>> ... Next Generation ...
FOR 100 YEARS THE ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE HAS
EMPOWERED MILLIONS TO FIGHT PREJUDICE
hat
Emily Croitori, program coordinator of Mentor Connections at JFS
plays a key role in the equation for
success.
As a staff of one, Croitori is ever
grateful to a roster of volunteers —
all of whom are current or former
mentors. With 35 children — mostly
boys — still on the waiting list,
and many of them in the northern
Oakland County areas of Waterford
and Pontiac, volunteers serve as
extra "eyes and ears" throughout
the community. They keep in touch,
they make calls, and they reach
out to their sphere of influence
— an indispensable resource for
recruitment and administration.
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Another aspect of Mentor Connection
is community and business
development. As a new member of
the Farmington Hills Chamber of
Commerce, Mentor Connection has
been able to reach out to individuals
and businesses to recruit mentors
and community partners.
Through the Community
Partnership Program, businesses
can sponsor events or offer services
or discounts to mentors and their
mentees. Current Community
Partners include Jump Station,
Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical
Museum, Franklin Athletic Club, JCC
West Bloomfield/Oak Park, Putting
Edge-Novi, Swirlberry, Kensington
Mills Falls-Miniature Golf, Detroit
Zoo, Farmington YMCA and Heavner
Canoe to name a few.
With additional outreach efforts to
rabbis, synagogues and organizations
like NEXTGen Detroit and Repair the
World, Croitori hopes to broaden the
reach in the community.
"Most of our kids are not Jewish,"
she says, "but most of our mentors
are. While our primary goal is to
match the children already in our
program, we would like to see more
of the community embracing the
concept of the Mentor Connection.
"Kids can be at risk for all kinds
of reasons," Croitori says. "You'd
be surprised just how much it can
mean to have a positive, healthy
relationship with another adult
to provide a sounding board and
another voice in their formative
years."
Volunteers, mentors and mentees
wanted. Interested in hearing more?
Reach Emily Croitori at (248) 592-
2317 or ecroitori@jfsdetroit.org or
visit www.mentorconnect.org .
IMAGINE A WORLD
without hate
WE DO.
Save the Date: Thursday, October 3, 2013
Join us for the ADL CENTENNIAL GALA at the GM Heritage Center,
Sterling Heights Honoring: Mark Reuss, Vice President, GM,
President, GM North America & Past Chairs and Directors of ADL:
Peter Alter
Fran Gross Linden
Leonard Sahn
Norman Beitner
Richard Lobenthal
Judi Schram
Don Cohen
Stuart Lockman
Burton Shifman
Robert Gordon
I. Matthew Miller
Linda Soberman
myjewishdetroit.org, where this
Michael Horowitz
Robert Naftaly
Alex Stotland
story first appeared.
John Jacobs
Richard Nodel
Elaine Sturman
Betsy Kellman
Ronald Rothstein
Elaine Block Victor
❑
Vivian Henoch writes for
Howard Wallach
Dan Levy
Register for December
Birthright Trip
The Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit is part-
nering with Israel Outdoors,
the largest provider of Taglit-
Birthright Israel trips, to pro-
vide trips this coming winter
exclusively for residents of the
Detroit area ages 22-26. Join
a 10-day peer experience in
Israel unlike any other — and
all for free.
Registration opens on Sept.
10 for Federation's trip in late
December 2013.
For VIP priority listing and
updates about the upcom-
ing trips — December 2013,
Summer 2014, and beyond —
contact Ayelet Kon at kon®
jfmd.org or call (248) 502-
2856.
100
Anti-Defamation League
For more information, call 248.353.1553 or email hbudaj@adl.org
Ji_
September 5 • 2013
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