JUNE 23 • 2022 | 17

the organizations, he explains. 
“Each of our names didn’t 
describe this larger organiza-
tion.
” 

CONNECTING PEOPLE 
WITH SERVICES
The name “Gesher” was chosen 
to reflect the work the organiza-
tion does in connecting people 
with services and providing 
support to help people reach 
their goals. “We’re the bridge for 
so many of these different popu-
lations and, in essence, bridging 
people from where they are to 
where they want to be,
” he says. 
The almost three-year process 
of the two organizations coming 
together gave them a chance to 
delve deeply into how to best 
serve the community, Blatt says. 
 
 
 
 “We have grown a critical 
integration piece to serve all of 
the different populations we are 
a part of,
” he explains, adding 
that 70% of the people with 
developmental needs they serve 
have mental health challenges 
as well. 
For the past five months, the 
organization has been referred 
to as JVS + Kadima, but bring-
ing it under one name, Gesher, 
and one identity solidifies the 
message, he says. 
“It allows us to let the com-
munity know we are the place 
to come for people who are 
looking for support for work, 
who are looking for residential 
services, for people looking for 
mental health services, and any 
other way we can be involved in 
the community,
” he says. “That 
message of one organization 
serving the community is really 
what I’m most excited about.
”
Kristen R. Gross, chair of the 
board of directors for Gesher, 
says the combi-
nation allows the 
agencies to serve 
more people in one 
place. Whereas, 
historically, some-
one with a severe 
and persistent 

mental health issue might have 
been receiving vocational ser-
vices from JVS and residing in 
a Kadima home, now all these 
services will be offered under 
one roof, which means more 
streamlined service for clients, 
she says. 
“I know that the path to ser-
vices can be very daunting, and 
the fact that a person could call 
us, and we could provide either 
the services or the direction that 
they need to go is a beautiful 
thing for someone who is very 
lost and can be overwhelmed by 
these processes.
”
The organization isn’t taking 
on a new role in the community, 
Gross stresses, but rather com-

bining to better serve clients. 
 “This way, a person makes 
one call. and we can assist that 
person in navigating so their 
needs are met at home, at work 
and in the community.
”
JVS was formed in 1941, and 
the need for Kadima grew out 
of it, Gross says. Kadima was 
formed in 1984, and though it 

continued as its own organiza-
tion, in a sense, this has been 
noted by some Kadima leader-
ship as the agency “coming back 
home.
”
“This has been a very good 
process for both JVS and 
Kadima. We’re really proud of 
the way in which this combina-
tion was rolled out,
” Gross says. 
“We have a fantastic group of 
professionals running the agen-
cy, and the new board of direc-
tors is a very impassioned group 
working on this new endeavor 
to serve the community.
”
Sybil Offen, who has a loved 
one with schizophrenia who 
has found a living arrangement, 
a job and engagement through 

Kadima, says she’s already been 
impressed by the combined 
entity and their collaboration. 
Involved with Kadima since 
1995, she says she’s seen more 
elaborate programming and 
more outreach from the joint 
organization. 
“This last music fest was 
more elaborate — there were 

more participants, and it just 
had a better flavor because they 
were working together with cli-
ents from JVS as well,
” she says. 
“I think everybody was just very 
happy.
” 
Offen’s seeing more excite-
ment about their events as well, 
including from her older son, 
who heard about a speaker JVS 
+ Kadima was having and com-
mented that he wished he could 
come in for it. “In the past, he 
really hasn’t participated much 
in Kadima’s activities, so JVS’ 
merger with Kadima is bringing 
in some other things, which so 
far I see as positive, and I’m glad 
in that sense.
”
Offen says she’s looking 
forward to this exciting new 
chapter for the organization, 
which in her first impressions is 
efficient and moving ahead full 
speed. “I think they’ll be able to 
expand and reach more individ-
uals,
” she says. “I just sense it’s a 
good collaboration.
”
Gesher will be a Jewish 
Federation of Metropolitan 
Detroit partner agency, support-
ed by its Annual Campaign and 
benefitting from its network of 
other social service organiza-
tions.
Federation CEO 
Steven Ingber says 
the move is a strong 
one for the commu-
nity. “We are incred-
ibly grateful to the 
professional and lay 
leadership of both 
JVS and Kadima for 
taking this bold step, recogniz-
ing that the underlying goal is 
always to better meet the needs 
of our community and, most 
importantly, to improve care for 
those served. 
 “Gesher Human Services is 
not only a bridge for its clients, 
it also represents a bridge to a 
stronger future for our com-
munity. We are proud to count 
Gesher among our local partner 
agencies and look forward to 
working closely with them.
” 

“WE HAVE GROWN A CRITICAL 
INTEGRATION PIECE TO SERVE ALL 
OF THE DIFFERENT POPULATIONS 

WE ARE A PART OF.”

— GESHER CEO PAUL BLATT

Kristen 
Gross

Steven 
Ingber

Michael and staff member Mo 
growing lettuce in the Clubhouse.

GESHER

