>> ... 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.

ooking For

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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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