Bob & Augusta Live Forever As philanthropists and volunteers, this Virginia Beach couple supported important causes in Hampton Roads. Although Bob Goodman passed away in 2006 and Augusta Goodman in 2017, they help others today because of the charitable bequest they entrusted to the Hampton Roads Community Foundation. Today, their four children carry on Bob and Augusta’s legacy through donor-advised funds that let them recommend grants to help nonprofits do their best work. Thanks to their generosity, Bob and Augusta will forever make life better in their home region. Learn how easy it is to leave your mark on the future by ordering a free bequest guide. Adding Charity to Your W or IRA ill
A quick
guide to the ple of charitab asure and prom ise le bequest s
your dollars at work
At 75, Jewish Family Service of Tidewater proves that its core mission remains disaster-proof Lisa Richmon
M
ake no mistake. At times like this, when record numbers of jobs are lost, restaurants are closed, hospitals are beyond capacity, social isolation is the ‘safe’ choice, and no live fundraising events can be scheduled for the foreseeable future, Jewish Family Service must steady itself and carry on at full capacity as the community’s rock-steady resource for emotional, physical, and financial survival. The ultimate caretakers, JFS is at the ready in the worst of times and best of times. Since 1948, when a group of Jewish women, known as the Hebrew Ladies Charity, went around town collecting nickels for bread and milk to feed hungry families, the dye was cast for JFS to emerge in service of vulnerable people of all religions and backgrounds, suffering from any kind of trauma or hardship. The Hebrew Ladies Charity model resonates with Kelly Burroughs, who joined JFS as CEO in September 2018. Steering JFS through the current COVID-19 crisis and beyond, she refers back to its simple, yet sustainable spirit, “In 1948, dues for The Hebrew Ladies Charity were 25 cents. Today, that same organization has risen to funding in the $9 million range. JFS has seen it all and been through so many upheavals—from World War II, Vietnam, resettlement of Russian Jews and Holocaust survivors, and economic downturns. We know what we have to do and we’re not going anywhere.” On a wet, cold day in April, nearly two months into an unprecedented worldwide quarantine, Burroughs reports to her
Inspiring Philanthro py. Chan ging Lives .
www.leaveabequest.org (757) 622-7951 12 | Jewish News | April 27, 2020 | jewishnewsva.org
office at the Sandler Family Campus. A power outage prompts her to send staff home, leading to a serendipitous exchange with a client. “This woman was dripping wet, not even knowing what to do. She walked to JFS, just standing there outside the building, in power-blowing wind gusts, because she knew we would help her. And we did. I got her a ride home, gathered enough food to last for days,” says Burroughs. “We’re not the first social services agency our clients reach out to, but we are the only one they can count on,” she says. Clients often have many failed relationships. JFS doesn’t say ‘no,’ but puts limits on what it can do. That said, JFS has a holistic approach. “This isn’t a oneoff transactional encounter. People are multi-dimensional, and we need to see all parts of them. If they come to us for a counseling appointment, they might also leave with a food box. Our whole-person approach to anyone who seeks our help is built on trust and respect. A firefighter knows he’s going in to put out a fire; that’s why he is there. He doesn’t get mad when the alarm sounds,” says Burroughs. “We work in social services. We don’t get upset because people are needy.” As a certified clinical trauma counselor, Burroughs is proud to build on socially conscious ‘firsts’ that past board presidents and executive leadership launched. Elinore “Ellie” Porter was
COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund of the Tidewater Jewish Community Jewish Family Service is coordinating financial assistance for individual members of the Jewish community in need. Go to JewishTidewater.org to donate to the Emergency Relief Fund or to request assistance or call JFS at 757-321-2222.
president when the JFS Adoption program was initiated. During Porter’s 1976-1978 term, 26 families were welcomed and re-settled, and the Home Helper program was expanded. Years later, the Personal Affairs Management program grew from a bill-pay and check writing service for seniors to the agency of choice for people in need of a guardian or conservator. Such new milestones were among highlights for past presidents Jody Wagner and Nathan Jaffee. Past president Jay Klebanoff recalls the agency’s move to the current campus on Grayson Road, and leadership transition from Harry Graber to Betty Ann Levin. “Betty Ann and successive boards led the creation and promotion of the Week of Healthy Living, including the Run, Roll and Stroll, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars, while increasing our positive publicity within Hampton Roads,” Klebanoff says. Personal growth comes from daunting challenges. “With no JFS head, I assumed the role, while the board searched for a new director,” says Porter. “Being JFS president at that time was quite an education. I learned about the agency from a volunteer and professional perspective.” Collaboration, empathy, and big-picture thinking has defined the JFS board experience. Years ago, while at a conference in Colorado, Jody Wagner recalls other JFS presidents complaining about how the various Jewish agencies competed and didn’t work together. “I remember feeling so proud that our community didn’t struggle with those issues,” she says. Even today in the face of an unprecedented pandemic, JFS continues its
