Our Impact

When we recently delivered food to a frail elderly Dorit & Ben J. Genet Cupboard client who is practically blind, and has very little money, she dug in her purse and pressed a few dollars into my young daughter’s hands – “for your Tzedakah box” she said. What a great lesson my child learned that day.

A 50-year-old man called Goodman JFS because he needed rental assistance. The client, who was once homeless, fell behind in rent because he lost his job. He had worked very hard to get back to stable finances, get a home and pay all of his own household expenses. He owed one month’s rent and did not want to be evicted. The case manager contacted the landlord to request time to process client’s application without evicting him. The landlord agreed and went to the housing court to stop the eviction procedure he had already started. He said, “I don’t want him to be homeless again because he is a very good man who ran out of luck.” The client had several job interviews and a couple of days later he was hired. In addition, he has been doing odd jobs around the neighborhood to save some money to be prepared in case he has another emergency. GJFS contributed to the community by preventing him from becoming homeless again.

A 73-year-old man called Goodman JFS seeking assistance with his water and electric bills. He and his wife fell behind in payments and their utility services were about to be disconnected. They are both disabled, their income is very low, and they have to buy items that are not covered by their food stamp benefits. His wife has an advanced stage of Alzheimer’s disease and is bed-bound, needing assistance for all her needs. GJFS’ Financial Assistance program made arrangements with the utility companies and committed to pay the bills. When the care manager visited their mobile home, she realized it was in need of repair and a good cleaning. GJFS paid for their home to be cleaned, provided Publix gift cards and gave them a voucher to receive bread from Panera every week for a year. The client was relieved their utility services remained connected and very happy with the assistance they received.

I have been a volunteer with the Dorit & Ben J. Genet Cupboard for more than a year. I find it very gratifying to deliver groceries to our Cupboard clients who are unable to shop for their own groceries. When I make my monthly deliveries, I spend quite a bit of time with our very appreciative recipients. I show kindness, compassion and maybe most importantly, a listening ear.

I have been able to provide a new dinette set for one of our clients that only had a bed in his apartment. One of “my” other clients was in need of a curtain. So, I took the measurements and surprised him a few days later with a homemade curtain. As happy and thankful as he was to receive the curtain; it made me so happy to see him smile. I recently was able to coordinate the purchase and delivery of a brand new bed to one of our very deserving clients, thanks to funds from Goodman JFS. It brings me great pleasure to be able to help others who need a helping hand. I am a firm believer that if you are able to volunteer and put a smile on someone’s face, you should do it, as you will receive so much more in return.

Goodman JFS’ Holocaust Survivor Assistance Program arranged for a client to receive cataract surgery on both eyes. As a result, the client reported that the procedure improved her quality of life tremendously. Moreover, the client decided to represent Holocaust survivors on the March of the Living. This allowed her to be able to share her story with teenage participants, providing her with the opportunity to leave her legacy with the next generation through this moving experience. The care manager was also greatly impacted by the fact that this surgery made such a difference in her client’s life, and it helped her to realize how rewarding this work is for her.

An 80-year-old man who has been a Goodman JFS client for several years lives on a fixed income that barely covers his basic needs. His sight was deteriorating and he did not have the insurance coverage or the money to pay for glasses. GJFS approved his application and agreed to pay for the glasses. When the check was ready, the client said he would come to pick it up and take it to the eye doctor in person. He took the bus but he was a little lost and was going to walk the rest of the way to our office, which was more than two miles away. The case manager said she would bring him the check and asked several questions to verify his identity. Had the client not been able to get to the eye doctor that day with payment, he would have had to wait two more months, and he really needed his glasses. The client says he now wears his glasses all day, every day!

A 78-year-old woman called Goodman JFS requesting assistance with her water bill. She has an adult daughter living with her and both of them are disabled. Her water service had been disconnected for almost two weeks and she was desperate. She called other agencies and they could not assist them because of funds availability. Her son was delivering gallons of water for them to bathe, cook, etc. The care manager visited her at home as she was unable to get a ride to the Goodman JFS office to complete paperwork. They did not have food in the house, even for dinner that night. The care manager arranged for a prepared meal, picked it up and delivered it to them. GJFS paid the water bill and referred them to the Dorit & Ben J. Genet Cupboard for food delivery and assistance completing a SNAP application. The client cried because “no one had ever done that for her before.”

A care manager from Goodman JFS visited a client who recently returned to Florida. After all the paperwork was updated and completed, the care manager arranged for client to have a life alert system installed in her home so that she could call for help in case of emergency. The same day that the installation was completed, the client fell down in the bathroom, pressed the button and the ambulance arrived to take her to the hospital. The doctors confirmed that she would have not survived had it not been for the life alert.

I have the pleasure of visiting with a couple in the Holocaust Survivor Assistance Program each month to deliver their Publix cards. Our visits are special, they have amazing stories to tell. They have such fantastic outlooks on life, it is really inspirational. We invited them to our home for Hanukah, and it wonderful sharing a special night with them. My life has been enriched by these lovely people. I feel like I have benefited from my involvement in this program just as much as they do!!

One year after I lost my wife to cancer, I contacted Goodman JFS. My children woke up to find an eviction notice posted on our front door. I explained that the family had exhausted all of our savings and retirement funds trying to keep up with medical bills. I had just begun a new job, but for this month, I did not have enough money to pay rent.

Our case manager was able to make arrangements to pay the landlord as quickly as possible and avoid eviction. Additionally, the family was offered counseling to deal with our on-going grief from our loss. A referral was made to the Dorit & Ben J. Genet Cupboard to supplement a tight food budget, and GJFS made sure the children had a wonderful Chanukah by giving me gift cards so I could have the pleasure of shopping for my children.