DETROIT
JEWISH NEW S

JN

lasting

connection

JARC-Hillel volunteer program
for seventh-graders brings
understanding, friendship.

by Abigail Jankelovitz

Abigail Jankelovitz, second from left,

started volunteering at JARC's Keller-

Walch home four years ago while attend-

ing Hillel Day School. She continues to

visit her friends Lee Schanfarber, Caryn

Martel and Barbara Mltteidorf.

Being good is commendable, but only when
it is combined with doing good is it useful.
—Author Unknown

here is no act greater than
the act of volunteering.
Whether one volunteers
by working at an animal shelter,
building homes, packing necessi-
ties for soldiers in Israel, cleaning
litter off the highway or helping
children with special needs, each
one of these activities is not only
important to others, but to yourself
as well.
I had the pleasure of being able to
fulfill my great act with an organiza-
tion in Farmington Hills called JARC,
which reaches out to people with de-
velopmental disabilities. It is one of
the nation's largest providers of com-
munity-based Jewish residential ser-
vices, serving nearly 160 adults in its

group homes and various supported went bowling. I soon recognized that
independent living arrangements.
I was enjoying myself. I liked hanging
I was lucky enough to start volun- out with them and I didn't want to lose
teering with JARC in seventh grade the connection with them.
when students at my school (Hillel
I have continued to visit the Keller-
Day School of Metropolitan Detroit Walch women each month for the past
in Farmington Hills) participated in four years and it no longer feels like vol-
monthly trips to the homes of JARC unteering to me, but rather a time to be
residents. The grade was divided into with my friends. We go out to movies,
groups of five to six students, and each take walks in the mall, shop for shoes,
group was assigned a specific home. eat lunch at restaurants and work out at
This is when I truly began to see the the gym. These ladies always brighten
impact of JARC.
my day when I see them.
My group visited the Keller-Walch
At first, I was the only member
home in Farmington Hills where four of my family who volunteered with
special women live. At first I was quite JARC. But it didn't take long for my
nervous to meet the women. What entire family to join me. Now, every
would we talk about or do together? month both my mother and I visit the
But right away they welcomed me Keller-Walch home together.
with open arms and made me feel
Last year, my brother Joshua also
comfortable. My friends and I did ac- took part in the same JARC program,
tivities with the women: baked cook- which has been at Hillel for 26 years.
ies, made jewelry, played bingo or
"I was really looking forward to the

program," he said. "I watched Abigail
volunteer at JARC for so many years
that I couldn't wait to participate, too."
In my opinion, I think it taught
Joshua and his friends to accept and
reach out to others, who may be dif-
ferent from them. They had to step
out of their comfort zones.
My experiences with JARC cannot
be described in words. All I can say is
that it really changes you and makes
you appreciate all that you have. I
really care about Barbara, Cheryl,
Caryn and Lee — the women who live
in the Keller-Walch home. JARC has
opened my eyes to so much and I am
happy that I am a
part of JARC.

Abigail Jankelovitz, 16, is

a Junior at West Bloom-

field High School.

teen2teen September 23.2010

TT1