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Stefanie Steinberg, communications and technology coordinator at
Temple Emanu-El
THREE DAYS
ONLY
Women To Work
A JVS course of action.
Thursda , Friday, Saturday
Vivian Henoch
Special to the Jewish News
Not valid on prior purchases or with any other offer
313-873-8300
248-642-3000
loww.dittrichfurs.com
Parking lots adjoining
FROM THE AWARD WINNING CHOREOGRAPHER OF MEMPHIS & JERSEY BOYS
-
FEATURING THE #1 HIT SONGS:
"FLASHDANCE...
WHAT A FEELING,"
"MANIAC" & MORE
Fisher Theatre • March 10-22
BROADWAY IN DETROIT SPONSORED BY
C H RYE. L E R
ChryslerDealer.com
22
February 12 • 2015
ticketmaster.com , 800-982-2787 & Box Office.
Info: BroadwaylnDetroit.com , 313-872-1000.
Groups (12+): Groups@BroadwaylnDetroit.com or 313-871-1132.
Open captioned performance 7:30PM March 15.
1972590
T
hree years ago, Stefanie
Steinberg of Waterford
needed a job. More than that,
she needed support to get back to work
after a 10-year hiatus. Like so many stay-
at-home-moms, Steinberg had planned
to jump back into the workforce when
her son entered kindergarten. What she
didn't plan on was the breakup of her
marriage, a difficult divorce and the need
to earn a living as the solo breadwinner
to provide for her young son.
"I was an emotional wreck and in
financial crisis" she recalls. "I was going
through this terrible time in my life. I
didn't know what I was going to do. My
son, who was 5, had emotional problems
dealing with the situation as well. And,
in fact, we're still going through some of
that"
Fortunately, Steinberg had some highly
marketable skills. A certified gemologist,
she had worked for Tapper's Jewelers,
where she took the initiative to launch
the company's co-operative advertising
program. With her strengths in problem
solving and fixing things, she also is an
A+ certified computer technician.
For Steinberg, the search for a job
would seem to be only a matter of find-
ing the right fit. Unfortunately, that was
not the case. As Michigan's economy
was still in slow recovery, she found
herself on an employment roller coaster,
cobbling together a series of part-time
jobs, taking short stints of work without
hesitation, just plugging along, hoping to
find the key to unlock a more stable, full-
time opportunity.
That was then. Today Steinberg is a
new person, confident and upbeat, and
well matched in the position of com-
munications and technology coordinator
at Temple Emanu-El in Oak Park, where
her computer skills, creativity and inter-
est in graphics and Web design are an
asset. Additionally, she is working as an
assistant to the executive director of the
Andrew Kukes Foundation for Social
Anxiety.
Thanks To JVS
Rebuilding her confidence, now finding
fulfillment in work she enjoys, Steinberg
readily shares that she has JVS to thank
for helping her get back on her feet three
years ago. At the advice of a friend — a
"networker of networkers" — Steinberg
called Judy Richmond, who coordinates
the JVS Women to Work program.
Richmond encouraged her to enroll
in the program, a commitment involving
10 intensive group sessions (two days
a week, for three hours each) as well as
individual vocational assessment, coun-
seling plus follow-up.
Women to Work is a long-established
JVS program with proven and measur-
able success, serving women of all ages
and stages of life.
"Typically, women turn to the pro-
gram in the aftermath of major life
changes — a divorce, the death of a
spouse, disability or unemployment of
their spouse or partner," Richmond says.
Out of 16 women in a recent group,
one-third of the participants had hus-
bands who had been laid off unexpect-
edly. This year, there has been a 26 per-
cent increase in breadwinners seeking
employment at JVS. The need of single
moms to find significant employment
also has increased. In a recent group,
more than 70 percent of the participants
were raising children on their own.
New Beginnings
Flipping through her notes and the
workbook from the course, Steinberg
recalled a guest speaker who made all
the difference for her midway through
the course. "I remember day five as the