Best wishes to Jenny as she pursues her MSW.
There are many changes of all kinds that have developed in the past year or are in development now for JFS. But at this time I must mention the upcoming very bittersweet departure of our cherished Jenny Gay, BSW, who has devoted herself as Social Worker/Case Manager, to helping hundreds of JFS clients to achieve a better quality of life and wellbeing, in addition to running all of our programs for the past three years. Anyone who has had the opportunity to meet, work with or receive services from Jenny knows what a warm, friendly, intelligent, intuitive, and effective individual Jenny has been at JFS. She will be greatly missed by our agency, the community, and by me personally for all that she has contributed.
Of course, the sadness at Jenny’s departure is balanced by the great joy I feel in wishing her well as she goes off to Tulane University in New Orleans to obtain her Masters of Social Work degree. I am excited to see her begin this new chapter of her life, and I know she will achieve great things in her journey. Jenny will be attending our Anniversary Celebration on November 18th, so there will be an opportunity to say goodbye at that time. She will be leaving us later that week.
Ariella Fleet, MSW
Well, with loss also comes gain, and we are thrilled to welcome Ariella Fleet, MSW, as our new JFS Social Worker/Case Manager and Elder Club Coordinator. She is working side-by-side with Jenny for a full month to get as much insight and information as possible about our programs prior to Jenny’s departure. Ariella is another warm and friendly addition to our JFS team, and with her Masters degree in Social Work, she has the knowledge, training and confidence to continue on with the highest quality of work that has been established for this position, and to put her own personal style to the job.
Whew! That’s it for now but there is plenty more news to share in the future. Remember that there are many ways to support the continuing growth and success of JFS. Our Board of Directors is seeking to recruit a few new Board members and committee members; volunteers are needed for the Elder Club and for Chanukah Meal Deliveries on Friday, December 19th; and of course #GivingTuesday and end of year contributions are welcome! Feel free to call or email me with any questions or suggestions about our work at JFS. We touch many lives every day.
PS: For help with changes in your own life, see Debra Bell’s article below about coping with the upcoming winter holiday season, and the announcement following that about a new support group at JFS: “Living into Change”
For more on all that’s happening at Jewish Family Services of WNC, go to www.jfswnc.org