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JVS modified space at its Southfield building in 2006 to create a homelike setting for its Caring Companions program to provide stimulating activities to individuals with developmental disabilities who are also experiencing dementia. The space was recently expanded to add more room to the ever-growing program, which is one of the only programs of its kind in our area.

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The Teens All Together program began in 2005 in partnership with JARC to provide summer jobs and recreational camp activities to teens with disabilities. Now called Summer Link Up, the program continues to be an important way for teens to have summer fun while learning about their skills and obtaining work experience.

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Humans of JVS

“I came to JVS for career counseling almost 10 years ago because I really didn’t know what I wanted to do. I had left the corporate workplace 15-20 years before to run a business with my husband. I kept thinking that if I went back into the workforce I would most likely do something similar to what I had done before, but I also knew a lot had changed. We didn’t even have PCs back then; I was working on a mainframe computer!

JVS opened my eyes to other possibilities by helping me identify my transferable skills. I eventually landed a new job. At JVS, of all places. I never dreamed I’d end up here.

The hardest thing about starting my job at JVS was that I had a business background and, at first, I felt like a fish out of water among this group of very talented job counselors. But then I was reminded that everyone else appreciated my business skills. We were a great complement of strengths.

I love everything about my job, but what I like most is knowing that we’re impacting the quality of peoples’ lives. I would tell anybody who’s looking to make a change that it’s never too late, and I’d encourage them to be open to any possibilities. In the corporate world, it was always about the bottom line. Here it’s about the people.”

Karen Eder Gutman is the director of Business and Career Services (BCS) at JVS. She has been with the agency for eight years and has helped hundreds of job seekers find employment. BCS provides career counseling, technology training and job search support to job seekers no matter their background. More info can be found at http://bit.ly/2sTX5Qe.

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In 2003, JVS started the Memory Club to provide tips, techniques and exercises to help seniors sharpen their memories. Today, the club continues and meets twice a week in Southfield and West Bloomfield. Info at http://bit.ly/JVSSeniorServices.

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In 2001, JVS created the Career Initiative Center to provide employment programs and support services to homeless men in Detroit. Today, our Bridging the Gap program continues these services for men and women. View this video to see how far Stevie, who is pictured in this photo, has come since coming to the Career Initiative Center: http://bit.ly/TheWayForwardforStevie

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In 1999, JVS created the Dorothy and Peter Brown Jewish Community Adult Day Program in partnership with Jewish Senior Life to provide compassionate care and meaningful activities to people with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. The program continues today at JVS in Southfield and JSL in West Bloomfield. More info about all of our senior services at http://bit.ly/JVSSeniorServices.

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JVS began offering its School to Work programs in 1997 to help high school students with disabilities successfully transition to jobs, technical training or higher education. Last year, JVS helped over 500 at-risk teens or teens with disabilities ready themselves for the workplace. More info at http://bit.ly/JVSYouthServices

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In 1997, JVS was selected by the City of Detroit to operate Detroit's Work Place, two full-service cutting edge career centers offering a state-wide, one-stop approach to employment and support services for city residents and area employers. With a continuing presence in city throughout our 75 years, JVS remains committed to serving people in the City of Detroit.

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Our Bridging the Gap Program, funded by United Way for Southeastern Michigan, was recently featured on TV20 Detroit - WMYD. Watch how the program helps individuals overcome homelessness.

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5z12-UneD8)

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Humans of JVS

“I was reading a story to the clients and at the end of the story, was an art project. The project brought back memories and made me think about my grandmother. As a child, she would come and watch me and my brothers and sisters while my parents were at work. She would bring scraps of material with her, sit quietly and sew together the pieces of fabric. There were six of us and she made all of us our own bedspread. For the art project, we had the clients pick out six pieces of paper and cut up them up. Next, they glued them together in whatever fashion they decided to put together our own quilt.

Sharing is caring, so we shared that experience of everybody working together. It just brought back memories and made me feel warm on the inside.” Vivian Jones is a Program Assistant for the JVS Caring Companions program which provides engaging and expressive activities to individuals with disabilities who are also experiencing memory loss. Info at http://bit.ly/CaringCompanions

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In 1995, JVS became the largest nonprofit vocational service agency in Michigan and was recognized by Crain's Detroit Business' Best Managed Nonprofit Contest for its outstanding business practices.

