Naples, FL – 2/17/15 – Help Jewish Family & Community Services of Southwest Florida (JFCS) meet the ever-expanding needs of local seniors by participating in the Give Where You Live 30 online fundraising campaign taking place on Tuesday, March 3, 2015.
“The JFCS Senior Center opened its doors on January 22, 2014, welcoming 88 seniors to the first weekly hot lunch,” explains president/CEO Dr. Jaclynn Faffer. “One year later, our membership has expanded to 530 seniors and our Center is open five days week. Community-wide support through Give Where You Live 30 will help us meet the ever-increasing needs of our elder parents, family and friends.”
Give Where You Live 30 is a partnership between the Community Foundation of Collier County and Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation that celebrates and increases philanthropy in Collier County through online giving at GiveWhereYouLive30.org. Thirty local nonprofits, including JFCS, have been selected to participate in the program.
Donors have from noon/12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3, 2015, to 11:59 a.m. on Wednesday, March 4, 2015, to make their online donations at GiveWhereYouLive30.org.
According to Faffer, as a participating nonprofit, JFCS will benefit from this initiative in many ways, including funding support for:
- The volunteer staffed Food Pantry – ensuring individuals from Collier and Southern Lee counties have access to the USDA food distribution site at the Senior Center. This need has doubled since the Center opened last January.
- Mental Health Services – providing support to seniors coping with loss, anxiety and/or other mental health issues. JFCS now has two licensed clinical social workers on staff.
- Geriatric Case Management – adding an additional staff member to provide a holistic, client-centered approach to caring for older adults receiving services at the Senior Center.
- Respite Program for Dementia Clients – funding programs for men with early dementia and a new program for men and women with advanced dementia.
In addition to the dollars raised directly through Give Where You Live 30, JFCS also has the opportunity to benefit from a $300,000 Matching Fund. Every nonprofit receiving a donation on March 3-4, 2015, receives a portion of the Matching Fund, which increases the value of monies donated.
“Thanks to the generous members of our community and hardworking nonprofits, we expect Give Where You Live 30 to be a rousing success,” said Ellen Connolly-Keesler, president and CEO Of the Community Foundation of Collier County.
The Community Foundation of Collier County is a tax-exempt, public, charitable fund, established in 1985 with a $300,000 endowment to increase and focus private philanthropy in the area. Today, the Community Foundation oversees more than 560 funds, collaborates with more than 400 nonprofits, holds over $78 million in assets and has distributed more than $78 million in grants to nonprofit organizations and community programs.
The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation was founded in 2004 by Best Buy Founder, Dick Schulze, as a way to give back to the community. Schulze and his family believe that a good education, a supportive family and strong work ethic prepare children for a successful future. To support that belief, the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation supports education and basic human services, among other types of organizations. It is the vision of the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation to connect in a meaningful way with grantees to make strategic contributions that achieve specific, measureable outcomes.
The JFCS is a nonsectarian social service agency empowering individuals and families by giving them tools to address life’s challenges. The JFCS Senior Center is a vibrant, central place for seniors 60 years of age and older to socialize, receive services, participate in programs and receive a hot lunch, helping them maintain a healthy, satisfying quality of life. For more information on JFCS, including the Give Where You Live 30 campaign, please call 239.325.4444, or visit www.naplesseniorcenter.org