According to Myrna and Hershey Rosen, who have been longtime supporters of Jewish Family Service, and who have committed a gift toward our $4 million campaign, the reason they give to JCS is simple – “It makes us feel good to know that others will benefit from the services and programs that JCS provides. Specifically, the JCS has allowed us to create and administer the Sunshine Fund, which provides a ray of sunshine to individuals – whatever “sunshine” may mean.”
JCS Past Present Future Campaign is a “comprehensive” $4 million campaign, explains Sara Ades Goodwin, Director of Major Gifts. The Campaign was established with three goals: To raise funds to purchase our own building (capital); to set aside funds in perpetuity for building maintenance costs (endowment); and to increase our future sustainability by offering multi-year giving and naming opportunities of $1,000 and greater, payable over a five-year-period, and which could be unrestricted or donor-designated to a specific program or service.
“We are delighted that we have raised, to date, $3,213,872, so we’re well on our way to achieving our $4 million goal,” adds Goodwin, who appreciates witnessing the joy donors experience through knowing how their donations make a positive difference. “We encourage donors to contribute to a program or area that is particularly meaningful to them or to make a gift in honor or in memory of a loved one.”
Feeling unable to write one more check to one more worthwhile agency? If so, JCS still needs you: There are many volunteer opportunities to engage with the community and support JCS’ mission. JCS, a single entity created from two longstanding organizations, JSA and JFS, has so many programs, services and senior housing opportunities to both Jewish and non-Jewish individuals and/or families throughout the greater Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts communities.
While not all donors want or need public recognition, Goodwin says that a number of naming opportunities exist. Donors can designate how their contributions are used: Unrestricted donations, which are the preferred and most common type of donation, are allocated by senior management to the initiatives most in need of support, while restricted donations support a specific designation, capital improvements or may be endowed in perpetuity. All options are entirely directed by the donor.
Whether you’re a longtime supporter of Jewish Family Services and/or Jewish Seniors Agency or have never donated, we welcome your engagement and support. Past, Present, Future Host Co-Chairs Peri Ann Aptaker, a past president of JFS, and her husband Robert Lieberman, identified a wonderful past presidents’ initiative. They asked all the past presidents of both JFS and JSA to purchase the mezzuzot throughout the JCS building, and the response was outstanding, with 15 past presidents participating!