 people in our community every year: one out of every two people in our community is touched or affected by Jewish Care in some way.

Giving today – helping tomorrow

Triennial giving, where donors commit to three or more years of funding, can ensure the financial stability of our vital services and enables us to improve program delivery through enhanced planning, service innovation and the development of long range strategic goals.  Jewish Care is grateful to those donors who have already made this commitment. During this year’s Annual Appeal, we are asking anyone who can to commit to long term support to enable us to achieve our goal to help the community.

The needs of our community exceed what we are currently able to provide:

• o We placed 50 jobseekers this past year – but 300 still seek employment
• o We doubled the disability housing we currently provide to 36; but there are at least 100 more with unmet accommodation needs
• o We guided nearly 160 people into temporary, transitional or permanent accommodation, but there are still another 80 facing housing crisis every month
• o We provided 215 days of respite for families with children with disabilities, but there is demand 365 days a year
• o We provided a much needed weekly break for 25 carers of people with dementia, but there are hundreds more in need
• o 500 older people visited the active living centre every week, but thousands more could benefit from our Healthy Ageing Programs
• o Last year, we distributed $150,000 in emergency aid – but what about this year?  (Note: According to the 2006 Census, 35% of the Victorian Jewish community earn less than $1,000 a week).

What your donation can achieve:

$1,400 A month of daily home care visits for a frail person living alone

$5,000 A month of emergency housing for a family at risk

$21,000  A year of art therapy to help people with a mental illness

$30,000 A week of groceries for 110 families in crisis

$45,000  10 pressure-relief beds to provide comfort for elderly residents

$50,000 New physiotherapy equipment for our Healthy Ageing Program

$75,000 Training for 200 new volunteers

$150,000  100 extra days of respite for families of children with a disability

Case studies of people in crisis who turn to Jewish Care

We receive approximately 5,000 crisis calls a year – every one of these calls contains a story:

o Benjamin, 23, arrived at Jewish Care asking for money. He was clearly unwell, suffering from a mental illness and estranged from his family who live interstate. He was also about to lose his accommodation at a rooming house which was closing down.  With Benjamin’s permission we were able to link him with specialist psychiatric services which actually resulted in a hospital admission. He now receives specialist out-patient psychiatric support and he has moved to another rooming house.  One of his goals is to be well enough to join Jewish Care’s mental health psycho-social groups so that he can feel connected through the activities and outings.

• o Joe, Michelle and their two little girls called Jewish Care when they found themselves facing eviction, with no idea where they were going to live or how they would be able to buy food and nappies.  Last year’s global financial crisis led to the end of Joe’s fledgling business and plummeted him into a spiral of depression and ill health. With two small children under school age and another pregnancy, this family are struggling to survive.  Joe and Michelle accepted immediate assistance to help to pay for rent, nappies and groceries.  Joe also has an appointment at our recruitment and training service, Always Moving Forward, while in the longer-term, Joe and Michelle are also considering meeting with our financial counsellor for assistance in addressing their debts.

• o Miriam, aged 40, moved interstate to Melbourne with her three school-aged children to escape her physically and sexually violent husband.  Miriam’s oldest child is a particularly angry and aggressive teenager and the middle child is becoming quiet and withdrawn. As if this weren’t enough, Miriam’s youngest child, aged 10, has a disability. Miriam is a religious woman, however, and this places additional financial pressures – observing Chagim,  affording kosher food, and having to send her children to Jewish schools and to live in proximity to the school in an area where rents keep on rising.  Miriam is working with her Jewish Care counsellor to deal with the trauma of abuse and to work on her parenting skills. She has also started to use our Children’s Respite House a few weekends per year, to enable her to focus on herself and her older children.

