New head of Family & Children’s Service says can-do agency can do even more

by Jill Huber
NJJN Bureau Chief/Monmouth

Before Evan Gartenberg became affiliated with the Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Monmouth County, he was impressed by the scope of the agency’s services. Now that he is president of the agency’s board of directors, Gartenberg plans to help JF&CS do even more.

Gartenberg, a Long Branch resident, was recently installed to a two-year term, succeeding Mark Lowe of West Long Branch. The new president served as board secretary before his current appointment and was an agency volunteer for the past six years.

As board president, Gartenberg said, he hopes to expand fund-raising efforts so JF&CS can continue to broaden its services. Increasing the agency’s name recognition throughout Monmouth County will lead to an expansion of the donor base and encourage existing donors to increase their pledges, he said.

“We have an extremely generous community of supporters and that community can definitely continue to grow — and spreading the word about everything this agency does is one way to make that happen.”

The agency’s wide range of services has always appealed to Gartenberg, but it was the volunteer aspect that first drew his attention six years ago. He was aware of the JF&CS Thanksgiving holiday food project, a program implemented primarily by volunteers, and brought his three children, Rachel, Isaac, and Rebecca, to the agency’s Asbury Park office to assemble and deliver food baskets to county residents.

“I wanted my children to see how great it was to help people who are less fortunate,” Gartenberg said. “It proved to be an eye-opening experience for them and a real lesson in values. We saw the great appreciation these families had when we showed up at their homes to bring them their packages. After that, I knew I wanted to have an impact on this group. The holiday food project encouraged me to learn about the other agency programs, and I liked what I found.”

Before long, Gartenberg said, he concluded that JF&CS was one of the most significant service organizations in Monmouth County. He listed the programs that have added to the agency’s credibility since JF&CS opened its doors in 1976: counseling programs for residents young and old, working with the elderly, the kosher meals-on-wheels program, processing of requests for clients of Project First Step (which provides social and mental health services to unemployed and underemployed residents in the Asbury Park vicinity), homemaking and transportation services for Holocaust survivors, efforts to resettle residents from the former Soviet Union, the adoption assistance program, and an agency-run thrift shop in Asbury Park.

The organization’s record-keeping system, which tracks all programs and related statistics, and its many information brochures are always available to document the agency’s worth to donors and potential donors, he said.

“Our donor base — and anyone who wishes to become a part of that — can see, feel, and touch the areas in which their generosity has an impact,” said Gartenberg. “They can examine these programs and see where their donations go. This will help with our future fund-raising efforts. Everyone at this agency believes that the programs are worthwhile, and that attitude comes across when you’re trying to reach out for fund-raising purposes.”

At present, the agency is evaluating several new program ideas; however, the nature of the new services will remain confidential until details and funding mechanisms are in place, he added.

Raising funds and volunteerism are also key elements of the agency’s annual summer dinner-dance, Gartenberg said. The event will assume even greater significance this year, which marks the organization’s 30th anniversary.

Gartenberg, who grew up in Lakewood and graduated from George Washington University in Washington, DC, is director of business development for Warrantybynet, an Internet marketing company in Brick. He was a five-year board member of the Jewish Federation of Greater Monmouth County and a cochair of the federation’s Super Sunday fund-raising event for two years. He is a board member of the Ruth Hyman Jewish Community Center in Deal. His three children attend the Hillel Yeshiva in Ocean Township.

“My children and I have all benefited from our association with JF&CS,” Gartenberg said. “This is an agency with caring professionals and volunteers who really make a difference in people’s lives. It’s an agency that people can rely on in times of need, and our programs are essential to our community. As board president, I want to have as much positive impact as I possibly can.”

Jill Huber can be reached at jhuber@njjewishnews.com.

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