Welcome the President of the Board: Michael B. Shaw
As 2011 draws to a close, I would like to reflect on the year that is ending and provide some insights into the upcoming year. 2011 was a successful year for JCYS. We continue to proudly serve hundreds of families in the Chicagoland area. Despite a prolonged downturn in the economy, we are continuing to find ways to grow and improve our services, and the programming and events at all of our family centers and camps flourished throughout the year.
In 2011, JCYS completed the new program building at the Lillian L. Lutz Recreation Center in Highland Park. This new building complements the terrific pool and splash pad that had recently been built and provides a dynamic facility where we can operate our programs.
We also saw an increase in the number of weekend respite participants at Camp Red Leaf in 2011. We were excited to see this program, which provides critical year-round services to hundreds of individuals with special needs, continue to grow and prosper.
Lastly, our annual gala, which took place in April at Café Brauer, was a tremendous success and raised over $135,000 for the agency. The evening was full of energy as over 400 guests enjoyed exciting casino gaming at the agency's first casino night. The event program also featured a special Director for Life presentation to Jim Anixter.
During the past year, we continued to receive tremendous funding and support from our existing donors, and found new funding from many individuals and foundations. None of our successes in the past year would have been possible without our generous donors, our amazing and dedicated staff and the families that participate in our programming.
We have a variety of exciting things planned for 2012. This coming year, thanks to a generous donation from The Michael and Karyn Lutz Family Foundation, JCYS will rename the Lakeview Family Center as the JCYS Michael R. Lutz Family Center. This wonderful gift not only recognizes Michael Lutz's outstanding contributions to the agency, but serves as the lead gift for the Chicago-based family center's new capital campaign that will officially launch in 2012. We have a terrific start to this capital campaign, but a lot of hard work is needed to bring it to fruition. The completion of this center over the next few years will be a keystone of the agency's future.
vIn 2012, we also will be celebrating the completion of the Sacks Family Tree House at Camp Red Leaf. The generosity of the Sacks family has made it possible to build a unique, handicap-accessible tree house that will provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the Red Leaf campers. vFinally, in June, we will host our annual gala. This year's event will honor David Schulman, a former JCYS President and longtime supporter of the agency. We are incredibly excited to have David as our honoree and look forward to seeing so many of his friends come out to support him.Overall, 2011 was a great year for our agency and we are looking forward to another terrific year in 2012. Thank you to all of our donors, families and staff. Your support truly makes a difference in the lives of so many JCYS children and families. We wish you all a happy, healthy holiday season.
Michael B. Shaw
President
Thanks to a generous donation from The Michael and Karyn Lutz Family Foundation, JCYS will rename its Lakeview Family Center as the JCYS Michael R. Lutz Family Center. The gift not only recognizes Michael Lutz's outstanding contributions to the agency, but serves as the lead gift for the Chicago-based family center's new capital campaign that will officially launch in 2012.
The new capital campaign is designed to build and strengthen the JCYS Michael R. Lutz Family Center. This is based on a long-term strategic plan to expand the Center's offerings both in building size and program scope. From building enhancements to staff development opportunities and programming activities, the JCYS Michael R. Lutz Family Center will be able to continue to grow and meet the organization's mission of providing educational and recreational programs that nurture individual growth and promote responsibility to others.
"Renaming our JCYS Lakeview Family Center is a fitting tribute to Michael's commitment to the organization and his tireless efforts to ensure that children throughout the Chicago area have educational, recreational and leadership opportunities that grow along with them," said Martin Oliff, PhD, JCYS Executive Director. "We are incredibly grateful to the entire Lutz family for their support in honoring Michael's legacy. They have planted seeds that will allow the Center to flourish for years to come."
For more than 40 years, Michael Lutz was an active member of JCYS, serving as President of the organization from 1977-1978. His involvement with the organization did not end at that time, and together with his wife Karyn, the Lutz family has been instrumental in establishing the agency's North Shore presence with their generous contributions to the JCYS George W. Lutz Family Center (Lutz Highland Park) and the JCYS Lillian L. Lutz Recreation Center (The Lil') in Highland Park.
"For many years our families have recognized the Lutz "brand" as a well-respected childcare facility and program serving the North Shore. It is now our pleasure to associate the top-notch JCYS city programs with the Lutz family name as well," said Jean Losek, Director, JCYS Chicago Operations.
Located in the Wrigleyville neighborhood, the JCYS Michael R. Lutz Family Center (Lutz Chicago) will continue to offer a range of programs, including early childhood education, school-age and after-school programs, day camps, and TEAMcorps, a unique experiential and adventure education program for at-risk high school students.
