Metro
Increasing The Line
State boosts budget appropriation
to Jewish social services.
Harry Kirsbaum
in Michigan. The Jewish community
was added in 2003, with $250,000.
"In five years, the Jewish Federation
he Jewish community
has been the recipient of $3.320 mil-
received a $990,000 appropri- lion from the state's multicultural
ation — a $200,000 increase
line said Michael Eizelman, chair
from last year — from the State of
of Federation's Multicultural Grant
Michigan to directly aid those with
Committee. "The entire amount is
given directly to the Jewish
communal agencies to
2007 State of Michigan
enable them to continue to
serve these populations."
Multicultural Line Allocations
Eizelman credited the
JFS
$330,400
work of Dennis Bernard and
Evan Weiner, chairs of the
JARC
$104,600
Federation's Government
Kadima
$87,200
Relations Oversight
Friendship Circle
$69,600
Committee, in securing the
JVS
$298,200
grant.
Norm Keane, JFS execu-
JVS w/ JHAS
$80,000
tive
director, said the money
JHAS — Holocaust Program
$20,000
is crucial. "For us, it does
Total Allocations:
$990,000
not mean an expansion of
services; it helps us maintain
special needs
because of loss of dollars in other
and people at
areas:' he said.
risk.
JFS received $330,400 or 4.5 percent
The appropri- of its total operating budget, Keane
ation appears
said, "for support services for the frail
on the multicul- elderly, for people for mental health
tural line of the
services who don't have third-party
fiscal year 2007
pays."
Department
of Community
Agency Increases
Evan Weiner
Health budget.
"This is huge," Bernard said. "If you
The grant was
think about it, we get all excited when
announced at
a corporation gives us a $100,000 gift
the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
or something — $1 million a year is
Detroit and United Jewish Foundation
equivalent to a $20 million endow-
board meeting on Oct 19.
ment, and it's growing.
Recipient agencies are Jewish Family
"In a state with cuts in revenues, our
Service, JVS, Jewish Home & Aging
agencies are actually getting increases
Services, JARC,
in funding:' he said. "And it's because
Kadima and
we have great agencies. We do great
the Friendship
work:'
Circle.
The recipe for success in getting the
The multicul-
increase involves a unified pitch to leg-
tural line was
islators, said Bernard of Birmingham.
created in 1993
"Instead of having all our agencies call
to help state
on Lansing, we have one message, one
agencies deal
set of agendas; we have one written
with the mental
priority, and we have been very effec-
Dennis Bernard
health issues of
tive in moving that up over the last
Vietnam veter-
several years, from $500,000 to almost
ans, Hispanic,
a million."
Chinese-American, American Indian
Bernard and Weiner are co-chairs
and Arab-American populations living
of the Jewish Agency Political Action
Staff Writer
T
0 All CA 1J t-4 1 I sf BANK
NSTAR is proud to be a Community Bank, dedicated to developing and maintaining relationships with customers
who value exceptional service. We invite you to call or stop by, and discover how personal service and
ex ce ptional rates define a truly great Community Bank. NSTAR Community Bank - Welcome to Our Community.
NSTAR
COMMUNITY BANK 31780 Telegraph Rd • Bingham Farms, MI 48025
248-645-8888 • www.NSTARcommunitybank.cam
MEMBER FDIC 'Rates subject to change at any notice.
itrirl
en an um
W
hen it came time for Steve and Stephanie Blum
to finish the basement of their contemporary
colonial, they did their due diligence. They considered
every possibility, visited home shows, lined up
contractors and solicited bids. After all was said and
done, with every reference checked, they selected the
company with the "glowing reviews" and chose
Gittleman Construction Company.
"We felt we could really trust them," said Steve. "We've
got really busy lives and we couldn't let just anyone in."
The couple trusted Gittleman to reconfigure the space
to create a lower level bedroom suite with a bath and a
room to spare. They used the same finishes and quality
as the rest of the couple's custom home, said Steve, so
"It feels as though it has been there forever. They made
it consistent."
While Stephanie now delights in an inviting basement that provides "a lot more space" for the
couple, their two young children and overnight guests, Steve extols the benefits of working
with Gittleman.
"Their people really cared and that's huge," he explained. "They were just great. They kept it moving
to bring it in on budget, and they made it look easy to finish on time."
"If we ever have anything else to do, we'd go to Gittleman."
So when you're ready to refinish, remodel or replace space, do your homework and discover the
region's most reliable resource when it comes to house work—Gittleman Construction Company.
JUST ASK THE BLUMS.
G ITTLE MAN
CONSTRUCTION inc
28580 ORCHARD LAKE RD., SUITE 102
FARMINGTON HILLS, MI 48334
248.538.5400
www.gittleman.net
CUSTOM
18
November 9 • 2006
MI
RENOVATIONS