metro r re /93 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