PROUD
Abraham Appel passes
some of his time in front
of the television while
chain-smoking cigarettes.
happening, especially
when it comes to Jews in
the inner city. Ms. Bender,
coordinator of the Jewish
Vocational Services' Pro-
ject Outreach, travels to
foster homes and SRO ho-
tels in neighborhoods
many would prefer to
forget. She is the Jewish
community's point person,
offering JVS services to a
client load of about 120
that largely includes the
elderly and mentally ill.
"These are the lost souls
of the Jewish community,"
Ms. Bender said. "Many of
them not only have the
stigma of being poor, but
the stigma of being mental-
ly ill. What I do is make
sure that they are receiv-
ing adequate care, that
they are being treated
well."
"When you talk with
them, you hear so many
different pictures of their
lives," she said. "It's sad,
many don't have work
histories, and many never
had a chance to lead a
normal life. They are left-
overs; the world has passed
them by."
30
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1990
One of Ms. Bender's stops
is in a stately old house
along East Grand
Boulevard, a house where
Bonnie Warren of Farm-
ington offers adult foster
care to 19 clients. Many of
the houses in this once
regal neighborhood are big
enough to be used to house
the otherwise indigent and
the mentally ill.
Residents at the home
are excited to greet
visitors, shaking hands
and exchanging names.
•
"When you
talk with
them, you
hear so
many
different
pictures of
their lives."
•
Hallways where yuppies of
a different time thought
they were living in never-
ending luxury now re-
veal hand-painted signs
explaining house rules.
But the walls and the floors
and the rooms are clean,
and the residents seem
happy. A sign that reads
"Shalom Y'all" is posted
over the kitchen en-
tranceway.
Abraham Appel is the
only Jewish resident of the
home. A Jew of Romanian
descent, Mr. Appel is a
typical client for Ms.
Bender. He wears a wool
cap and layers and layers
of clothing that haven't
been changed in days. The
smell of urine is all over an
extra pair of pants he keeps
on his closet floor.
His hobby is chain-
smoking. His fingers are
nicotine-stained, and he is
missing teeth. He rolls his
own cigarettes. Mr. Appel,
who once worked in an
auto machine shop, says he
has no children, no family.
He doesn't want to be
bothered with any other