Elana Kaminer WALK FOR gets her hair done by a volunteer at Friendship Circle's Life Town. ISRAEL Now What? from page 10 FREE Kosher Lunch r RUN FOR SO& ISRAEL DATE! Sunday, May 17, 2015, WWW.WALKFORISRAEL.ORG Please visit our website to learn more and register for the event. Community-wide Event Hosted by Temple Shir Shalom Vocational training and other day programs for individuals with disabili- ties, such as those provided by JVS, are crucial to those who have aged out of the public special education system. For many of these people, govern- ment-funded vocational programs are the only thing keeping them from spending their days at home in front of a computer or TV. "I work every day:' Kaminer said. "What am I supposed to do if Elana is home two days a week, quit my job?" Other parents whose sons and daughters already participate in day programs have been told their bud- gets will undergo significant scrutiny before funding is renewed for the upcoming year. "My daughter has her own job coach:' said an Oakland County moth- er who asked to remain anonymous. "Without that support, she would not be able to participate in her program, which gives her a place to go every day where she can be with other people and feel productive. I don't want to think about what will happen to her if we lose that funding:' Rena Friedberg, JARC's interim CEO, said community support is more critical than ever before if JARC is to maintain its commitment to its clients and high standards of care. She, along with other agency administrators, fear continuing budget cuts will undermine the principles on which their organiza- tions are based. "If a community is judged on how we care for our most vulnerable citi- zens, what does that say about us? As Jews, we're all responsible for each other," Kaczander said. Adelman has similar concerns. "The impact of continued funding reductions to agencies like Kadima is going to be devastating ... when one combines the expected cuts from this system with the reality of increased need for mental health services — especially for young clients with per- vasive and complex needs and older clients dealing with age-related illness ... The sky isn't falling yet — but the cracks are there. And the victims will be our clients, among the most vulner- able people in our community:" ❑ (3999 Walnut Lake Rd., corner of Orchard Lake and Walnut Lake) Convenient nearby parking & shuttle service available. Call to Action For more info contact: Andre Douville @ 248-737-8700 or andre@walkforisrael.org ■ (Fo;e i ' Proud Corporate Sponsor Ford Motor Company Fund Proud Corporate Sponsor DynaStylMejdia . w Ne[ ° !.K C)PayAnywhere' ..1 0e 40lakilA0 -iturErrai =7.7"ii r rr Proud Sponsor SHALOM IR Co-Sponsors Temple Shir Shalom Friends of Israel The Detroit Jewish News Zionist Organization of America Michigan Region Stand With Us-Michigan jbrooksdesign Inc. Adat Shalom Synagogue Jiffy Signs Inc. & JS Printing Volunteers for Israel Scyllaweb Adult Learning Institute Anne & Eugene Greenstein B'nai B'rith International Great Lakes Region Michigan BBYO Congregation Beth Ahm Greater Detroit Chapter of Hadassah Metro Detroit Board of Jewish Educators Michigan Board of Cantors National Council of Jewish Women Temple Beth El Walk for Israel is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization, federal tax ID # 45-3546279. 12 May 7 • 2015 Art Fishman Jewish Community Relations Council Temple Israel Temple Kol Ami Amy & Andre Douville Fran Bell Congregation Shaarey Zedek Congregation B'nai Moshe Friends of Israel Defense Forces Hillel of Metro Detroit Holocaust Memorial Center Jewish National Fund Ban & Jim Manna Congregation Shir Tikvah B'nai Israel Synagogue The Birmingham Temple American Friends of Magen Adom Coby's Judaica Jewish War Veterans Jerusalem Pizza 00 JN Temple Kol Ami Tamarack Camps Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit AIPAC Suretta & Alan Must Camp Ramah in Canada American Technion Society Detroit Chapter Congregation Beth Shalom Michigan Board of Rabbis Congregation Shalom Jewish Community Center of Metro Detroit Greater West Bloomfield Republicans Anti-Defamation League Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce MJS Packaging Bricker Tunis Furs Tam-O-Shanter Country Club Epic Races State of Michigan: • Gov. Rick Snyder, P.O. Box 30013, *as of 4-14-15 Design Donated by Mental healthcare professionals agree that advocacy is the most effec- tive way to influence legislators and government agencies to take steps to alleviate the current and impending funding crisis. Here are some helpful tips for communicating with public officials and representatives: • Send separate letters to state and county officials. • Parents and family members, tell your personal story. Describe the special needs of your child(ren), what services they need, how the budget cuts have affected your fam- ily. • Be persistent. Write each repre- sentative on a regular basis as often as possible. ibrooksdesign> 1995540 Lansing, Michigan 48909; (517) 335- 7858, Constituent Services. • Nick Lyon, director, Michigan Department of Community Health, Capitol View Building, 201 Townsend St., Lansing, Michigan 48913; (517) 373-3740. • Your local senator and state representative (available on www. michigan.gov). Oakland County: • L. Brooks Patterson, Oakland County executive, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, Building 41 W, Waterford, MI 48328-0409. • Willie Brooks, director, Oakland County Community Mental Health Authority, 2011 Executive Hills Drive, Auburn Hills, MI 48326. • Your local Oakland County Commissioner (available on www. oakgov.com ).