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In 1990, JVS expanded its Supported Employment programs in Detroit and Southfield to help people with developmental disabilities or chronic mental illness successfully secure jobs in the community.

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Humans of JVS

“When I was growing up, my dad was self-employed and often worked from home. I used to love listening to him work on the phone. What impressed me most was how engaged and animated he was when he was working.

While I didn’t realize it at the time, watching my dad in action helped form the foundation for my intrinsic belief in the therapeutic value of work. Early in my career, when I first began to work with people with disabilities, our overall goal was to help them feel valued and integrated into their communities. I remembered my dad, and helping them work became the obvious answer. Subsequently, when I came to JVS, I had the opportunity to help people across the community find their success in the world of work.”

Leah Rosenbaum is president and CEO of JVS, where she lives out her passion for helping people determine and achieve their goals.

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In 1989, JVS helped a record 697 immigrants from the Soviet Union who were fleeing anti-semitism. JVS helped them overcome vocational, linguistic and cultural barriers to successfully find jobs and build new lives in America.

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Construction was complete and we moved into our current headquarters in Southfield during the fall of 1986. The 65,000 square foot facility more than doubled the agency's space to better serve our 3,500 clients. The facility featured work centers for seniors and people with disabilities as well as office space to provide training and counseling for job seekers, college students and others.

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Humans of JVS

“Marcella and I lived a half a block from each other in early childhood so our families’ paths sometimes crossed, like at the local butcher shop and at Brown’s drug store where I worked as a teen scooping ice cream. But I didn’t really get to know Marcella until the summer of 1952. I was taking a trip with some friends to South Haven, and she came with us. That began our summer romance. It ended in the fall when I was leaving for optometry school in Chicago. We were sure our romance could not sustain a 300-mile separation for three years.

We both married other people, but those marriages ended. Marcella and I were reunited after 24 years. It was as if we picked up our relationship where we left off. We married a year later. That was August 7, 1977. Marcella died on May 29, 2012.

When Marcella began to slip cognitively, I saw an article in the Jewish News about the JVS Memory Club. Marcella started with the Memory Club in 2007 and she found it to be very helpful. As her memory slipped further, the staff suggested the [Dorothy and Peter Brown Adult Day Program]. I worked out my schedule so I could pick her up in the afternoon, and she was always animated. It would only last for a short time – but it was enough.

The Brown Program provided a mitzvah (good deed) for me. It was a place for my wife to be safe and have fun.”

An energetic 85-year-old, Dr. Edward Stein still works part-time in a practice he shares with his nephew.

His first encounter with JVS was when, as a teenager, he sought help getting a job away from his father’s dry cleaning business (in hindsight, he now admits that working for his dad was a pretty good gig at the time). Dr. Stein reconnected with JVS in 2007 when Marcella came to the Memory Club. Though his beloved Marcella passed away in 2012, Dr. Stein continues to participate in Brown Center Caregiver Support meetings to help others by sharing his own experience. He also serves on the Dorothy and Peter Brown Program Advisory Committee.

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Humans of JVS

“I spent 35 years in the same industry. I worked for only three companies and when I went from one to the other, formal interviews didn’t occur. We already knew each other so it was more of an informal breakfast or lunch. We’d discuss what success would look like together and we worked out the job details.”

“Leaving the industry I spent my entire career in was a challenge. I was concerned about my age, that I had not interviewed throughout the years and had not developed a resume in a very long time."

"Then I learned about JVS and all they have to offer. I began working with Chaka, Gerard, and Judy at JVS. They got me into the mindset that interviewing isn’t bragging, it’s sharing your experience. They also encouraged me to use my age as an advantage, again the sharing of my successful experiences. They helped me develop a great resume, and kept pushing me to “follow your passion.”

“Well, wholesale/retail distribution is in my blood and what I have been successful at so I built a strong database of distributors in Michigan and was diligently working them. I came across 1st Source Servall, a company I worked for in high school and where my dad worked for 44 years. I was pleasantly surprised at how much they have grown. I drafted a letter to the third generation owner, who I've known since I worked there, and they had an open opportunity.”

“Everyone at JVS from the onset told me, “80% of people get a job from someone they know.” At first I had doubted that!”

“I have been here six months, have more energy than I have had in years, and I have JVS and 1st Source Servall to thank!”

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