Reuben Rotman, executive director of Jewish Family Service of MetroWest, said his agency’s client list is growing, and he is “nervous about what is going to happen.”
October 16, 2008
Feeling the sting of a growing global economic crisis, Jewish organizations are moving to cope with increasing demands from people facing the pressures of unemployment, severe losses in retirement income, and possible home foreclosures.
Leonard Schneider, executive director of the Jewish Vocational Service of MetroWest, said his caseloads are increasing “among both the unemployed and the underemployed. Someone who lost a full-time job with benefits is now doing something like driving a limousine part-time without any benefits at all.”
Reuben Rotman, executive director of Jewish Family Service of MetroWest, said his agency is receiving “a significant increase in calls,” including those seeking “mental health counseling services for anxiety and depression” as well as people in need of cash assistance.
The deepening economic turmoil has prompted United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ to begin working with its beneficiary agencies, including JVS and JFS, to “respond to the most urgent needs within our community.”
“This is what our federation is for. We are here to help,” said Gary Aidekman, president of the fund-raising and social-service umbrella. “Our MetroWest partner agencies are fully aware of the increased needs and are ready to help those who are severely affected by this current economic downturn.”
Aidekman said a full action plan will be in place over the next few weeks. (See full statement and a list of agency resources.)
“We are here to help,” said Gary Aidekman, president of United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ.
According to Rotman, JFS took on 44 new clients for mental health counseling in September. A year ago the number was 27.
“I expect it will be this way for awhile,” he said. “I don’t know if it is going to get worse because it is so bad right now. But I hear the economic forecasters saying there will be at least a couple of years of this.”
Rotman said he is hearing a range of challenges.
“Some people are employed and are concerned about making ends meet today and what their retirement will be like,” said Rotman. “Some people are concerned they are not going to be employed in a couple of months because business is going so poorly. There is no simple solution here.
“What works for one family doesn’t work for another. There is no one strategy.”
Even as he contemplates the needs of his clients, Rotman said, he must also focus on his agency’s operating budget and fund-raising efforts.
“Should we do a fund-raiser this year? What will the impact be? How do we do the fund-raising we need to do?” he asked rhetorically.
“We have government funding and private foundation funding, but their return is not so good. The amount of money they have available is not going to be what it used to be.”
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