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It's a 'Night of 1,000 Stories'
Event will raise money for agency's service programs
By DAN SCANLAN
Staff writer - August 21, 2004
Eat, drink or play Bunco, and help
Jacksonville's Jewish Family and Community Services raise funds for its family and childrens' service programs
during the "Night of 1,000 Stories" Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 28 and 29.
Sixteen events are being held to try to raise about $10,000 for the agency, which serves almost 30,000 needy adults
and children all over the city regardless of faith from its offices at 6261 Dupont Station Court E. on the Southside.
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| Janet Hall, a staff member at Jewish Family and Community
Services, gives a client food from the Winn-Dixie Emergency Food Pantry. |
The events are invitation-only for the most
part, dreamed up by agency donors and volunteers to raise funds and awareness for it. Robin Peters, agency community
services development director, said stories about how clients have benefitted from the agency's services over the
years will be part of each.
"We are sharing true stories from the agency, from people helped by our food pantry or foster children put
in a stable environment. These are true stories," Peters said. "The names have been changed to protect
the privacy of clients, but they show how lives are being changed, and it is a full range from senior citizens
to families having a tough time making bills due to a job loss and needing a bridge until they get on their feet."
Jewish Family and Community Services was founded in 1917 as the Jewish Welfare Society, helping people with financial
assistance. More services have been added over the years, and include foster care placement, adoption services,
counseling, a food pantry and kosher nutrition for seniors funded by donations from community and professional
groups and residents.
The idea for the fund-raising parties was suggested by volunteer and financial donor Cathie Kopecky, who helped
organize similar events while working with a non-profit agency in Chicago years ago. She wanted to hold one event
to honor her late parents, Ed and Edith Kopecky, who helped teach her that "one person can make a difference
by asking others to help," and decided to expand it, she said.
"The idea was to have a party. Friends would come over, kick in, learn about an agency they hadn't heard about
and have fun," Kopecky said. "While I could do one party, I figured out how to make that gift bigger,
and this is how to introduce a lot of people to the agency. And instead of me donating $1,000, we will have $10,000
and it will grow from there."
The agency sent letters to its donors suggesting they hold fund-raisers, and 15 others agreed. Peters is holding
a party for friends and neighbors, while others have scheduled a beach party, an outing at a Jacksonville Suns
baseball game and a Bunco card game. The Jacksonville Jewish Center youth group will go to a movie and dinner to
learn how much it costs to have a night out, Peters said.
"It will calculate the cost of what to many is a simple night out to learn how other children in the community
can't have that experience, and raise funds so those children can," Peters said. "They will learn that
$35 for a child in foster care is a huge amount, and if it is available, it will go to clothes and school supplies."
Kopecky said she hopes to raise $5,000 at her party, and see the "Night of 1,000 Stories" expanded to
50 parties next year. Because some of the events have space available, anyone interested in joining one can call
Peters at the agency at 394-5727.
 Around the bend:
Jewish Services to host its annual fund-raiser
-
read more >>
February 9, 2005
Food pantry is seeking donations
Demand from needy expected to be up. read
more >>
March 16, 2005
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