JHHS Senior Services Endowment Committee Approves Grants

[Archived from April 3, 2009]

When Jewish Hospital HealthCare Services sold Four Courts Senior Center, the organization established a permanent endowment, the JHHS Senior Services Endowment Fund, to enhance the connection between the Jewish elderly and the Louisville Jewish community by providing programs and services for those who are homebound or who require residential care. The endowment ensures that this important connection will be maintained in perpetuity. Betty Fleischaker serves as the committee chair and Dr. Jerry Temes chairs the JHHS Board of Directors.

The Senior Services Endowment Committee has just announced the approval of three grants from its endowed funds to the Jewish Community Center (JCC) and Jewish Family & Career Services (JFCS) to help with their programs for the Jewish community’s seniors.

The JCC received a $9,900 grant to cover the delivery of kosher meals to the Jewish community’s homebound elderly. In her request for funds, JCC Executive Director Robin Stratton had requested help in subsidizing the cost of feeding the Jewish community’s frail elderly. The JCC runs the only kosher congregate lunch program and the only kosher meals-on-wheels program in the state of Kentucky.

The JFCS was awarded a $6600 grant to provide 400 hours of non-medical homecare services for Jewish seniors. This would be both for the elderly who live alone and for a care-giving spouse or child in need of respite services. An additional $1500 grant will provide assistance with prescription reimbursements or assistive devices for seniors in need.

“The JCC is so grateful to receive endowment funds from Jewish Hospital HealthCare Services,” said JCC Executive Director Robin K. Stratton. “This assistance allows us to meet the critical needs of 16 frail and homebound Jewish seniors who depend on the Center, its caring staff and dedicated volunteers.” 

“We are proud to take care of the elderly in our Jewish community who are most dependent on us, particularly during emergencies and Jewish holidays,” said Diane Sadle, senior adult director. “We are grateful to the JHHS Senior Services Endowment Committee for their generosity.”

“We truly appreciate the opportunities these JHHS endowment fund grants afford us in providing homecare for Jewish seniors and respite services for their family members,” said JFCS Executive Director Judy Freundlich Tiell. “We are also indebted to the Endowment Committee for their additional grant to help with the cost of drugs and adaptive equipment for seniors, many of whom have been hard hit by the economic downturn. Our agency has worked closely with the Jewish Hospital organization for many years, and we are thankful for their ongoing support. We look forward to continuing our collaboration in the years to come.”

“Under present conditions, the organization is pleased to be in the position where we can be of assistance to the Jewish community – especially to its elderly population,” said Fleischaker. “Our committee is happy to be able to provide funds that can help alleviate some of the more immediate problems they face on a daily basis.”

Temes echoed those sentiments and added he is “glad the JHHS board has had the opportunity to invest in philanthropic causes to benefit the Jewish community.” He points out that the $18,000 used to fund the various grant allocations was totally derived from interest generated from the principal assigned to the JHHS Senior Services Fund.

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