• o Sarah is constantly worried about her mother Rochel, 84, a Holocaust survivor. Rochel’s husband, Sam, passed away five years ago but for the whole family the loss is very fresh.  Recently, Rochel has started ringing Sarah up to 10 times a day and last week she forgot the kugel in the oven for the second time. Sarah decided to call Jewish Care to find out about residential care for her mother and was surprised to find out about the different options available so that could she independently in her own home – like help with shopping, courses in physiotherapy and other programs at Jewish Care’s Active Living Centre in Kooyong Rd.  However, Rochel’s past experiences, now sharpened with age, made her distrustful of strangers and of being told what to do. We are working with Sarah and Rochel to make Rochel feel safe and ready to accept outside help.

About Jewish Care

Founded on a strong caring ethos, Jewish Care continues to build on its 160-year history of providing vital support for people in need. Today, we are guided by the same ideals of compassion and understanding that saw the establishment of Montefiore Homes for the Aged in 1848 and Australian Jewish Welfare Society in 1939. Our core values of charity, kindness, family and respect are steeped in age-old wisdom, emanating from a rich heritage of Jewish tradition.

That tradition continues today. Our experience in providing essential support to the Jewish community gives us a deep understanding of past hardships and future aspirations. This insight allows Jewish Care to design culturally sensitive care packages that honour the unique requirements of each individual. We help people discover the tools they need to lead fulfilling lives, and to celebrate their place in our community.

Over time, Jewish Care has grown with the community. Our services have expanded to respond to the ever changing needs and pressures of modern life. We understand the issues our community has faced in the past and the particular challenges that exist today.

Our services reflect this understanding and provide practical and spiritual support wherever it is needed. This approach will always remain the cornerstone of our organisation and is highly valued by all who come to Jewish Care.

We are a first point of contact for people experiencing unemployment, homelessness, emotional and financial difficulties, mental health issues, and those living with a disability. As ever, we remain dedicated to providing professional, dignified aged care. But it is not just the vulnerable we help. Jewish Care provides employment and training services for all sectors of the workforce, financial products for businesses and individuals, and innovative programs to impart life skills and promote the potential of our youth. We take a proudly whole-of-life approach to supporting every person through every stage of their life, regardless of their situation. Everything we do is aimed at improving individuals’ quality of life and serving our diverse community.

My Community. My Choice.

Jewish Care belongs to the community – each of us owners and stakeholders. With ownership comes responsibility. We each play a role in ensuring the care of those in need.

The strength of our community is in our diversity and in our togetherness – young and old, rich and poor, healthy and sick, religious and unaffiliated. Together we are one.

Jewish Care’s mission speaks to all of us, not just the vulnerable. Through the delivery of the highest quality of care coupled with real choices and real options we will transform Jewish Care from a provider of necessity to a provider of choice.

Mar-21 Melbourne: Family Fun Day

JewishCare hosting a  family festival.

For details, visit JewishCare’s page….

Melbourne’s Glen Eira Villas officially opened

Victorian Premier John Brumby has officially opened Glen Eira Villas, Jewish Care’s newest housing development for people with a disability.

Thirty years after leading the move towards deinstitutionalisation, Jewish Care once again leads the Victorian community in the provision of supported accommodation for people with a disability.   Jewish Care’s Glen Eira Villas is located on the same site on Glen Eira Road, where in 1979, it established Victoria’s first permanent supported accommodation for people with a disability.  Located in the heart of the Jewish community, the new development offers a unique blend of independent living, individualised support and community engagement.

Jewish Care will welcome the first residents to Glen Eira Villas next month.

Bruce Rosengarten, President of Jewish Care, explained “In responding to the urgent need for disability accommodation, we stepped outside the paradigms of current disability service models.” Mr Rosengarten said. “We researched best practice models worldwide, and we engaged in extensive community consultation with people with a disability, their carers and care providers.”

Premier Brumby strongly commended the community for its determination and commitment in building an inclusive community for all. He praised Jewish Care for its dedication to universal values.

“The Jewish values of family, kindness, respect and charity are ones which have helped shape the Victorian community,” Mr Brumby said.

“It is because our Jewish community itself has been part of Victoria for so long and because a strong ethic of care is so central to the Jewish tradition.”