The Northwest Family Center has added a new Child and Family Developmental Specialist to their staff. Lauren Miller joined the Center this fall, thanks to a generous gift made by Jon and Stephanie Carson. Before becoming a member of the JCYS team, Lauren was an Early Childhood Special Education Teacher in the North Suburban Special Education District. Her education experience includes teaching at The Latin School of Chicago and East Maine School District #63.
Lauren is looking forward to the new challenges the Child and Family Development Specialist position brings. She wants all of the families at the Northwest Family Center to know that she is a firm believer in an open-door policy.
Another way that Lauren will be integrated into the Center is as a parent. Her 16-month-old daughter, Lexie, has started in the Center's toddler room and is already making a lot of new friends!
Lauren already feels like a member of the JCYS family and is looking forward to working with all of the children and families at the Northwest Family Center this school year. "I am excited to get to know each of our families and to help make their children's school experience a happy and successful one!" says Ms. Miller.
The spirit of giving came early to one family at the JCYS George W. Lutz Family Center! Zack Freimuth, who is pictured here with his mother, Wendy, and sister, Ariana, decided this year he wanted to share his birthday gifts with everyone at the Lutz Center.
Wendy hosted a party for Zack, who turned six in October, and asked that guests bring gifts of sporting equipment that could be donated to the Lutz Family Center instead of toys and presents specifically for Zack. As a result of the party, and the Freimuth's generosity, the Lutz Center received 11 new pieces of sporting equipment. The equipment is currently being used at the Center and will travel to the Lillian L. Lutz Recreation Center this summer to be used at Champ Camp and Camp STAR.
JCYS would like to extend a big thank you to Zack and the Freimuth family for their kindness and generosity!
Volunteers Make a Difference at CampUnder the direction of senior camp staff, numerous volunteer groups have come to camp this year to donate their time and effort to helping keep JCYS campgrounds beautiful.
Over a dozen different groups, comprised of over 250 individuals, generously give their time and energy to camp each year. The United Way of Lake County has played a large role in helping bring groups to camp and JCYS is thankful for their partnership. Some of the groups that have volunteered their time include: Abbott, AT&T Pioneers, HSBC, and Motorola.
Most of the volunteer's efforts are focused on beautification projects. Past projects have included re-painting buildings, picnic tables, basketball and volleyball posts, signage, fences and the gazebo. Volunteer groups also help with trail clearing and mulch placement. Other projects are centered more on functional improvements and require skilled management supervision. Recent functional improvement projects have included building firewood shelters, re-landscaping fire circles, installing split rail fencing, helping install concrete sidewalks and entry stoops, assisting with the building of a bridge and retaining wall, and even helping to create a pumpkin patch.
JCYS is extremely grateful for all of the volunteer groups that have helped out this past year and looks forward to partnering with many returning and new groups this coming year.
Thanks to the efforts made by staff at Camp Henry Horner and Camp Red Leaf, JCYS was recently awarded a $30,000 capital grant from the AT&T Telephone Pioneers to build a new pavilion by the waterfront at camp.
After many weeks of hard work, the new pavilion was just recently completed and has already made a huge impact at camp! The new structure is much safer than the large tent it replaced and is available for use year-round, which the seasonal tent was not. Also, the large level hard surface under and around the pavilion will also provide a safe, level surface for camper activities and will be especially beneficial to those with mobility challenges.
JCYS is tremendously grateful to AT&T Telephone Pioneers for their extremely generous contribution!
The holidays can be a stressful time for everyone. Parents especially often feel pressured to provide a spectacular holiday experience for their children. Though the economy is showing signs of improvement, many parents this season are still wondering how they are going to be able to buy holiday gifts. In fact, a recent poll by the American Psychological Association (APA) shows that 61% of Americans cite lack of money as a top cause of holiday stress followed by the pressures of gift giving, lack of time, and credit card debt.
To help combat this stress, top parenting experts recommend parents first take a step back and ask themselves the following questions:
"What do we want the holidays to mean to our children? What kind of memories do we want them to have? What feelings do we want them to associate with the holidays?"Experts then recommend parents spend some time revisiting their own childhoods and favorite holiday memories for ideas on how to make the holidays special for their own children.
Most people's memories have more to do with the atmosphere of the holidays that existed in their homes, and not the number of gifts they received. Jo Robinson and Jean Coppock Staeheli remind us in their book, Unplug the Christmas Machine, that no matter what cultural or religious holiday you are celebrating, "What children want and need is more time with their parents, an evenly-paced holiday season, traditions they can count on, and realistic expectations about gifts...Most people spend more time and emotional energy on gift-giving than anything else, and yet gift-giving is consistently rated as the least valued aspect of the celebration."
