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www.theconnectionsnj.com
Spotlight on
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SeniorS”
E V E R L A S T I N G C A R E
Pre-Planning Ensures
Your Wishes are Followed
Peace of Mind
for You and Your Family
Serving All Faiths
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Mt. Airy Road
Basking Ridge, NJ 07920
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Remember a time when life seemed
overwhelming. Think about who was
there for you – to listen, to help you
feel less alone in the struggles you
were facing. Many of us are fortunate
to have family, friends, or a spiritual
community to provide that support.
Others are not so fortunate. Some are
newly relocated to the area, or are liv-
ing great distances from family. Per-
haps some are feeling isolated from
friendship networks due to special
circumstances, like health problems, a
divorce or a child with special needs.
Any of these factors may leave a per-
son or family facing challenges and
feeling alone.
Families in the JFS Family Mentor
Program tell us that what they are
hoping to gain the most from a Fam-
ily Mentor is someone who will “just
listen” and be supportive. Volunteers
give considerable input into the kind
of mentoring relationship they would
like to have, based on skills, life expe-
riences, and availability.
Margie, her husband, and two chil-
dren (ages 9 and 11) are examples.
Margie had learning challenges as a
child and had spent her school years
in Special Education. In spite of her
challenges, Margie was able to gradu-
ate, start a family, find a part time job
and run a household. Even with her
husband working two jobs, Margie
was finding it hard to make ends
meet. Margie was eager to have a non
judgmental mentor who would help
her organize her time better and help
her feel more confident as a parent.
Her mentor, a mother of 5 grown
children, was the right fit. After the
two women got to know each other
better, they began to use their bi-
weekly visits to plan menus and pre-
pare some meals for the freezer for
those busy days. They found each
other laughing together, and looking
forward to their times with each
other. The mentor was able to
observe how things like after school
snacks and homework were man-
aged. Together, they talked about
ways to make this time more pleasant
and beneficial for both Margie and
her children.
For the mentor, she felt that she was
doing something very worthwhile.
In addition to bi-weekly visits with
Margie and her children, the mentor
participated in monthly group meet-
ings for mentors at JFS. By having
the guidance of social work staff and
hearing about the experiences of
other mentors, volunteers can have
an opportunity to be supportive and
creative with one another. This can
enhance the overall experience for
everyone.
Volunteers are people of all ages and
backgrounds who want to offer guid-
ance and support to others. JFS
recruits and trains interested volun-
teers throughout the year to be
matched as Family or Senior Men-
tors. Volunteers complete 9 hours of
training and participate in on-going
monthly meetings with other volun-
teers and professional staff. The next
Mentor training will be in late fall.
For more information or to register,
contact JFS Program social worker,
Sudha Narasimhan at (908) 725-
7799
ext 118. Anyone interested in
referring a family or a homebound
older person should contact the
agency.
JFS is a not for profit, non-sectarian
social service agency serving the needs
of individuals and families in Somer-
set, Hunterdon and Warren Counties
since 1980. The Family Mentor Pro-
gram is supported through The
Blanche and Irving Laurie Founda-
tion, Somerset County Board of Cho-
sen Freeholders, Grotta Fund for Sen-
ior Care, Merck Foundation, ERS
Charitable Fund, fundraising and
donations.
JFS Senior Mentor Program
Ruth Edelman, LCSW and Sudha Narasimhan, LSW