CONNECT @ TI

Community, Outreach and Networking:

Navigating the Economic Crisis Together at Temple Israel

WORKING GROUPS

If you are interested in volunteering in one of the Working Groups, or have any information or skills to contribute, please contact one of the working group facilitators listed below.

Outreach and Assessment

Co-facilitators: Ann Bookman (aebookman@gmail.com) and Dee Finard (deefinard@yahoo.com)

This group is organizing an outreach effort to all TI members and Beacon Academy families called “Neighborhood Connections.” The purpose is to build community and gather information on the how the economic crisis is impacting every household. The callers will reach out to people in their own neighborhood and ask:

1. What do you need help with or support for?
   
2. What can you give others help with or support for?
   

The responses will help to shape the future programs of CONNECT @TI.

Access/Triage

Co-facilitators: Nonnie Hamovitch (nonnielh@aol.com), and Sarah Minden (sarahminden@gmail.com)

This group is taking calls from individuals identified by the “Neighborhood Connections” outreach effort, have in-depth conversations about their needs, and/or how they’d like to help, and connect them to individuals and/or organizations - inside and outside of TI - they can help or be helped by.

Resources

Co-facilitators: Barbara Berke (bberke@gmail.com) and Fran Putnoi (fputnoi@comcast.net)

This group is creating a dedicated space – both physical and on line – that will serve as a resource center for the Temple Israel community in response to the economic crisis. This center will provide basic direction to relevant information supplied by the other working groups, a forum to ask questions and a calendar of events. TI’s Technology Committee is assisting in enhancing the TI website so that it will become a more vital interactive place for TI members to access each other and the resources of our community. Resources will also be available in hard copy in the Temple Library, the Beacon Academy office, the pre-school, and the clergy offices.

Job Issues

Co-facilitators: David Iwatsuki (dai at alum.mit.edu), Diane Schoenfeld (diane.schoenfeld@suffolk.edu and Ali Shriberg (ashriberg@gmail.com)

This group works to coordinate employment resources, training and support for those looking for jobs or in career transition; organizes networking events, buddy groups, and mentoring opportunities; serves as a clearing house for posting jobs, needs and leads; and runs workshops on interviewing, resume writing, connecting to external resources.

Financial Resources

Co-facilitator: Barry Weisman (bweisman@sassooncymrot.com) and Peter Dreyfus (peter_dreyfus@vmed.org)

This group is working in three areas:

1. They are creating a need-based fund to provide direct financial assistance to the members of the Temple Israel family. They are establishing guidelines and procedures to ensure an equitable and respectful process to disburse the funds, and are fundraising to build the size of the fund;
2. They are organizing educational programs, focused on issues such as college funding, home and condominium mortgages, how to deal with creditors, and taxes;
3. They are creating a resource list of professionals affiliated with TI who have expertise in financial matters and are willing to consult to members of the TI community.

Emergency Services

Co-facilitators: Joan Rachlin (rachlinj@aol.com) and David Trietsch (d_trietsch@comcast.net)

This group works to identify, “verify” (i.e. checks a given organization or agency’s accessibility, availability, and suitability for our community’s purposes), and compile a list of resources for those in our midst who need either information or services relating to

1. Housing
   
2. Clothing
   
3. Food
   

Although several agencies already exist to address these needs, we hope to develop a more focused list of those that can respond quickly and effectively in the cities and towns in which TI congregants and Beacon Academy families live. The emergency services group also plans to inventory the skills and resources of its members so that the resource-compilation task will be more manageable. Different sub-committees will be assigned one of the three specific areas and will report back with their findings.

Mental Health

Co-facilitators: Michele Fishel (mjfishel@aol.com), Howard Wishne (howard@wishnie.org) and Ronni Kotler (rsk@ronnikotler.com)

This group will:

1. Develop and make accessible a list of clinical resources.
2. Organize small group discussions at TI to provide education and support on meeting the challenges of the economic crisis in our own lives, those of our families, workplaces, and communities.