Shevat/Adar 5778 • February 2018
Ahava – One year on
Federation celebrates Ahava program’s 1st anniversary with expansion “love,” has helped children gain access to life-changing resources their families could not have secured for them without assistance. Resources included Lego therapy, Gliding Stars ice skating, art classes, and special headphones designed to filter out noise to decrease agitation, among others, said Nancy Newbury, executive director of Jewish Family Service. “Parents expressed gratitude for the Ahava program as it afforded opportunities for their children that they otherwise would not have,” Newbury said. “Ahava has enabled
parents to cover their own health care expenses while obtaining lifeenriching services and equipment for their children.” Benefits from these resources include increased socialization, increased self-confidence, a sense of pride and accomplishment, the acquisition of life skills, and gross motor development, Newbury said. This year, Federation is expanding the Ahava program to serve as many individuals with special needs in Jewish Toledo as possible, said Joel Marcovitch, Federation CEO.
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YJT heats up with glassblowing
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Friends and Friendship Circle
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By Emily Gordon One year after launching the Ahava scholarship program to benefit children with special needs in Jewish Toledo, Federation is expanding its criteria to include individuals of all ages with special needs. In 2016, Federation launched the Ahava program to provide families of children with special needs annual scholarships of up to $1,500 to put toward the costs of each child’s therapy, equipment, continuing education, and related resources. Since then, the Ahava program, named after the Hebrew word for