Here are some suggestions for creating the holiday memories you desire:
- Make time together as a family a priority. Let decorating the house, making and wrapping gifts, listening to holiday music, and preparing meals be family activities. Delegate tasks according to age and ability. Having a special job to do makes children feel they are making an important contribution to the family's celebration.
- Limit your children's wish list. Help your children learn to make choices by limiting their list to a few choice items. They are more likely to identify what they really want this way. Let making the list be part of the fun by having them write it themselves, draw pictures of the desired items, or print them from the internet and paste them onto the paper.
- Remember that more is not always better. Try to give your children at least one thing from their list, but not everything on it. Knowing that someone cared enough to get what they really wanted tends to leave the recipient feeling very special.
- Involve your children in the joy of giving. Ask them who they want to include on the family's gift list and for gift suggestions. Encourage them to make as many gifts as possible. Close friends and relatives will treasure simply framed original works of art, homemade calendars, or treats your child helped bake and decorate. Never underestimate the value of a handmade gift, for these come from the heart.
- Be sure your children are aware of the real reason for the season. Spend time exploring with your children the meaning of the holiday you are celebrating and its religious and/or cultural significance.
Whether you are celebrating Hanukah, Kwanza, or Christmas, remember to try to keep the focus where it belongs. The holidays are a time for us to reaffirm our commitments, strengthening our families, and dedicating ourselves to making the world a better place for everyone.
Love Fore! JCYS: 2011Camp Red Leaf Golf & Tennis OutingOn Wednesday, September 14th, Jewish Council for Youth Services (JCYS) hosted its first annual joint golf and tennis outing " Love Fore! JCYS " at Twin Orchard Country Club in Long Grove, Illinois. The event generated over $80,000 in revenue for JCYS Camp Red Leaf (CRL), the agency's camp for children and adults with special needs. Over 30 participants attended the new tennis portion of the event, which included both a morning Women's Tennis Tournament and afternoon Mixed Doubles Tennis Tournament.
The Women's Tennis Tournament kicked off at 10:00am with a welcome by JCYS Executive Director, Marty Oliff and Honorary Event Chair, Alyssa Knobel. Participants enjoyed the crisp fall weather and were able to showoff their skills on the tennis courts and participate in drills, led by Twin Orchard's talented tennis pros.
Following the two hour tournament, tennis players joined the afternoon golfers and tennis participants for lunch in the clubhouse. Campers and staff from Camp Red Leaf greeted and mingled with guests at the clubhouse and a photo slideshow with images from Camp Red Leaf played in the background. Participants of the Women's Tennis Tournament included: Alyssa Knobel, JCYS Board Alumnus; Nancy Rotering, Mayor of Highland Park; Julie Morrison, Supervisor of West Deerfield Township; and many other civic and business leaders from the local community.
The afternoon portion of the event included both a golf scramble and mixed doubles tennis tournament and concluded with a cocktail reception and award ceremony, led by JCYS Board President, Michael Shaw. In addition to golf and tennis awards, the Event and Honorary Chairs were honored by JCYS Executive Director, Marty Oliff. In addition to Alyssa Knobel, fellow Board Alumnus and Highland Park City Council member, Daniel Kaufman served as an Honorary Event Chair along with Board Alumni Larry Menaker and Gary Wool.
As the largest outing to date, the event drew over 130 total participants and raised critical funds for JCYS Camp Red Leaf. The outing, which is held annually each fall in September, has raised a total of $285,000 for Camp Red Leaf since its inception in 2009.
Please save the date and plan to join the Jewish Council for Youth Services on Saturday, June 2nd, 2012 at the Renaissance Chicago as we honor former JCYS President, David Schulman for his fifty years of passion for and dedication to the leadership development of others within our organization. David has been a singular role model for what it means to be a leader who is not content to simply lead, but to lead with a commitment to teaching others how to be a leader.
The evening will also include a live performance by award-winning jazz vocalist, Sophie Milman. Sophie is a charismatic young Russian-born, Israeli-raised, Toronto-based jazz vocalist who's well on her way to becoming an international sensation. Her 2004 debut album established her as a major artist and since then, she's taken the jazz world by storm, topping the Billboard jazz charts in the U.S., Canada, France and Japan, winning a Juno Award, and captivating audiences worldwide.
For more event details, as well as ticket and sponsorship information, please contact Molly Harlow at mharlow@jcys.org or (312) 726-8891 ext. 115.