Premier Brumby applauded Jewish Care’s development as a model of innovation, leadership and inclusivity.

He said the Jewish community had long been a leader in helping shape the fabric of our society and that the Glen Eira Villas would provide many people with the respect everyone deserves.

“A person’s culture, their community, their faith and traditions are right at the heart of who that person is, which is why the Victorian Government is proud to support this development,” he said.

“The Jewish community has long been a leading example of compassion and kindness and the Glen Eira Villas will provide people with a much needed culturally appropriate respite and disability care service.”

In addressing the assembled guests, Mr Rosengarten also referred to the values of Jewish Care. “Glen Eira Villas speaks to all of our core values,” he said, “but most of all, it embodies the idea of tzedaka, understood not only as charity, but also and most importantly, as what is just, true and right.”

“It is just, true and right that people with disabilities should live with dignity,” he continued.

“It is just, true and right that people with disabilities should live in their own home, not a facility, where they have the same opportunities as anyone else to express themselves and make choices about their lifestyle. It is just, true and right that people with disabilities should have the same opportunities to be part of our community, living within our community and free to express and participate in our shared culture and traditions.”

“This project represents our vision of a world where every person, regardless of age or ability, has the freedom to create a meaningful life, make their own choices and pursue their own goals, a world which focuses on a person’s qualities, gifts and capabilities, rather than their challenges or limitations, a world where we are all enriched by our togetherness and our diversity.”

Mr Rosengarten added, “The centre of Glen Eira Villas’ visionary model of inclusivity is the beautiful communal hub; a recreation space designed for use by community, social, youth and sporting groups to hold activities and events. By encouraging the community to host their programs at Glen Eira Villas, residents can readily join in and be a part of enjoying and contributing to community life.”

Sharing the podium with the Premier was the project’s Patroness, Naomi Milgrom AO, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Sussan Corporation, expressed her inspiration and pride commenting, “Three years ago we were motivated by a model of inclusiveness – and today I am honoured to be the Patron of such a ground–breaking vision. Jewish Care’s leadership is an inspiration to our community.”

Acknowledging the government’s generous contribution of $400,000 towards the project’s building costs, Mr Rosengarten also thanked major community supporters for enabling this project to be realised.

The opening of Glen Eira Villas marks a significant milestone in the vision of a community network of support for people with a disability. Launched at Jewish Care’s 2006 Gala Dinner, $3 million has been raised towards the project’s construction costs, with an additional $1.5million still needing to be raised.

About Glen Eira Villas

Glen Eira Villas offers people a unique blend of independent living, individualised support and community engagement. Residents will be supported and included in social and community activities in which they are interested. It is a place where people with a disability can lead the life they want, enjoying their independence, knowing that support is available should they need it.

Comprised of four villas and 16 suites, Glen Eira Villas offers permanent homes for 16 adults. Sensitive design supports progressive levels of companionship with a variety of both private and communal spaces for residents to use as they wish.  In addition, a set of four custom-designed respite suites provides essential time out for carers and enables adults still living with their families to trial independent living. Up to 25 families every year will benefit from Glen Eira Villas’ respite support.

The opening of Glen Eira Villas nearly doubles the amount of accommodation Jewish Care currently provides for people with a disability. And as some of the new residents will be leaving other homes nearby to move into Glen Eira Villas, this will free up housing for other adults contemplating their first move from their family home. It is an innovative and timely response to the urgent need for housing for Jewish adults with a disability in Victoria.

Sustainable design

As with all new Jewish Care buildings, Glen Eira Villas features sustainable design which also benefits residents with reduced cost of living. Incorporating solar powered hot water, rain harvest tanks for grey water usage, roof, wall and window insulation and contemporary solar design principles, these initiatives dramatically reduce dependence on additional heating and cooling.

Smorgons donate to new aged care facility

The Jack and Robert Smorgon families have made a substantial donation to the Gary Smorgon House, scheduled to open in Caulfield in March 2009.

The home will offer residents all the comforts of their own houses in an environment which will offer first-class care and assistance.