Our Impact

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.

One of our volunteers who makes monthly food deliveries to a homebound elderly couple, noticed that the husband was now confined to a hospital bed. He learned that the man now needs a walker, which he did not own, so he was unable to move around the home by himself. The volunteer promptly reported this to the Dorit & Ben J. Genet Cupboard staff, who turned to our Community and Senior Services program and we worked together to supply him with a walker within 48 hours. The senior is no longer confined to his bed. He is happy to be able to move around his home and go outside without fear of falling. He is getting much needed exercise again and is able to regain some independence.

On a monthly basis, the Dorit & Ben J. Genet Cupboard calls the daughter of a client to obtain her mother’s grocery needs. After the client received her delivery, her daughter, who lives in New Jersey, called to thank us. She said, “without the DBJG Cupboard, her mother would have nothing and because she lives so far away she is beyond grateful for our work.”

A 78-year-old client contacted Goodman JFS in tears because his electricity was disconnected just after being released from the hospital. Other agencies in the community that he contacted required that he come into their locations but that was difficult because he is in a wheelchair, living alone, with no immediate means of transportation. Imagine food spoiling in the fridge, medication unable to be cooled and no AC. The situation could have easily gone from bad to worse.

Because GJFS is a community partner with FPL, our care manager contacted them immediately and was able to get the electricity restored within one hour!