OaSI
PHOTOS BY DANI EL LIPPITT
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Ron Applebaum and Gary Gilbert are co-chairing the Young Adult Pre-Glow for JARC's annual fundraiser.
A small army of volunteers is making
sure JARC's annual fundraiser is a
highlight of the season.
JULIE EDGAR STAFF WRITER
ast month, Elaine Metzger traveled to Cal-
ifornia to take care of her grandchild.
She was glad to help, but when her
daughter and son-in-law returned from their
vacation, she suggested they plan the next
one for a different time of year.
Ms. Metzger is too busy this season
as one of hundreds of volunteers
preparing for the Jewish Association
for Residential Care's (JARC) 14th annual
fundraiser. This year's event takes place Wednes-
day, Nov. 20, with a performance of Grease at the
Fox Theatre.
For the past few months, Ms. Metzger has
spent most of her days at the JARC offices in
Southfield. She and her husband Joe, she joked,
eat out a lot this time of year.
"I put everything else on hold," she said. "But
believe me, what I do, anyone else can do."
Ms. Metzger has been with JARC since 1990,
the year her daughter Susan began living in one
of JARC's 16 residential home. As part of the of-
fice force, she makes and takes phone calls, files
orders and does whatever else needs doing.
And then there's Evelyn Gach, another soldier
in the army of the devoted and unpaid.
Ms. Gach is a retired secretary who was look-
ing for something to keep her busy. Six years ago,
her granddaughter persuaded
her to work for JARC, and it grew
into a once-a-week unpaid job.
During fundraising season she's
at the office every day, opening
mail, readying ticket orders, cre-
ating mailing labels and revising
addresses in the
computer.
Elaine Metzger,
Last year,
Sandy Dembs and
Ms. Gach fig-
Evelyn Gach are
ures, she put in
swimming in
between 500
mailing labels,
seating charts and and 700 hours
ticket orders.
at the office.
"It gives me
something to do, and I feel Pm do-
ing something worthwhile for
people instead of doing nothing,"
she said.
As head of the fundraising
committee, Sandy Dembs is a fix-
ture in the JARC offices. She
tried but couldn't count the num-
ber of hours she has spent on the co
CT)
fundraiser.
°)
Last week, Ms. Dembs was ,-.
parked at a long table laden with -
computer printouts and boxes of
invitations and ticket orders. She w
was engaged in the all-important cl= 1
and arduous task of assigning w
seats. Many people want to sit to-
gether, but don't send in their z
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