non-profit »

Leaders Wanted

Jewish
communal
organizations
seek volunteers
and future
leaders.

A

s the new year approach-
es, many people are
beginning to think about
their resolutions for 2017. A com-
mon resolution is to volunteer and
engage more in the community.
Good intentions can fall by the
wayside when you don’t know
where to start.
Here’s a guide for how you can
get involved with local commu-
nal organizations — all of which
are eager for new volunteers and
potential leaders.
If you don’t know where to start,
there’s only one place to begin:
ivolunteerjewishdetroit.org.
To streamline the process of
matching volunteers to opportu-
nities to serve the Jewish com-
munity, the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit collaborated

with its constituent agencies, other
Jewish agencies and congregations
to launch a volunteer website. It’s
a “one-stop shop” listing programs
and events that have a volunteer
component.
“More than a volunteer site,
iVolunteer is an entry point,” says
Dale Alpert Rubin, Federation vol-
unteer service manager. “Now it’s
easier than ever to find a volunteer
opportunity that works for anyone
seeking to be part of the good thing
that happens in our community
when people lend their hand to
give back.
“The site is set up to be user-
friendly,” she adds. “You log in, find
the project or event that suits your
needs, choose your time or slot.
You’re in. You’re on. The sponsor-
ing agency will take it from there
and contact you directly.”

FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE
Friendship Circle of Michigan is
always looking for volunteers, age
11 and older, for a variety of oppor-
tunities. “Because of the special
needs of our program participants,
we recommend 11- and 12-year-
olds start in the Mitzvah Volunteer
Program,” says Tzvi Schectman,
family coordinator.
“Those age 13-21 are utilized
in weekly programs, where a vol-

unteer is paired with a child with
special needs to form a lasting
friendship by participating in the
program as a team.”
Older volunteers can teach real
life skills in the Lessons for Life
program, a weekday program in
the organization’s Weinberg Village.
Or, if they have an art background,
they can work in the Dresner
Foundation Soul Studio providing
instructional support in specific
areas, such as ceramics, fibers,
painting or woodworking.
Visit www.friendshipcircle.org/
volunteers to learn more. To join a
committee or become a lay leader,
email Bassie@friendshipcircle.org.

FRIENDS OF THE ISRAEL
DEFENSE FORCES
The FIDF is looking for volun-
teers at events or in the office.
Contact Keren Toby at (248) 926-
4110 or Keren.toby@fidf.org.
According to Paula Lebowitz,
director of development for the
Michigan FIDF Chapter, lay lead-
ers are ambassadors to share
FIDF’s mission: dedication to the
care of every active IDF soldier
through social, educational, cul-
tural and recreational programs
as well as non-active soldiers
through scholarship programs
and caring for the welfare of

families of fallen soldiers. FIDF
also provides assistance to Israel’s
“lone soldiers,” IDF members
whose parents do not live in
Israel.
To become a lay leader, contact
Lebowitz at (248) 926-4110 or
paula.lebowitz@fidf.org.

JARC
JARC offers numerous opportuni-
ties to enhance the lives of the
people JARC serves, and many are
family-friendly. Sharing Shabbat
dinner at a JARC home, helping
at a holiday celebration, plant-
ing flowers in the spring, sukkah
building in the fall and helping
with the annual fall fundraiser
Young Adult Pre-Glow are all ways
to become involved. Involvement
and time commitment are flex-
ible, from regularly to monthly to
participating in an annual event.
It’s simple to get started: Contact
Lindsey Fox-Wagner at (248) 488-
7524 or lfw@jarc.org.
“Much of the JARC leadership
today began as part of our Young
Adult committee,” says Rena
Friedberg, JARC’s chief philan-
thropy officer. “Our immediate
past president David Grand and
his wife, Julie, chaired a Young
Adult Billiards party in 2000, and
he was elected to the board five

years later. Past board member
Stephanie Freedman was the first
chair of the Young Adult com-
mittee and later joined the board,
became an officer and currently
serves on the JARC Marketing
Committee.”

JVS
“JVS always welcomes volunteers,
whether a person wants to help
out for two-three hours a week/
month or become involved at a
lay leadership level,” says Marla
Janness. People interested in lay
leadership might first volunteer
on a board committee or an advi-
sory board and later serve as a
member of the Board of Trustees.
Anyone interested in serving
in a lay leadership role is invited
to contact Leah Rosenbaum, JVS
president and CEO, at (248) 233-
4200 or lrosenbaum@jvsdet.org.
Volunteer opportunities are
online at jvsdet.org/volunteer or at
ivolunteerjewishdetroit.org.

JCC
According to Bret Hopman, senior
director of marketing, anyone
interested in potentially serving
in a board capacity should contact
Teri Staples, JCC executive assis-
tant, at tstaples@jccdet.org.
“Teri will work with the person

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36 December 8 • 2016