FEBRUARY 10 • 2022 | 35

JARC knew people in the other types of homes they run 
were still at risk, which led them to contact the Oakland 
County Health Department about how they could assist 
their many at-risk populations. Through JARC’s efforts and 
the efforts of Federation advocating on their behalf, another 
clinic was greenlit. 
As part of running that clinic, OCHD was so impressed 
with JARC’s flow and processes that it asked the folks at 
JARC if they would be willing to partner to vaccinate more 
group homes and at-risk populations, with JARC managing 
logistics especially when it comes to persons with develop-
mental disabilities and cognitive impairments. JARC was up 
to the challenge, running those clinics for them.
Those clinics were so successful that it led to OCHD 
coming through again, inquiring about JARC becoming a 
vaccination site for anyone who has any disability or special 
need whatsoever. 
“We’re accessible, we understand low stimulation and 
anxiety around medical procedures, and we have a lot 
of expertise and competence they felt they could use,
” 
Braunstein said about the evolution of the partnership. 
All that success led to OCHD asking if JARC could do 
clinics for kids, which led to another partnership with 
Federation, who felt like it could be a space for the entire 
Jewish community to be vaccinated.
“It became a site for vaccines for kids, ages 12-15 
and 5-11, and then a booster site and flu shot site,” 
Braunstein said. 
The operation snowballed, and Braunstein said its success 
allowed them to do more than just community service.
“It’s allowed us to create an environment where it’s really 
comfortable for our staff,
” she said. “Many of our staff are 
people of color, and there’s been a very low uptake in some 
communities of color because of distrust. So, we’ve created 

not only a trusted space for the Jewish community and per-
sons with developmental disabilities, but with our staff and 
their families. It’s a win-win-win.
”
Braunstein and Gottlieb believe JARC will be in the “vac-
cine business” as long as the community needs them.
“Everybody’s shared goal in this is to get out of this pan-
demic alive, so when we were approached with the oppor-
tunity to help move the needle a little bit, obviously we 
jumped at it, Federation jumped at it, all of our community 
partners did as well, and here we are now hoping that we 
made a difference,
” Gottlieb said. “
And I think, 5,000 peo-
ple, that’s significant. It speaks to how tight-knit our com-
munity is that we’re all trying to get out of it together.
” 

ABOVE: JARC has vaccinated many of its own group home 
residents as well as thousands of others in the community.

“WE NEVER CONSIDERED WE WERE 
GOING TO BE IN THIS BUSINESS, 
SO TO SPEAK. IT’S SORT OF BECOME 

PART OF OUR FABRIC.”

— SHAINDLE BRAUNSTEIN

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FEDERATION

