JOIN US TO TRADE Facing The Downturn SECRETS ON THE COVER Learn the Secrets of the Fashion Trade from Fashion Icon Making The Calls LINDA DRESNER A local family who sought help encourages others with needs to do the same. TRADEM Shelli Liebman Dorfman Senior Writer U nemployed, but with two college degrees and 30 years' work experience, "Leah" said, "I know I should be on the other side of the desk. I've had jobs helping people. I shouldn't be the one being helped:' But she is, and Leah has a positive, clear perspective of her options and how to accept them. "Asking for help was the most bizarre thing for us to have to do, but we did it: she said. Two years ago, when both she and her husband were out of work, they began to seek assistance. Difficult as it was, Leah said her family, including two teenage children, had to come first. "The need to protect them outweighed my embarrassment" February 25, 2009 7 p.m. Townsenc Hotel, Birmingham Priorities At JFS, a social worker was assigned to meet with the family. With both Leah and her husband having specific med- ical needs, an immediate concern was health care. They received it through Project Chessed, a JFS program that provides medical assistance to under- insured adults. "They have a group of doctors who provide care, and everything with Project Chessed is confidential: she said. Because Project Chessed only benefits adults, JFS staff referred Leah to MIChild, a health insur- ance program for uninsured children under the Michigan Department of Community Health. "MIChild even worked retroactively: - an unemployed parent she said. "Doctors we owed money to from before signing up were paid." What spurred her to make the first JFS also helped them keep their call was her mother, a Holocaust survi- vor. "My mom looked at me and said, `I home. "Our mortgage company wasn't helpful and even told us we should thought your life would be better than have our families make our payments: mine," Leah said. "Between that, and Leah said. "But JFS had someone who the fact that we had no insurance, I talked to our mortgage company for knew it was time us. We could have lost our house, but Leah called everyone and anyone, we were able to get a partial claim including Detroit Edison, which dis- [allowing them to skip five mortgage counted their bills. But, she said, the payments and add them to the end of biggest help they received was from their payment time]. And JFS helped Jewish communal agencies, which out by paying into the claim for us." they were led to by Michigan 2-1- The family also benefits from JVS, a 1. Spearheaded by the United Way, Jewish agency providing self-sufficien- Michigan 2-1-1 provides health and cy through counseling, training and human resource information. "I was home, unemployed, watching support. Leah collects unemployment, TV and I saw a commercial for 2-1-1: but is actively seeking a job, working with a head hunter and meeting with a Leah said. "I called and they gave me Join JVS for an amazing night out to support the JVS Women to Work Program. Learn the secrets of the fashion trade, enjoy gourmet food and exceptional conversation and have the opportunity to trade secrets of your own with other guests. A Trade Secret is a gift, new or vintage, that reveals a bit of history, sage advice or a secret family recipe in a serving piece to accompany it, a piece of jewelry or another item that has special meaning, JVS Retfil7h1:4 pole! ir tl www.jvsdet.org "If there are places out there that can give us help, shame, shame on anyone who points a finger when we ask for it." Tickets are $100, $180, $360 and $500. Sponsorships also available. For reservations and sponsor information, contact Sharon Snyder at (24,8) 233-4290 or sslyde4jvsdet. org , Presenting Sponsor Trade Secrets Committee Co-Chairs Fieldman Sims Foundation Hadas Bernard Elaine Fieldman Diamond Sponsor Lisa & Brian Meer Emerald Sponsors Edw. C. Levy Company LSG Insurance Partners Sapphire Sponsors Hadas & Dennis Bernard Judy Greenwald Lewis/Klein Properties Oakland University Lillian & Joseph Schwartz Charitable Fund Tender Sponsor list as of 1/28/09 Trade Secrets Committee Members Adrienne Bass Judith Burdick Sue Curhan Sharon Eisenshtadt Ronda Ferber Sheryl Freedland Judy Greenwald Sherry Kanter Jackie Layne Cheryl Margolis Julie Nelson-Klein Patti Nemer Dawn Rassel Abbe Sherbin Dorie Shwedel Shayna Silverman Sharon Snyder Michelle Taigman Gwen Weiner Hon. Helene White JVS thanks Charter One Bank for their annual support of the Women to Work Program 1474160 A18 February 5 • 2009 the numbers of some organizations, like the Salvation Army — and a few others which had run out of money. They suggested I call Lutheran Family Service. And then it hit me, what I needed to do was call Jewish Family Service (JFS):'