Sports

Nurenberg.
The solution, she said, is to raise
additional revenue by expanding
JVS' fee-based employer services,
which help the business community
enhance its ability to hire, train and
re-train a diverse workforce by mini-
mizing employee turnover and hir-
ing costs.
She said JVS can accomplish this
for employers by prescreening job
applicants, offering customized train-
ing programs, referring qualified
workers and counseling workers
affected by corporate restructuring or
relocations.

Success Despite Shortfall

There is an obvious irony in that
solution. The demand for employer
services at JVS increases in hard eco-
nomic times as companies look to
effectively manage their human
resources. JVS finds itself short of
new money despite having racked up
a significant increase in the number
of individuals it serves.
• The number of clients seeking
employment through JVS was
19,393 between July 1, 2000, and
June 30, 2001. It rose to 21,596 in
the fiscal year that ended June 30,
2002.
• 17,761 job seekers reviewed job
listings or training opportunities.
• 2,744 job openings were listed
with JVS by metropolitan Detroit
employers seeking employees.
• 5,961 resumes were created for
job seekers.
• 4,311 people used the JVS
Occupational Resource Centers as
part of their job search.
The JVS 2002-2003 budget is $23
million. The agency has a staff of
more than 400 working out of six
locations. Three are in Detroit,
including two Detroit's Work Place
full-service career centers at the city's
Youth Opportunity sites. The city
selected JVS to operate the facilities
in 1997.
JVS has offices in Macomb
County, Southfield and West
Bloomfield. It traces its roots to a
women's employment bureau estab-
lished in 1926 at the Young Women's
Hebrew Association. Classes were
offered in typing, shorthand and
other office skills. Those services
were later offered to men.
In 1933, the employment bureau
moved to the newly formed Jewish
Community Center on Woodward
Avenue. The bureau was named
Jewish Vocational Service in 1941

and was incorporated as a separate
entity.
Nurenberg has been president and
CEO since 1992. The agency's new
board chair is Stacey Crane, a partner
and CPA in the firm of Milberger
Crane in West Bloomfield. Crane is
active in the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit and has served
on the JVS board for eight years. She
succeeded Barnard as chair in July.

Reaching Out

The JVS emphasis on helping dis-
placed workers may bring some unex-
pected results for the cash-strapped
agency. "I haven't had much contact
with Jewish people," said Jim
D'Onofrio of Rochester Hills.
D'Onofrio began a new job Aug.
26 as a project manager .at the
Michigan Manufacturing Technology
Center in Plymouth after having
been laid off last November. He cred-
its the JVS Corporate Opportunities
Program and its director, Walt
Tarrow, for his new job.
"When I was laid off, a counselor
at the State of Michigan job bank
office mentioned that JVS had a net-
working program. I had not heard of
them before. I went to JVS and to
another program at a church. I liked
JVS better. I came into the JVS facili-
ty and looked at it, and saw that it
said Vocational Service," recalled
D'Onofrio.
"One of the things Tarrow told me
and the others in my group was that
the old ways of finding a job through
classified ads or even on the Internet
are obsolete," said D'Onofrio, 57.
He had worked for EDS for 14
years before taking a job for three
years at the Detroit-based accounting
firm that laid him off.
D'Onofrio attended the regular
meetings of the JVS networking
group from January until he was
hired. "But it is not just me that
they're helping, a Christian Italian.
They're helping people with special
needs. It is just unbelievable.
"The staff is dedicated," he said.
"They show their caring in what they
give back to the community ... You
hate to think what life would be like
for a lot of people if they weren't out
there doing it," said D'Onofrio.
"They have got a piece of my
heart. They have given me a new
definition of the word 'good' in their
caring for others. My wife and I
think it is time we made some chari-
ty adjustments in our giving. I love
what they did." 0

Detroit B'nai B'rith
Wins Softball Tourney

were highlights of the 5-4 victory.
The Detroit team put on a hitting dis-
The Minnesota All-Stars took a third
play to win the championship game of
inning, 7-3 lead in the championship
the 2002 International Jewish Men's
game behind two home runs. In the
Slo-Pitch Tournament on Labor Day.
bottom of the third, Detroit closed with
Detroit hammered the reigning cham-
a three-run homer by Shea. Thereafter,
pion, Minneapolis All-Stars, 29 to 12.
it was all Detroit as the Motor City Hit
A total of 13 teams competed over
Men scored 29 runs, its highest offen-
the Labor Day weekend in Hamilton,
sive total of the tournament. Timely
Ont. Teams from Toronto, Montreal,
hitting by Bruce Weberman, Marc
Winnipeg, Hamilton and Chicago also
Steingold, Danny Rosenberg and
participated.
Darrin Weinberg contributed to the
This was the 24th annual slow-pitch
victory.
softball tournament. Under the leader-
ship of Metro
Detroit B'nai
B'rith's then-ath-
letic chairman
Marty Melton,
Detroit began
sending teams to
the tournament
in 1984. In the
last 19 years,
Detroit has won
the championship
eight times.
The Motor
City Hit Men
team has won
three times:
defeating
Montreal in
1995, another
Standing, from left: Rick Sherline, Todd Kaluzny, Danny
Detroit team in
Rosenberg, Todd Gesund, Darin Weinberg, Al Mudryk, Marc
1996, and
Steingold, Lee Eisenberg. Kneeling: Mike Feld, Loren Allen,
Minneapolis this
year. The team is a Lyle Schaefer. Front: Harold Grossbart, John Shea, Bruce
combination of the Weberman.
Bloch/Israel Lodge
According to Detroit manager Rick
and Morgenthau Lodge teams, with an
Sherline, over the years relationships
average age of 39. The Minneapolis
have been forged among players from
team was almost a decade younger.
different cities. "These friendships make
During the six-game preliminary
this experience each Labor Day week-
schedule, Detroit won five games and
end feel more like a family reunion
was tied by the Montreal Reservoir
Dogs. Marc Weberman of West Bloom- than a softball tournament," he said.
A unique rule for this Tournament
field played with Montreal team. After
allows pitches with an unlimited arc. A
the tie, in Detroit's first game, the team
pitch that lands anywhere on an 18" x
won five straight to earn top seed posi-
60" mat that is placed over homeplate
tion in the championship round.
and extends behind it is a strike, regard-
In the quarterfinals, Detroit defeated
less of the height of the pitch.
Montreal Rothpan, 21-4. The semifinal
The Motor City Hit Men will try to
game against Winnipeg Goldeyes was
defend their championship next year as
affected by a strong wind blowing in
host to the 2003 tournament over
from left field that negated the Detroit's
Labor Day weekend. Softball diamonds
power-hitting trio of John Shea, Todd
in Novi and West Bloomfield have been
Kaluzny and Lyle Schaefer. The team
reserved for the games.
relied on the outstanding fielding of Al
Individuals interested in volunteering
Mudryk in left center, Todd Gesund at
at
the tournament can call Rick
shortstop and Mike Feld at second base.
Sherline, (248) 352-6600, or Lyle
Loren Allen's timely home run and
Schaefer, (248) 647-7321.
Lyle Schaefer's seventh inning double

s't '

9/20
2002

97