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JCA Insights, December 2023

By JCA on December 27, 2023

SHIP Grows in Referrals and Volunteers

The SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) team completed 217 prescription drug analysis requests from Montgomery County beneficiaries. This is a 10% increase over the number of requests completed during the 2022 Open Enrollment season. Also, SHIP increased the number of volunteers on the counselor team to15, to better serve Medicare recipients in the county.

Senior HelpLine: 240-290-3311 or 703-652-1515

Please reach out to the J-CARING Community Support Line if you feel the need for mental health resources.
Call (703)-J-CARING (703-522-7464), and a J-Caring provider will connect you to community resources to address your needs.

In this issue:

➢ SHIP continues to grow

➢ Montgomery County Council member helps with Eli’s Loaves of Love

➢ Interages volunteers and students create stories

➢ Kensington Clubs art show

➢ JCA Blog Highlights

Evan Glass Participates in Loaves of Love Delivery

Montgomery County Councilmember Evan Glass showed his appreciation for Eli’s Loaves of Love, the program that gives one delicious challah each month to senior adults. He learned how JCA delivers 60 challahs a month from Colleen Kemp, Gorlitz Kensington Clubs Director. A video of his visit follows him as he discusses the program and makes a delivery.

Heyman Interages® Dialogues Program Creates Fanciful Stories

Interages volunteers help students get creative! One volunteer starts: “Once upon a time there was a …”, the next participant continues the story and the students at the table go on, adding to the story. Read part of one story below (accompanied by an AI-generated illustration):

My grandma told me that she had a dream about being up in the mountains skiing. She had a very good dream. She dreamt she won a gold medal in the Olympics in slalom. When they went home, they found a lot of monkeys in the house. We wanted to become friends with the monkeys, so we gave them

bananas. When they were feeding bananas, they attacked my grandparents. Luckily, I had learnt karate when I was a little child. I used that karate to defend my grandparents. Moral: Do not feed monkeys bananas because they get aggressive.

For Everything There is a Season

You are invited to join us at the Kensington Clubs 2024 Art Show. The show will display a unique exhibition celebrating the mixed media work of the members of the Gorlitz Kensington Clubs. This year’s art show is presented in partnership with teaching artists from Arts for the Aging and features cross-generational collaborative art with the JCA Heyman Interages® Center.

The Art Show will take place on Sunday, January 7, 2024, from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. at JCA headquarters,12320 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, MD 20852. Enjoy live music and refreshments in addition to the beautiful artwork.

RSVP: kcreceptionist@accessjca.org

This past month the JCA blog, Information for the Sandwich Generation, introduced the 2023 JCA Award winners. We shared an article about the benefits of “micro-acts,” daily acts of joy that can boost your mood. For those with SAD, seasonal affective disorder, we shared some steps to lessen the effect of the short daylight time in the winter months. Howard Gleckman, our immediate past president, wrote about retirement savings. And you will want to bookmark the ProPublica nursing home rating guide.

JCA thanks our generous donors who made Honor and Memorial gifts
in the last month.

Joshua Kaufman in memory of Jay Kaufman

David Elfin in memory of Mel Elfin

Jonathan Sokobin in honor of Colleen Kemp

Patricia Makely in memory of Miriam Schechter

Judith Grosberg in memory of Sheldon Grosberg

Jodi Mailman in memory of Frederick Mailman

Terry Ellen Singer in memory of Edward Leshowitz

Esther Newman in honor of Debbie Liverpool

Liane Lunden in memory of Harriet Wiesenthal

Randy Showstack in memory of Bella Showstack

Ann Windreich in memory of Arthur Windreich

Julie Cantor-Weinberg in honor of Fred Cantor

Florence Jewell in memory of Lauren Holloway

Ira Frank in memory of Perri

Laurie Dubrow in memory of Idabelle Sherman

Randy Klinger Margolis in memory of Carl Margolis

David Quinlan in honor of Fred Cantor

Jo Ann Cadeaux in memory of Elsie and Morris Gross

Edward Levin in memory of Susan Levin

Eugene Granof in memory of Lynn Chaitovitz

Ronald Schreiber in memory of Miriam (Micki) Smith

Rachel Blitz in memory of Ralph Foxman

Amy Turim in memory of Belle Hershman

Bernard Quinlan in honor of Fred Cantor

Philip Schneider in honor of Kensington Clubs Staff

Katherine Bramante in memory of Abby Levin

Barbara Etkind in memory of Daniel Luxemburg

Terry Shuch in memory of Win Greenwald

Steer your car donation to JCA!

It’s easy to donate your car through CAR-J, a collaborative program of JCA and Makom (formerly Jewish Foundation for Group Homes). Get started by filling in the CAR-J form. CAR-J will pick up your car at no cost!

Come learn about the impact JCA has in our community in a 45-minute Zoom “tour of our mission.” You might be surprised at what you hear as we introduce you to our CEO, board president, Career Gateway graduate, Interages volunteer, and Kensington Club activity leader. Reserve your spot for January 11 at 4:00 pm, January 15 at 4:00 p.m., February 7 at 9:30 a.m., or February 22 at 4:00 p.m. We really would love to meet you!

In these last few days of 2023, we recognize that you are a vital component of the success of JCA’s many programs that benefit older adults in our community. It is your continued generosity that helps all seniors thrive! Against an ever-changing, increasingly urgent backdrop of growing need from around the globe, we hope that you find it in your heart to remember the older members of our community. We extend our sincerest gratitude for your support and ask you to make a year-end a gift to the Jewish Council for the Aging.