Page 1 - The Jewish Voice - February '21

VOL. 11 NO. 2 www.seabreezepublications.com FEBRUARY 2021

Community Celebrates Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

To honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jewish Federation of Palm Beach Volunteers packaged more than 1,200 meals for local food banks, assembled 300
County and its Jewish Volunteer Center, in partnership with Palm Beach Atlantic toiletry kits for homeless shelters, gleaned more than 6,300 pounds of vegetables for food
University, spearheaded a meaningful and powerful day of service filled with solidarity insecure families, cared for animals, helped revitalize, paint and refresh four community
and volunteerism to unite the community on MLK Day. Now in its sixth year, the program projects, dropped off donations, and much more. All in-person opportunities followed
gathered nearly 500 community members of all faiths, races, and ages to volunteer in COVID-19 safety standards, including social distancing, mask wearing, and a mandatory
small groups as well as virtual and contactless opportunities at 25 locations across Palm wellness check.
Beach County. “While this annual event looked a little different than previous years, it served as a
deep and inspiring reminder of how we can make our community so much stronger and
more vibrant when we unite, support one another, and lead with kindness,” shared Michael

JCCS Provides Community Celebrates Legacy on page 2

Career Services for Women Beth Am Feeds Community

The Jewish Community Career Services (JCCS) program at Ferd & Gladys Alpert During Pandemic
Jewish Family Service (Alpert JFS) comes at a most opportune time, as the pandemic has
left many in the Greater Palm Beaches unemployed. Whitney Cherner, LCSW, MSW, who For nearly 15 years, Temple Beth Am has participated in the tikun olam activity of
leads the initiative, is helping experienced job seekers find their next jobs. serving a hot meal to guests at St. George’s Soup Kitchen in Riviera Beach once a month.
At the heart of JCCS is EmpowerU, to assist those in career transition, providing But when coronavirus hit and St. George closed to volunteers, TBA had to rethink its
free employment-related workshops. Resume writing and cover letter development, strategy for getting food to hungry people.
interviewing skills, and one-to-one coaching can help job seekers find their path and, in Since April 2020, temple members, joined by other Jupiter residents, have provided
the process, find themselves. BecomeU was designed to help women discover who they dinner bags for 120 people on a weekly basis. To date, they have prepared and donated
are and who they want to be. A recently launched quarterly program will include topics over 9,600 sandwiches and 4,800 bags of chips, boxes of juice, pieces of fresh fruit, and
like Ready, Set, Reinvent, and Hello Work-Life Harmony. homemade cookies. Beth Am has committed to continuing this project until St. George
“Job seekers need to know who they are and what they have to offer. We work with can return to pre-pandemic operations.
our candidates by taking a three-pronged approach to job search strategy. This includes St. George’s Center is a refuge in Riviera Beach that provides food and a resting spot
looking for opportunities aligned with the candidate’s work history, a pivot plan, and a for our homeless and less fortunate neighbors.
side hustle,” said Cherner.
The JCCS is funded by a grant from Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County’s J-Help
Coronavirus Emergency Response Fund, co-chaired by Sandy Baklor and Carole Solomon.
BecomeU is funded by Federation’s Women’s Philanthropy division.
“Women’s Philanthropy is delighted to help make BecomeU a reality in our community
through Lions’ Leap, a special fundraising initiative,” said Ronda Starr, Women’s
Philanthropy Campaign Chair. “Lions of Judah are dedicated to helping women provide
for themselves and their families in these challenging times.”

Volunteers add toiletries and snacks to the Mark Harding unloads bagged meals to
bags Temple Beth Am provides. donate.