one of the things we're interested
\_ in is reaching out to new families
/j who have small children who are
just now getting diagnoses or peo-
ple who've had a crisis, maybe the
onset of a mental illness or a car
accident," says Ms. Kaczander,
the head of the Federation Re-
source Line. She will serve as
chairperson of the advisory com-
mittee of the Keshet Family Sup-
port Program.
Nine-year-old Molly Grier.
Shirlee Wyman Harris, for-
merly the family assistance co-
ordinator at JARC, has become
Keshet's full-time coordinator.
\_Th
She explains that one of the
/-/ missions of the new program is
doing "person-centered plan-
ning."
"We ask them, 'What are their
dreams, what are their night-
mares?' We talk about who the
person is, what kind of strengths
and talents he or she has, and
what he or she needs. And from
that we build an action plan."
"Circles of support" are a way
of bringing in the talents of peo-
ple who are not personally
touched by developmental dis-
abilities.
"Personally, what I see as a big
challenge is for not only families
of children with special needs to
be heard and be integrated into
the larger community. "Hopeful-
ly, people will get interested in be-
ing a part of somebody's circle. It's
a wonderful way for people to be-
come a part of a community," she
says. ❑
A Circle Of Love
Teen-agers make life a little easier for parents who have
children with special needs.
JULIE EDGAR SENIOR WRITER
I
t may be the most effective
Jewish volunteer force around.
Equipped with ready smiles,
abundant energy and a deeply
felt desire to help, 75 then-age vol-
unteers, all girls, each put in two
hours weekly assisting families
with children with special needs.
The families, many of them
members of Keshet, "are thrilled
beyond belief' with the girls, who
are drawn from schools ranging
from Beth Jacob
School for Girls to
North Farmington
High School, says
Carol Kaczander, the
chairman of the advi-
sory committee of the
newly configured
Keshet Family Sup-
port Program.
The woman be-
hind the volunteer
program is 24-year-
old Basi Shemtov,
who
helped her hus
Shirlee Wyman Harris: Keshet's full-time coordinator.
"It's amazing how we have
band, Rabbi Levi Shemtov, es-
tablish the Daniel Soble Friend- more volunteers now than fain-
ship Circle. The mission of that ilies. I have girls who call me
organization is to reach out to iso- begging for jobs. They really
la.ted Jews, many of them with want to be a part of it," she says.
substance-abuse problems. Rab- The program started with 20 vol-
bi S.hemtov said the program was unteers.
Aside from the joy of giving,
a logical extension of the Friend-
there are other benefits
ship Circle.
t''i for the volunteers: Every
"I met with mem-,
,,..,,
. '‘
1 't<k.
, . ::› ` fifth.
time they volunteer
begs of various orga-
they are entered into a
nizations and saw,
raffle for a trip to Israel.
that Keshet was real-2
- , ,14 '.:.
And next Friday,
ly having a hani time, V i : i • r
they'll travel to Grand
so I told Basi I would —
Rapids for a Shabbaton,
to do uthing
:
like
parents,
the biggest event of the
to help then out I felt
yeR,,t,JVIs.
Shemtov says
we should become the
,...,
about 50 yolunteers will
allies
"We might be producing the be treated to a'Weekend of dm-
most volunteer hours in the city ma and song, along with an
for a Jewish organization -" Rab- evening of skiing
Andy Jacobs of Worldwide Fi-
bi SheintOir says.
nancial underwrites the volun-
Ms. Sllemtov says the volun
teers serve 35 families weekly, teer program.
For information about the
each of whom gets twice-weekly
group, call (810) 855-1212.
help.
‘..,•4
-
a hours
per week.
-
.
-
❑
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